Why Colorado Tokers Love Super Lemon Haze

Party favors are an easy way to make friends. Although they might not be the type of people you necessarily want to be longtime friends, having a few party pals definitely beats standing in a corner with a closed mouth while everyone else has fun. If you’re not into party favors that make you sweat and love bass, bring a bottle of Super Lemon Haze to the next gathering full of people you don’t know and watch the vultures circle as the smell fills the room.

Many purple or resin-coated strains can impress in the looks department, but few have the nostril hit rate of SLH. Gorilla Glue might be more potent, but if it were placed next to SLH in a room full of random people for a blind test, SLH is going to win that Pepsi Challenge every time. Potheads often enjoy smells that others don’t, like those of diesel fuel or skunky rubber — but the average toker still likes weed that smells like other things, such as pine trees, citrus, lavender and so on. I’ve watched as the scents of SLH, Strawberry Cough and Tangie entice newbies to try smoking pot for the first time, and they all did so for the same reason: The strains smelled more like fruit than pot.

SLH gets its trademark stank from a mixture of Lemon Skunk and Super Silver Haze genetics, good for multiple awards at High Times Cannabis Cups in 2008 and 2009 in the flower and concentrate categories. Bred by Netherlands-based Green House Seeds, a breeder known for its prized Haze genetics, the strain is a fragrant mixture of sugary lemons and earthy zest, so don’t mask the taste in a grape blunt or dirty bong like an amateur. Give this flavor train the respect it deserves with a quality vaporizer, clean glass or a proper joint.
Looks: Dominantly sativa, Super Lemon Haze nugs can grow long and oddly shaped, but they come in all sizes and range from loosely structured to dense. Expect a bright-green color and very heavy trichome coverage. Pistils should be a bright orange when fully matured.

Smell: Lemon Skunk genetics dominate the smell, but that signature Haze spice isn’t forgotten. Sweet, tart and a little zesty — almost acidic to the nostrils — the intense lemon/candy smell is rounded out with an earthy funk.

Flavor: As the smell implies, smoking Super Lemon Haze is like inhaling a handful of Lemonheads. The delicious sour flavor is complemented by a subtle but spicy and earthy back end, making it a great appetizer before dinner.

Effects: Quick and effective, Super Lemon Haze brings an instantly uplifting high that can last for hours. Smoke it with caution your first time, though, because some users report a lack of focus or heightened paranoia. Still, the majority enjoy a euphoric buzz and an easy state of mind, good for harmless laughs or a mindless walk around the neighborhood.

Home grower’s take: “I have a friend that calls this ‘Super Stretchy Haze’ because of how long it gets in his basement, which has eight-foot ceilings. I’ve had it get taller than five feet before, and I’ve heard of it growing longer. I really enjoy having this in the grow, because that lemon/diesel smell it provides is almost aromatherapy. Decent yielder, but it’s a slow grower on every stage. Flowering always takes ten weeks.”

Commercial grower’s take: “This and Lemon Skunk are easily the most popular and easily available lemon-flavored strains out there, but I’ve seen Lemon Alien popping up recently. [Super] Lemon Haze is great if you like pure citrus more than citrus and skunky or citrus and earthy. Grow it in soil if you’re able to, because that’ll really make that sweet lemon flavor pop if you know what you’re doing. Usually a top-shelf strain, because it’s not a huge yielder and takes at least nine weeks, if you’re lucky, to bloom.”

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