Why Colorado Tokers Love Cashmere

Being a cannabis writer doesn’t require a fine wardrobe. I wear lots of baseball tees, jeans and hoodies, and most people I encounter still think I’m overdressing for my job. That means my shlubby shoulders will probably never feel the touch of cashmere, but they’d get a lot more attention if they did.

The Kashmir region of India is known for producing some legendary indicas as well as the yarn made from goat wool. Given cashmere’s reputation for smoothness and comfort, any indica named for it had better comfort the body and mind. More important, the grower had better make sure that smoking it is smoother on the lungs than Marvin Gaye. Nobody wants to cough aggressively on Cashmere. Fortunately, everything will go smoothly if you buy it from the right place.

Not to be confused with Kashmir Kush, a similarly sedative strain with Purple Pig and Vanilla Kush genetics, this version of Cashmere has Bubble Gum and Northern Lights parents. The classic lineage and flavor are good for a trouble-free nightcap after dinner, and you’ll still have just enough energy to brush your teeth and wash your face before bed. Although widely used as a physically relaxing strain, Cashmere also keeps me cooler than a polar bear’s toenails in the face of potential anxiety and stress. I wouldn’t recommend the relaxing high for a wake and bake, but high tolerances could handle it in the afternoon, especially if the day has been tense. Keep some around like a comfortable emergency blanket, and you’ll be glad you did after getting a traffic ticket or surviving a rough first date.

The Bubble Gum/Northern Lights version of Cashmere is more popular in California than in Colorado, but we’ve spotted the strain at Good Chemistry and on the street. Finding Kashmir Kush (just Kashmir, at some stores) is a little easier, with Kind Love, Silver Stem and Smokin Gun Apothecary carrying it in the past. If you can’t find either strain, Vanilla Kush is a close substitute that’s at many dispensaries. Our favorite versions of either strain come from Good Chemistry and Kind Love. Although Kind Love’s is a little heavier and sedating, its thick, pungent smells of Kush and vanilla are too nostalgic for seasoned tokers to pass up. Just be ready for an early bedtime if you succumb.

Looks: Although generally compact and round, Cashmere’s buds have a light, fluffy appearance thanks to wispy, sugary leaves that blend in with calyxes, so don’t overthink the trimming process here. Color ranges from wintergreen to dark pine, with some occasional purple mixed in.

Smell: Cashmere has strong whiffs of pine up front, followed by sweet, rubbery notes with a vanilla back end, reminiscent of bubble gum. Those classic Kush aromas play second fiddle to OG-like pine scents, however, making Cashmere smell like a sweeter version of Skywalker OG.
Flavor: Tastes of pine and rubber with a floral hint dominate most of Cashmere’s flavor, but sweet notes of vanilla and old-school bubble gum come in at the end.

Effects: Cashmere usually delivers a calming, euphoric wave initially, followed by a slow but gentle shift into physical relaxation. Don’t expect to work out after smoking Cashmere, but a surprise visit from your parents won’t freak you out, either.

Home grower’s take: “I’ve definitely grown something called Cashmere, but I’m fuzzy on whether it had Northern Lights genetics or not. One of many strains I’ve grown that probably wasn’t what I was told. But this one had big, compact buds that made the basement smell like a mix of pine air freshener and vanilla gum. Bottom branches got weak, and so did the buds. Lot of sugar leaves on it, though, so it was good for edibles and hash.”

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