Why Colorado Tokers Love Black Cherry OG

Soda was recently cut out of my diet, but giving it up wasn’t hard; candy, pie and cereal are much more important to my sweet tooth. The few times I do indulge in a pop, however, I like to go with the old-school varieties, like root beer, cola or red, orange and original cream sodas. Black cherry is another great choice, highly underrated and hard to find — to the point of having to buy it in an overpriced glass bottle at the grocery store.

Or you can find an alternative for your favorite flavor in the cannabis world (or at least fool yourself into thinking that). So I was interested to see whether Black Cherry OG would provide a worthy substitute for that old soda flavor I craved.

Largely sought after for heavy relaxation and pain relief, Black Cherry OG has some old-school in it, too. The strain was created by famous California breeder Ken Estes, who took an even more legendary strain of his, Grand Daddy Purple, and crossed it with his own take on OG Kush, which reportedly includes Sour Diesel genetics. Bred back when medical marijuana was the path to legal plants and everyone wanted the strongest couch-lock, Black Cherry OG might deliver more of a nostalgic rip than I’d imagined.

Upon popping open my first bottle, Black Cherry OG passed the smell test, spraying rich aromas of figs and cherries before getting undercut by sharp hints of citrus. The combination danced across my nostrils, as though battling for position, creating a sensation almost like a carbonation fizz. Further sessions didn’t disappoint, but they persuaded me that this is best kept for late-night burning.

The weed version of Black Cherry is easier to find than the soda nowadays. We’ve sniffed bottles of Black Cherry OG at Ajoya, High West Cannabis, Lightshade, Lodo Wellness Center, Mile High Green Cross, Solace Meds, the Green Solution and Urban Dispensary, with wholesale growers providing versions to several other dispensaries, as well.

Looks: Typically slender and sea-green with average density, Black Cherry OG is packaged differently from steroided strains you’ll find today. But it’s still beautiful, like a pinup model from the ’50s. Some tokers would argue that the outdoor look of Black Cherry OG’s light-purple spots, light trichome blanket and long sugar leaves is prettier in the grow than modern pot.

Smell: Black Cherry OG is thick and rich from the start, but with a slice of acidic sourness and earthy, spicy notes to level it out. Like a bowl of dark fruit and squeezed citrus (or a glass of homemade sangria), the strain is intensely fruity, with just enough lime and Kush flavoring to provide balance for OG lovers.

Flavor: Bowls and joints of Black Cherry OG tend to taste more spicy and earthy than the smell suggests, but the cherry and citrus notes are still strong on the sides of your mouth, blending with tastes of soil, vanilla and rubber for a balanced cannabis combination.

Effects: Although the relaxing effects may take longer to affect some users than others, almost everyone’s pain and daily stress melts away after bowls of Black Cherry OG, which brings about a beautiful, uplifting feeling for the first thirty to forty minutes before an epic downfall into munchies and laziness.

Home grower’s take: “Black Cherry used to be really popular about twelve or fifteen years ago. It smells bomb, tastes bomb and provides a really strong kick. We used to grow it a lot, but never tried cloning it for ourselves because it was so easy to find. We could pull it in like seven or eight weeks, and the bong rips were top-notch. People would get mad if it wasn’t purple, but that just meant your temperatures weren’t fluctuating. Then one day, it just stopped coming around.”

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