Why Colorado Tokers Love Copper Chem

I was lucky enough to avoid COVID-19 for nearly two years, but it finally caught up to me after the holidays. The virus did relatively little damage, all things considered, but was still enough to keep my body off the weed for a week. That time off gave my THC tolerance a much-needed cool-down, but I was hardly craving a salad after being stranded on a desert island. I needed a rare steak with buttery mashed potatoes and a cold pint to wash it all down. In the cannabis world, that prized meal would be made by Green Dot.

Green Dot Labs has become quite the gardener, utilizing an outstanding reputation in cannabis extraction to start an equally popular line of flower. One of Green Dot's cultivars to end 2021 was Copper Chem, a hybrid of Chem #4 and Star Dawg that's still available on dispensary shelves today. Excited at the thought of leaving my house for the first time in well over a week, I wanted a strain that provided a caffeine-like effect for outdoor activities, and Copper Chem's pedigree sounded up to the task.

The Chemdog family tree has a tendency to melt my brain into useless mush, but Star Dawg gives me productive highs without anxious side effects. My budtender said the prevailing feedback on Copper Chem was leaning toward the latter, so I eagerly paid my $55 for an eighth, full of high expectations.

An eye-opening blend of contrasting smells and a strong, reliable daytime high earned Copper Chem a gold medal after a few days spent gallivanting around town as if I were on my own stoned Tinder date. Hikes, bookstore runs and even grocery store visits were made just a little more fun or bearable, and the flavor — a mix of old-school fruity candy and classic pine and rubbery flavors — was good enough to stick around a while.

A day in the mountains, an easy bike ride or some light exercise are all uplifted after adding Copper Chem to the mix, a clear attribute of my favorite Diesel-inspired effects. I don't blame anyone who doesn't want to spend $55 on an eighth, but a serious case could be made that Copper Chem's long-lasting high helps conserve buds longer than the average purchase. And sometimes you just need to treat yo'self after a cannabis fast.

Smell: My nose picks up gas, pine and sweet, fruity notes before a zesty, woody back end takes over. The combination of diesel, Mike and Ikes and spicy pine gives Copper Chem's aroma a tobacco or incense quality that's hard to replicate.

Flavor: Copper Chem's fruity notes take over the smoke at first, pushing aside those spicy, woody characteristics. Not to be outshone, that Chem influence is noticeably present in the aftertaste, with rubbery and pine flavors that stick to the insides of my cheeks until a few glasses of water wash them away.

Effects: The high can be spacey at times, and taking one hit too many or an oversized bong rip can lead to mindless pacing about the house. Those effects have never reached a point of anxiety, however (just listless wandering), and the right amount of Copper Chem provided a euphoric, energetic buzz that's very easy to navigate.

Where to find it: We've caught Copper Chem at Buddy Boy, Colorado Harvest Company, Emerald Fields, EverBloom, Frost Dispensary, Green Dragon, Kind Love, Local Product of Colorado, the Lodge, Lucy Sky, Medicine Man, Mile High Green Cross, Nature's Kiss, Nature's Medicine, the Peaceful Choice, Silver Stem, Simply Pure, Standing Akimbo and Top Shelf Dispensary. Green Dot Labs is responsible for most, if not all, of the Copper Chem in the Denver area right now, growing the strain under its Black Label flower line while also selling Copper Chem live resin and live resin pen cartridges.

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