Strain Gang Review: Kings Kush at Trenchtown

Before marijuana critic William Breathes bid farewell to the Westword staff a few days ago, he gave me one piece of advice: “Go to Trenchtown,” he said. “You won’t be disappointed.”

I wish I could afford a plane ticket to the famous Jamaican neighborhood that the late Bob Marley called home, but the dispensary named after it sounded like the next best thing. With the next location for Strain Gang identified, I headed to Trenchtown Medical Marijuana Center (it’s also recreational), at 734 Sheridan Boulevard with lofty expectations.

The second I saw the menu, I could see why Trenchtown was insider-approved: The recreational prices were cheaper than those at some medical shops. Before tax, grams were $8.57, eighths just $30 and quarter-ounces $60. My wallet was already satisfied, but my nose had yet to judge. The Cotton Candy Romulan and Hash Plant were both pungent and well-trimmed, but the royal buds of Kings Kush, which the budtender said was the store’s strongest indica, looked too good to pass up. I purchased a gram of it and went on my way.

If I were choosing colors from a box of Crayola crayons, Trenchtown’s Kings Kush would be forest green all the way. The buds also had streaks of deep purple and hairs of burnt orange reminiscent of an Arizona desert, and the spiny trichomes suggested thorns on a catclaw bush. Pinching one almost got me high; it smelled like I had just ripped open a packet of rubber-flavored Kool-Aid. It would have been nice to get some fatter, more dense nugs to examine, but it’s hard to be picky when you’re only buying a gram.


Smoking the joint was almost as enjoyable as the accompanying high. Fresh, sweet tastes of lavender and sour notes burst through with each puff, and despite the bud’s reportedly high THC content, the sesh was relatively free of coughing. My worries melted away with my sobriety after the third or fourth hit. Do not smoke this on an empty stomach unless you have food at the ready: My hunger intensified to the point of anguish on my part, and I was way too sedated to cook anything edible.

Kings Kush is bred from OG Kush and Grape Ape strains, and it’s known for producing an unwinding high with a strong come-down that helps those suffering from nausea, anorexia, insomnia and many other ailments that powerful indicas fight. If you’re having problems with stress or enjoying your significant other’s terrible cooking, look no further than the King.

Strain Gang is our weekly critique of a cannabis strain at a recreational store. Have a suggestion for a strain review? Send it to [email protected].