Why Colorado Tokers Love Mac and Cheese

Having limited options for recreation has led me to overindulge in more than one area of comfort. Activities and food usually reserved for hangovers and rainy days have become commonplace, and childhood video games are already collecting dust on my living room floor. So much stress and boredom can overwhelm us all, I suppose, but my arteries have become too clogged and my brain too dulled to have one more milkshake or play another round of Mario Kart.

Okay, that's obviously not true — nobody walks away from Mario Kart — but over the past week, I'd mostly moved on to reading and salads...until I got sick of those. So when I noticed something called Mac and Cheese on a dispensary menu, I immediately took notice.

The name Mac and Cheese suggested three possibilities: 1) a buddy-cop sitcom about a ladies' man and his less handsome friend with bad one-liners, 2) an all-American side dish that causes naps from overeating, or  3) a very potent weed hybrid involving MAC and classic Cheese genetics. Since none of those sounded conducive to a self-improvement mindset, I immediately bought an eighth in anticipation of a lazy weekend of weed, fried rice and Lethal Weapon movies.

Mac and Cheese is reportedly a creation of Capulator, the breeder responsible for MAC (Miracle Alien Cookies), which was mixed with Alien Cheese to create what I'm smoking today. The strain's genetics, known more for potency than user focus, seemed like the definition of a comfort strain: something that gets me giggly and baked without the side effects of paranoia or extreme lethargy. Such strains generally result in a day spent on the couch, allowing just enough energy to reheat a mixture of leftovers or pay the pizza guy. Does that make me a lazy pile? You betcha, but Mac and Cheese still leaves me just enough motivation to spring into action for a surprise pickup game.

The sign of a true comfort strain is the lack of guilt. Sitting on my ass all day brings more self-hatred as I get older, and the need for stress relief during those trying mental times is essential. Mac and Cheese was too successful at that, though, erasing any shits to give for the next six hours. That's the sign of a dangerous strain any time of day, so keep that in mind before lighting up to take on your to-do list. But if you're only trying to watch explosions and choreographed fighting all day, another bowl of Cheesy Mac won't hurt.

Looks: Like a salt-rimmed shot of tequila, Mac and Cheese is covered in glittering grains just begging you to make a bad decision. Those frosty buds look even brighter, thanks to Mac and Cheese's lime-green color, which is usually accompanied by light violet spots and rusty peach pistils.

Smell: I do notice some cheesy aromas in Mac and Cheese, but it's more of a Brie or goat cheese, with sweet, milky notes covered in layers of funk, berries and citrus, all of which are followed by a spicy herbal back end. Imagine a creamier version of Golden Goat.

Flavor: That goat-cheese funk sort of blends together with Mac and Cheese's herbal, earthy notes, giving it a skunkier flavor than expected. Strong hints of berries and lemons burst in at the end and hang around afterward.

Effects: My energy isn't zapped after a bowl of Mac and Cheese, but focus and limbs are impossible to command, making it a sedentary or distracted high. That typically means a day or night spent inside, but if you're okay with being terrible at conversations or getting lost while walking across the street, then get out there. The stress relief is top-notch, however, so much so that Mac and Cheese is best used infrequently, or you're in for a very unproductive stretch.

Is there a strain you'd like to see profiled? Email [email protected].