Marijuana Strain Review: Pac-10 at Nature's Best Alternative Medicine

When I think of Glendale, dispensaries don’t usually come to mind. Shotgun Willie’s, yes; Elvis eating a bacon-laden PB&J, sure; even Mayor Mike Dunafon rapping with Wyclef Jean. But not pot shops — though the tiny town does have four dispensaries, and will soon have a fifth, next to Shotgun Willie’s. To be honest, I didn’t even know I was in Glendale when I pulled up to Nature’s Best Alternative Medicine, at 4601 East Mississippi Avenue — but with a liquor store and pizza joint next door, I’ll remember this triangle of favorites from now on.

My budtender said the recreational side of Nature’s Best had just opened in the last month, but the tiny counter held at least a dozen strains. Although he didn’t seem too excited to show me the lineup, I eventually whittled my options down to the indica-dominant Grape Crush and the hybrid Pac-10. Fondly remembering watching Pacific-10 Conference college basketball with my dad, I bought a gram of Pac-10 for $12 and started humming some Grateful Dead in honor of Bill Walton.

Pac-10 is known for being about as close to a 50/50 hybrid as you can find, but I couldn’t uncover much more about the strain during an hour of research. No worries: Everyone knows field tests are the best way to learn, and I was eager to start. Popping open my bottle released sweet scents of cheese, with some spicy floral notes lingering behind. The bright-green buds, dense thanks to some tight, sturdy calyxes, were covered in milky trichomes and begging to be inhaled. Wondering which would feel it more — my head or my body — I packed an afternoon bowl with no expectations.

Other than a subtle, fruity initial taste, Pac-10 didn’t bring much flavor, but the smoke was smooth and pleasant all the same. Its sativa effects punched me first, filling my head with hot air (or just more of it) and lifting it up like a balloon. That could be why I spent a few minutes looking for my phone while I was holding it in my hand — so I then turned it off in case anyone called my overly stoned ass. The indica effects didn’t wear me out, but they definitely mitigated the heart-racing and paranoia that sativas sometimes bring on, and Pac-10’s munchie-inducing high was versatile enough to enjoy any time of the day. That said, you might want to eat something before you partake: It’s unhealthy for one person to eat a whole Little Caesar’s pizza by himself.

Strain Gang is our weekly critique of a cannabis strain at a recreational store. For MMJ reviews, go to westword.com/news. Have a suggestion for a strain review? Send it to [email protected].