Why Colorado Tokers Love Banana MAC

For all the blubbering I do about older strains, the hybridization of cannabis makes everything in my pipe bigger, faster and stronger. Growers take the yield and potency from a strain over here, match it with something flavorful over there, and maybe you have a winner. Kids don't always outshine their parents, though, and don't have to be A.J. Soprano to come up short. Sometimes Mom or Dad are just too tough of an act to follow.

Banana MAC had a big hill to climb from the start. The name sounds like a cartoon pimp who hangs out by a fruit stand, and then there are the legacies of parents Banana Kush and MAC (Miracle Alien Cookies) to live up to. Banana Kush still clings to the title of most popular banana-flavored strain, and MAC has been a dispensary superstar for years now, thanks to serious potency and a sterling extraction record. If plants knew the pressures of societal expectations and resentment, Banana MAC would either experiment with ecstasy a little too much in high school or constantly overachieve. But Banana MAC was bred for a reason, and we'd be wise to take it seriously.

Banana Kush is a fragrant, delicious strain, but its power largely reflects those of past decades. MAC's potency and trichome production are unquestioned, and they've helped usher in a new era of strains bred for extraction. No one has ever accused MAC's basic, earthy flavor of blowing their minds, though, so the obvious plan here was creating a banana-flavored strain with bigger biceps. And for the most part, the plan works.

Representing qualities of both parents, Banana MAC has bigger buds and a fuller head of trichomes than Banana Kush, and a much louder flavor profile than MAC. The high is one of the more dangerous I've come across in a while, but it's also a fair representation of the strain's lineage, taking me on a bungee-jump-like experience of disoriented energy before gluing me to the couch if I overdo it.

Smaller sessions with Banana MAC were easier to manage, helping me through boring afternoon tasks and workouts. Send all calls straight to voicemail, though, because you'll be answering every question and remark with one word no matter how hard your brain tries. This is not a high for making any bigger decisions than what's for dinner, and even that should be written down beforehand.

Looks: Banana MAC's fist- and cone-shaped buds are big, dense and lean on the pistils, with healthy trichome coverage. Although typically bright green, the nugs can take on strong purple hues that cover the majority of the calyxes.

Smell: A mixture of pine, soil and banana hits first, with herbal, zesty and floral aromas subtly coming in afterward. The banana aspects are usually strong enough to linger longest, though.

Flavor: Give credit where credit is due: Banana MAC's flavor tastes even more like the fruit than it smells like it, a rare trait in the cannabis world. (Anyone who's had banana-flavored Runts or Laffy Taffy knows exactly what I'm talking about.) That candy taste is backed up by nutty, floral characteristics, with zesty notes of juniper rounding it out.

Effects: Banana MAC calms my nerves quickly without draining too much motivation, but the high is on the spacey side, and goals or tasks become harder to prioritize than what I'm accustomed to. Too much Banana MAC leads to hot laps in my house, and requires a walk or exercise to get rid of the mindless energy. Problem is, that's when the physical crash happens, and my day as a functioning adult is done. The effects fit for early-evening use, but take the session slowly.

Where to find it: We've spotted Banana MAC at Colorado Harvest Company, Denver Dispensary, Good Chemistry, the Happy Camper, Igadi, Oasis Cannabis Superstores, South Park Farma and Star Buds.

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