Why Colorado Tokers Love Paris OG

Staying at home has inspired an escape into the past, back when life happened and every headline wasn’t about a pandemic. Almost every day is throwback Thursday on meme pages right now, while sports channels are showing baseball and basketball games from the ’90s. I’ve been reeling off flashbacks of my own in recent weeks, turning to memories and photos of my only trip to Europe three years ago, thanks to a Facebook reminder. The architecture and fashion of Paris were beautiful. But the weed? Just okay. So when I first tried a strain by the name of Paris OG during Colorado’s short stint of curbside-only weed purchases, my expectations were closer to the catacombs than the Arc de Triomphe. Turns out, though, the strain has quite the résumé.

Paris OG doesn’t have any officially listed parents, but is suspected to be the love child of Lemon OG and Headband. There’s some smoke to the notion, as both of Paris OG’s rumored parents hold the rare distinction of carrying intense citrus flavors before pile-driving you into the ground, and Paris OG is also on that short list. Those scarce qualities were good enough for Paris OG to win a first-place trophy at a Michigan Cannabis Cup six years ago, and the French Revolution hasn’t stopped, even if it has quieted some over the past few years.

We’ve seen Paris at Callie’s Cannabis Shoppe, the Clinic, Herbs 4 You, Kaya Cannabis, Mile High Green Cross, Solace Meds and Starbuds, with stores around Colorado carrying wholesale cuts of the strain and pre-filled cartridges of Paris OG concentrates from O.penVape. Paris OG is rightfully considered a nighttime strain, but I like to puff a few bowls on late afternoons or lazy days — and there have been a lot of those lately. If you can fight the physical relaxation and find a stimulating activity during a trip to Paris, though, that easy mind can enable or reignite passion or motivation, which a lot of us are finding hard to achieve right now.

Looks: Although Paris OG isn’t dripping with resin like today’s new strains, there is still classic appeal. Triangular- and teardrop-shaped buds, dense forest-green calyxes and limited rusty-orange pistils match up with Paris OG’s timeless smell. Old heads love it, and young eyes still respect it.

Smell: That timeless smell clearly honors Paris OG’s lineage, which includes Chemdog, Skunk and San Fernando Valley OG Kush genetics, among other strains. The rubbery aspect of Skunk and Chem strains is cut by sweet, sharp scents of citrus and a zesty herbal back end, making it more skunky and earthy than gassy.

Flavor: Paying respect to similar but distinctive parents, Paris OG tastes like a sweet, quietly sour mixture of lemon and lime flavors with classic cannabis notes. It's a skunky Sprite carrying a wet, muddy aftertaste with peppery overtones, making the entire experience more Skunk and Kush than Chemdog, but it gives you a taste of all three.

Effects: The sedating effects of Paris OG will eventually leave you zonked on the couch, but not before a mind-bending chill takes over, giving you a solid two hours of fun before you hit the dirt. Although focus was hard for me to achieve, the high was creative and curious while loosening up the pain in my lower back after sitting on a kitchen chair for work all day (thanks, ’rona).

Home grower’s take: “You never know what these strains are really made of, but that smell checks out, for sure. If the genetics are what we think, I’m actually surprised that Paris OG doesn’t do better. Lemon G is a big-timer, and Headband was popular with growers like me long before this dispensary shit. I wish there were more around for medical purposes, though, because it’s pretty helpful for different forms of pain.”

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