Why Colorado Tokers Love White Runtz

We all look up to older siblings, but we all want to show them up, too. The first day I put my ball-busting brother on his ass was only surpassed by the first time I beat him at one-on-one in the front yard. He played on a state championship team, and under the safety of a pen name, I can admit that he was a much better player. That win actually meant something.

White Runtz hasn't dealt with a big brother's hazing, but it does have experience with a big shadow cast by the oldest sibling. The original Runtz, a Cookies creation with Gelato and Zkittlez genetics, became so popular that phenotypes with the same genetics — like White Runtz and Pink Runtz — quickly popped up (as did black-market knockoff brands). After seeing White Runtz at more dispensaries around Denver than the original, though, I started to wonder if the baby of the family had become the new and improved version.

Both Runtz and White Runtz are known for their potency and sweet, candy-like flavor, with the majority of users reporting a sense of relaxed euphoria. White Runtz's nugs look like they're sprayed with sugar, however, and generally have fuller, denser buds. The younger brother hadn't just grown up: White Runtz lived in the weight room during puberty and arrived at the family reunion to show everyone who the real stud was.

My highs with Runtz and White Runtz have been very similar, but while it can be difficult to distinguish one from the other, it's hard to deny the increased visual appeal and slightly sweeter flavor that White Runtz carries. Those sour Pixy Stix qualities are stronger in live and solventless extractions, and the high is even more intense. However, I prefer to stay in the flower lane, given how many talented growers have taken on White Runtz.

Cookies obviously sells the majority of White Runtz in Denver, but Cherry, Dank by Pank, Malek's Premium Cannabis and Snaxland have all broached the strain. The high from Cherry's cut was so strong that it kept my friend, a cannabis grower, home for twelve hours, and the trichome coverage on Snaxland's version had my cousin convinced it was laced with something. If you want to impress your friends and are willing to pay the price, a well-grown version of White Runtz is the true King of Candy Land.

Looks: White Runtz's buds are typically olive green, but between purple spots and monstrous trichome coverage, there's so much window dressing that figuring out what color they really are hurts the eyes. Larger and more dense than the regular Runtz, White Runtz checks all the boxes for modern "exotics."

Smell: I never thought Runtz smelled like Runts candy (the banana one messes up that comparison), but the fruity, candy aspects have always been there — and are even stronger in White Runtz, which carries more sour, sugary notes than the original's rubbery characteristics.

Flavor: Sweet, sour and a little skunky, White Runtz's smoke tastes like a weed version of Smarties, Pixy Stix or other candies made of pure sugar, with subtle berry notes bouncing around, as well.

Effects: Even one hit of White Runtz packs a punch, and I've smoked bowls that felt like dabs in the past. Although not physically debilitating, the strain's potency leads to such high highs that a comedown is almost impossible to avoid. Take it very slow if you plan on activities or going out in public with this one.

Where to find it: Altitude, Callie's Cannabis Shoppe, Colorado Harvest Company, Cookies, Diego Pellicer, Doctor's Orders, Eclipse Cannabis, Green Cross of Cherry Creek, Higher Grade, the Joint, Igadi, Lemonnade, Makena, Medicine Man, Nature's Kiss, Pig ’n' Whistle, Silver Stem, Simply Pure, Unity Road, Verde Natural and WolfPac Cannabis have all carried White Runtz recently, but given the strain's popularity among wholesale growers, it's likely that more stores stock it.

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