Strain Gang: Phantom OG Kush at Peak Dispensary

Strain Gang is our new weekly critique of a cannabis strain at a recreational store. For MMJ reviews, read Mile Highs and Lows at westword.com/news. Broadway’s notorious dispensary row is known for cramped quarters and strong cannabis, but some shops can claim only the former. Sad to say, using popular...

By Herbert Fuego

April 8, 2015

Audio By Carbonatix

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Strain Gang is our new weekly critique of a cannabis strain at a recreational store. For MMJ reviews, read Mile Highs and Lows at westword.com/news.

Broadway’s notorious dispensary row is known for cramped quarters and strong cannabis, but some shops can claim only the former.

Sad to say, using popular strain names for pot that doesn’t live up to its legendary reputation is an easy way to take advantage of tourists and yuppies leaving happy hour on Broadsterdam.

Would Peak Dispensary take that route, given its location in the heart of hipness, at 260 Broadway?

I decided to find out.

Picking my strain at Peak was like choosing a pint at Falling Rock Tap House: There were too many attractive choices.

Should I try something new, like the Sunshine Daydream, or stick with a trusted friend like Super Lemon Haze? I decided to go with an indica for a late-night sesh and bought a gram of Phantom OG Kush for $16 including tax.

Years of buying from street dealers has programmed me to weigh my pot after first-time visits. Sometimes the small pebble buds of an OG can be deceiving, but my Peak purchase was all there. The trichomes looked like flocking on a Christmas tree, and pinching them pushed out heavy smells of sweet soil and zesty citrus.

Phantom OG traces its genes back to OG Kush and members of the Planetary Kush family, and Peak’s budtender said this particular strain was crossed with Mars OG. I rolled most of mine into a joint and smoked it one night before bed. The term “planetary” was fitting: Each puff gave off fresh, earthy flavors from spark to roach. I packed the rest in a pipe I’ve been meaning to clean for over a month, and those famous OG notes still overpowered the taste of ashy resin. The Suns-Warriors game on ESPN immediately had me enthralled, and the game’s crazy finish only enhanced my high. I watched the ensuing telecast of SportsCenter with serious interest for ten minutes before my eyes got heavy and I started wondering if I could make it upstairs for bed. I didn’t.

Phantom OG that’s been grown correctly creates an initial state of chatty euphoria, followed by an intense, tired comedown and a hazy mind. This one definitely passed the test, and given the promise of other smells in the shop, I’ll be back to bag another Peak strain soon.

Have a suggestion for a strain review? Send it to [email protected].

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