Why Colorado Tokers Love Papaya Runtz

If we're measuring a strain's success by the number of growers and dispensaries carrying it, then you'd be hard-pressed to find two doing better than Papaya and Runtz over the last few years. Papaya has the ability to sweat out more rosin-friendly trichomes than just about anything that came before it, while Runtz is a pillar of the candy terp and flower movement.

Other than carrying distinctly sweet flavors, these strains (and people who smoke them) don't have much in common. Papaya is generally loved by dabbers and funk lovers, but Runtz is sort of viewed as an introductory strain with high THC numbers and a generic sugary flavor. That doesn't make Runtz's potency anything to laugh at, though, and growers always love to see if opposites attract.

The offspring of these new-age cannabis titans, Papaya Runtz, isn't quite the product of a match made in heaven. I've had better-tasting strains and more enjoyable highs, sure. But this fruity, spicy smoothie of a strain still had a solid upbringing, and anyone looking for a day of slothing around could do a lot worse.

Papaya Runtz reminds me of everything from a cardamom mango lassi to a frozen block of strawberry-banana-pineapple juice concentrate, but with a spicy, funky blanket. The Pixy Stix-like sugariness of Runtz and Papaya's tropical cheese-board qualities complement and heighten each other effectively, and the buds aren't bad to look at, either. It's the high that I'm not sold on.

While Papaya Runtz is heavily relaxing and melts minor anxiety, focusing is difficult, and the physical sedation rarely crosses over into heavy sleep, even late at night. That's a hybrid high for all the wrong reasons, folks. Unless I'm spending a football Sunday in front of multiple TV screens, such discontented laziness is difficult to benefit from.

Looks: Leaning into its resin-heavy heritage, Papaya Runtz is so frosty that I can barely see the emerald buds underneath those trichomes. The triangular and cone-shaped buds are dense and chunky, too, so there's really no hiding how potent this is.

Smell: Sharp, sugary aromas from Runtz and Papaya's tropical fruit and armpit cheese notes are a clear one-two punch after opening a jar, with herbal and woody jabs at the end. Sometimes Papaya Runtz is fruitier and sometimes it's funkier, but the ingredients are almost always there.

Flavor: Although a little spicier and more herbal than the smell, Papaya Runtz's flavor is still sweet and fruity, with hints of mangoes and bananas — and pineapple, if the cut is on the sweeter side. A skunky, cheesy funk lingers around my cheeks after exhaling.

Effects: I've been able to fight through Papaya Runtz's powerful relaxing effects before, but not often. The brain moves a step slower, eyes get heavier by the minute, and physical energy is increasingly hard to come by. The high isn't a total knockout, though, and leaves just enough life inside of me to lounge around and gorge myself. I keep Papaya Runtz for lazy Sundays or after an evening workout, and little else.

Where to find it: We've recently seen Papaya Runtz at A Cut Above, the Cannabis Depot, the Center, Complete Releaf, Cookies, Green Valley Dispensary, the Health Center, Lakeshore Cannabis, Leiffa, Life Flower Dispensary, Lightshade, Magnolia Road Cannabis Co., Maikoh Holistics, Nature's Kiss, Rocky Mountain Cannabis, Rocky Road, Silver Stem Fine Cannabis, Social Cannabis, Solace Meds and Trees, but more stores probably carry it, given the number of growers and extractors working with the strain.

Bonsai, Iion and Malek's Premium Cannabis grow Papaya Runtz, while AO Extracts, Chronic Creations, Denver Dab Co., Green Dot Labs and Leiffa all make extracted versions of the strain, as well. Malek's and lion both grow sweet, juicy and funky takes on the strain, and Green Dot's Silver Label solvent extractions taste like a skunky pineapple.

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