Why Colorado Tokers Love Lucid Dream

Some of the weed-can-do-no-wrong crowd will get mad at me for saying this, but cannabis and dreams don't mix well. Most psychopharmacologists and psychiatrists believe that regular cannabis use is linked to decreased REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, or the stage of sleep when the body sort of enters paralysis as it plays out the movies of a dormant mind. So if smoking pot leads to less REM, the brain is likely to create or remember fewer dreams — and most habitual pot users will attest to the strange dreams they have upon quitting or taking a break.

Lucid dreaming — the state of dreaming while being aware that you're dreaming — sounds like a cool middle ground for those of us who miss dreaming but would miss pot more, yet most people don't attain it. But a joint of Lucid Dream, a cross of Amnesia Haze and Blue Dream from the Northwest, sounded like a shot at achieving something close to that while awake...at least until my mushroom guy gets back in town.

Although both strains bring energy, neither Amnesia Haze nor Blue Dream have ever been accused of making me a titan of productivity. Both kill focus and drive me to more hours of listless wandering than I'd like to admit, but they also carry light psychedelic qualities that could combine for an entertaining imagination if reined in. Armed with a book and a graphic novel, with a science-fiction movie at the ready and my walking shoes nearby, I was prepared for any weird place that Lucid Dream wanted to take me, and it's a good thing I was. I started reading the graphic novel ten minutes into the movie, and was on the toilet reading the book fifteen minutes later. Restless and easily distracted, I was soon walking around my neighborhood to expel energy, but even a tired body couldn't turn off my spinning brain. I felt the tip of those psychedelic effects, but could never relax enough to enjoy them. Safe to say, this is much more of a Blue Dream than a lucid one.

Lucid Dream is still more popular in the Pacific Northwest than Colorado, but I've seen the strain at Good Chemistry's four locations between Denver and Aurora, so it's not impossible to find. Based on the genetics and grower opinion, the strain likely yields well with relatively little upkeep, so we could see Lucid Dream expanding into more Denver shops.

Looks: A taller plant with longer, more airy nugs than Blue Dream, Lucid Dream commonly sports purple spots and fan leaves, with bright-orange pistils and average trichome coverage.

Smell: More sweet and sharp than rich, Lucid Dream's fruity notes remind me of blue raspberry flavors rather than blueberry — much like Blue Dream's used to. The strain's bubble gum and Kush back end quietly showcase an Amnesia Haze influence while balancing out the sweetness.

Flavor: The sugar and berry notes don't leap forward in the smoke as they do in the aroma, taking a back seat to more grassy and earthy flavors, which tend to linger as well.

Effects: Better hope you like going to outer space — or getting lost in space, to be more precise. Filled with energy and curiosity but not the attention to effectively satisfy either, I routinely found myself feeling like I had to be somewhere, but couldn't think of a place to go.

Home grower's take: "Top, top, top, top. This strain gets so tall, and I cannot say that enough. Pretty resilient besides that, though, and we pulled it in two months. I'd say it had a very close smell and flavor to Blue Dream, and a buzzing high, too. It's hard to believe there are cuts with CBD out there, but that's what I've heard. That's probably the only version of Lucid Dream I'd smoke; I just couldn't focus after smoking it."

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