Why Colorado Tokers Love Gorilla Glue

I remember my first experience with Gorilla Glue. I was twelve, and it was in Ms. Toth’s science class. No, I wasn’t some middle-school loser lighting up in class; I was the middle-school loser gluing his rookie teacher’s mug to her desk. Strong stuff, that Gorilla Glue. It lasted longer than Ms. Toth did.

A strain that took its name from the famous adhesive should have the same brute power, and Gorilla Glue (the strain) definitely does. Its family lineage is basically a soda-fountain suicide concoction: a Chemdawg phenotype, Sour Dubb and Chocolate Diesel came together for a three-way that birthed some of the best trichome-producing buds on the planet.

As with Blue Dream, however, the effects of Gorilla Glue can vary — but at least this strain has a number attached to it. Gorilla Glue #1 is an indica-dominant phenotype of the plant, great for sleep, pain and very heavy relaxation. Sativa-dominant Gorilla Glue #4 is much more readily available throughout pot shops and basements, but don’t let the word “sativa” fool you: Gorilla Glue #4’s THC levels regularly test over 20 percent if grown correctly, so those with a low tolerance can still get zooted after just one or two hits.

Maybe all Ms. Toth needed was some Gorilla Glue, too.

Looks: Chunkiest of the chunky, Gorilla Glue’s calyxes are generally wide, supple and coated in a heavy white blanket of trichomes. The color should be a very light green with orange pistils.

Smell: Although it can vary by phenotype, all cuts of Gorilla Glue should have strong, skunky smells with earthy tones — think Sour Diesel and some wet soil. The indica-dominant cut (#1) might have more of a bubble-gum scent, while the sativa-dominant variety (#4) will smell more like pine trees.

Flavor: This is where you can tell the phonies from the freaks. Because of Gorilla Glue’s reputation for nugs the size of Pamela Anderson’s jugs, some growers will overuse swelling nutrients to make the nugs larger without flushing for the required amount of time. Beware of grassy, salty-tasting cuts of the strain; expect piney, sweet and earthy flavors from either phenotype.

Effects: Both popular cuts of the strain are potent enough to knock out any newb, regardless of whether they’re sativa-dominant or not. Experienced tokers will appreciate the heavy relaxation #4 gives without the sleepy comedown, but #1 will put you in the dirt in about an hour or less. Both are great stress relievers, though.

Home grower’s take: “I’ve only grown the #4 phenotype and have never come across #2, #3 or #5, personally. Sometimes I wonder if they even still exist. I’ve smoked #1 a few times, and it’s super-heavy, but I like the sativa-leaning one [#4]. Wouldn’t recommend this to beginners, either — this will take at least nine weeks to bloom, and it grows pretty tall, which can be confusing if you’re not used to tall sativas. I had to wash my clippers with alcohol every time I topped the leaves during the growth after, like, week six, because the resin glands were so sticky. Good problem to have!”

Commercial grower’s take: “Jeez, talk about a true overnight star. I’m not talking about the strain’s origins — people in the industry have known about Gorilla for a while — but look at the dispensary scene now: Everyone has a cut! If it’s anything other than #1 or #4, though, I’d be skeptical. We don’t even sell anything but #4, because we don’t want people thinking we’re inconsistent, even though we’re not. But that’s what I hate about assigning numbers to phenotypes if the effects are way different. Just call it something else!”