Marijuana Strain Review: Chemdawg D at Fox Street Wellness

The last thing I want to endure after work is the hellish roundabout that connects I-70 to Pecos Street, so out of fear of totaling my car or getting stuck in rush hour, I’d never been to Fox Street Wellness, at 4773 Fox Street, before last week. That’s when my balls finally dropped and I headed over to the dispensary in north Denver, hoping that whatever I found there would justify the traffic jam I’d inevitably get stuck in after I left.

The full jars of Banana Kush, Girl Scout Cookies and Stardawg Guava were very attractive, but their higher price range and familiarity shoved me toward Chemdawg D, a cheaper option that I’d never seen before. After yukking it up with the friendly budtender, I bought a gram of the D and then drove home with surprisingly little trouble.

Chemdawg D is a phenotype of the much-adored Chemdawg strain, which basically makes it the royal uncle of Sour Diesel and OG Kush. Considering how Colorado potheads love their Chemdawg, I was excited to try Fox Street’s take. The foxtail buds and brownish leaves showed that it might have been grown too long, but the buds were still fat and sturdy as I pinched them, like little mounds of clay. Richly dark and green, the Chem D didn’t blow my nose away at first — but interesting smells jumped out from all over after a few pinches.


Trying to identify the notes of the Chem D was like having an IPA punch your nose before you drink up. It started out sweet, added some spice, then stayed funky throughout. I had hoped the taste would match, but it failed to impress. After vaping a bowl out of my Volcano in hopes of better identifying the complexity, I thought it still tasted bland and generic, and a bowl in my pipe did nothing to change that.

Despite the lackluster taste, though, Chem D’s high was potent while still leaving me clearheaded and jovial. At under $15 a gram ($14.42, to be exact, including tax), this strain would be great over wine with some friends or before a movie or podcast that deserves your attention — particularly if you don’t have to drive through traffic to get to it.

Strain Gang is our weekly critique of a cannabis strain at a recreational store. Have a suggestion for a strain review? Send it to [email protected].