Why Colorado Tokers Love Zero Gravity

Cannabis breeders tend to name their strains in connection with a smell or flavor, because something called "Strawberry Dream" sounds more appealing to new customers than "Red Eyed Hunger." I appreciate a grower who doesn't beat around the bush, though, and lets me know what to expect after smoking a bowl.

Zero Gravity, a relatively new strain on the Denver dispensary scene, sounds like a rubber stamp toward what I call stoned floating, which is a relaxing but manageable mixture of euphoria and loose limbs. It's like being too high to go full-on grocery shopping, but still happy to run across the street or cook whatever you find in the kitchen. After discovering that Zero Gravity's parents were Hash Plant and Northern Lights #1, two longstanding and personal-favorite nighttime strains, the prospect of stoned floating was a reasonable and welcome expectation during Thanksgiving week.

Despite Zero Gravity's name, however, I later found out that most people use the strain for a quick nap or physical relaxation without the magic carpet ride. That wasn't exactly my goal for a holiday weekend involving easy conversation and loads of eating. Fortunately, I had time for a few test runs, and the high never tied me down.

Over a dozen sessions, Zero Gravity proved to be a reliable evening refreshment and perfect primer for Thanksgiving. The high was effective at killing worries and annoyances while warming up my body and keeping a smile on my face. I could see those nurturing effects pushing toward physical relaxation for some, but I found them even-tempered. Staying home was just fine, but if a fun opportunity to leave the house arose, I could always float away without forgetting my head.

Looks: Ranging from fist-shaped to foxtailed, the majority of Zero Gravity's buds are big, dense and intimidating. The indica-forward look is enhanced by dark-green calyxes with stretches of purple and above-average pistil production, along with a sharp layer of trichomes.

Smell: As much as I love smelling cannabis, I rarely want to take the scent with me in public. Zero Gravity's supporting notes are an exception to that rule, though, and should become a body wash. After a thick blast of resinous hash and Kush aromas, sweet hints of berries, citrus and chocolate make appearances, with a soapy, minty blend lingering afterward.

Flavor: Hash unsurprisingly controls the taste, but Zero Gravity's soap and berry flavors cling to my cheeks as chocolate notes camp out on the back of my tongue. It all combines for a mystery box of Kush characteristics, and I'm here for all of them.

Effects: Zero Gravity is billed as an exclusive nighttime strain with instant and powerful relaxation, and I agree...minus the powerful part. While the high was indeed potent and calming, I didn't feel a strong physical effect, nor was the comedown inescapable. I prefer to use Zero Gravity for a quick liftoff after work. The stress relief and giggles help in shrugging off the day, and the high isn't sticky enough to keep me on the couch.

Where to find it: Zero Gravity has been spotted at A Cut Above, Callie's Cannabis Shoppe, Colorado Harvest Company, Cookies, Doc's Apothecary, Elements, Elite Cannabis, Frost Exotics, Golden Meds, L'Eagle, Life Flower Dispensary, Magnolia Road Cannabis Co., Medicine Man, Silver Stem Fine Cannabis, Stadium Gardens, Star Buds, Twin Peaks Dispensary and Xclusive Cannabis, though more stores are likely to carry it, too.

Clearwater and Snaxland, two esteemed wholesale growers, both supply Colorado dispensaries with Zero Gravity, and the Greenery Hash Factory sells old-school hash blends that prominently feature it. A small list of stores sell Zero Gravity kief from Clearwater, as well, which is an instant buy if I ever come across it.

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