Why Colorado Tokers Love Lemon Freeze Pop

Baseball has become too smart and less fun. All home runs and strikeouts. No action, no in-between — as if the sport's pace weren't slow enough. You couldn't pay me to watch baseball on TV, but I'll still gladly pay to watch it in person.

I'll watch snails race if good weather, decent seats and snacks are involved. That's the sort of summertime laziness I savor on a day off. And with 70-degree days in my forecast, that was exactly the state of mind I was looking for during a Broadway dispensary run. The Blue Cheese and Strawberry Cough both looked plump and fresh, but I wanted something new. The Lemon Freeze Pop, a mix of Lemon Tree and a Creamsicle phenotype, presented a bright opportunity.

Lemon Tree, a hybrid of Lemon Skunk and Sour Diesel, has earned a solid if unspectacular reputation as a daytime strain in Colorado over the past year. Creamsicle, a mix of Juicy Fruit and Orange Crush, had its peak almost ten years ago. The parents could be a little played out in some eyes, but all of the grandparents are classics. That lineage was intriguing enough for at least two of Colorado's better growing operations to take the strain on this spring, and they chose the right season.

Lemon Freeze Pop is a fine companion for fishing, golfing, standing and any other daytime activity that's usually an excuse to drink beer. The high is social and stress-killing, and sufficiently primes your stomach for any barbecue or happy hour. Keep it to a joint or two among friends, and it's only up from there.

Looks: Segmented and oblong, Lemon Freeze Pop's tall buds have denser calyxes and a darker shade of forest green than I expected. Bright-purple and dark-blue spots pop up as well, with above-average trichome and pistil coverage.

Smell: Lemon Freeze Pop's aroma is more sour than sweet up front. Nostril-piercing notes of orange chemical cleaner are typically followed by spicy, funky smells, but a fresh hint of lemon hangs around at the end, giving Lemon Freeze Pop a citrus-sandwich appeal. Some cuts are more lemon-forward, however.

Flavor: Big Diesel energy, but with a lemon twist. Lemon and gassy flavors are the strongest aspect of Lemon Freeze Pop's flavor, but skunky, earthy notes also make appearances, as does a subtle, cheesy aftertaste that likes to stick to my cheeks.

Effects: I stay at the same level of energy after smoking Lemon Freeze Pop, but with more focus and considerably less anxiety and stress about overhanging tasks that would otherwise cloud my concentration. My focus doesn't wane after smoking too much, but my energy certainly does, and the munchies only get stronger. Have lunch plans and a game plan of activities, and a Lemon Freeze Pop joint is a fine pre-gamer, especially if you're avoiding alcohol. If you decide to drink, though, keep water handy, because the cottonmouth is strong with this one.

Where to find it: We've recently spotted Lemon Freeze Pop at Cannabis Station, Doc's Apothecary, Frost Exotic Cannabis, Golden Meds, Green Cross of Cherry Creek, Green Dragon, the Green Solution, Mile High Green Cross, Nature's Kiss, Rocky Mountain High and Star Buds, but it's become a popular strain in southern Colorado as well, with a handful of Colorado Springs and Pueblo dispensaries carrying the strain.

Antero Sciences, Clearwater Genetics and Sacco have all put out versions of Lemon Freeze Pop, with Antero's and Clearwater's the best I've come across in Colorado. Antero's is more accessible in Denver, but Clearwater's is worth a short drive. The Pueblo-based cultivation is able to pull out enough whiffs of chemical cleaner, citrus and funk to leave my face feeling sunburned after popping open a bottle.

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