Why Colorado Tokers Love Kush Mints

I’ve never been a fan of the after-dinner mint. As an emergency measure after coffee or really bad takeout, maybe, but since most of my food doesn’t smell like butt cheeks, I’m good without those 300-year-old confections. Give me something that can whiten my teeth, at least. It’s 2020.

Over the years, though, I’ve learned not to let my disdain for certain foods affect how I judge strains. Bananas aren’t my favorite fruit, but Banana Kush and Banana OG are both delicious. So are all of those Garlic strains. And for that matter, smoking a bowl of Kush Mints won’t leave your mouth feeling minty fresh and clean, either: The potent mix of Animal Mints and Bubba Kush carries stiff notes of pine, wood, graham cracker and Skunk with a blast of wintergreen at the end, a chemical reaction that will out any idiot foolish enough to keep this in a simple bag or plastic jar. Kush Mints needs to be tightly sealed or your cover is blown.

I was sold on Kush Mints bringing a balanced high, but I found it much more relaxing than described. The strain’s tendency to melt stress adds to the already soothing body effects, so any sessions with Kush Mints after 7 p.m. is likely to put you down within a few hours. I shouldn’t have been surprised: Bubba Kush has always dropped me like a kick to the groin, and Cookies strains do the same. My history with the parents combined with that potency is a recipe for an early night.

Kush Mints has been spotted at Eclipse Cannabis Company, Euflora, Frosted Leaf, Mile High Green Cross, Peak, Rocky Mountain High, Roll Up, Seed & Smith, Solace Meds, Trees and Wolf Pac Cannabis, with wholesale providers such as Clearwater growing it, as well. My favorite cuts have come from Trees and Wolf Pac. Both feel as dense as a rock in your palm, flocked in powdered sugar as you get high from the smell alone.

Looks: Try not to confuse Kush Mints with a Sour Patch Kid or Gumdrop. The strain looks as if snow fell in the grow, with candied layers of trichomes coating dense, bright-green buds with spots of purple, which look even brighter against the dark fan leaves.

Smell: Complex and distinguished, Kush Mints’ strong blast wakes up the nostrils like a stick of wintergreen gum, with tangy hits of pine and dank wood up front followed by spicy notes of chai and flour and a strong, skunky back end reminiscent of a weed-flavored Altoid.

Flavor: It’s hard for such an interesting smell to translate to your tastebuds, but Kush Mints does a good enough job at providing the CliffsNotes. Those dank, spicy notes of pine and wood are mellowed by a subtle chocolate sweetness, all of which is eventually overpowered by the skunky, minty punch the strain is known for.

Effects: Kush Mints is usually described as a 50/50 hybrid, but I consider it much more calming than stimulating. Despite an initial rush of creativity and interest, I usually find myself pushed into a chair by the strain’s relaxing effects on the mind and body, and above-average bouts with the munchies didn’t help.

Home grower’s take: “The terpene tests I’ve seen on this are pretty balanced, so that weird train of smells is actually backed by science. It’s a clone-only strain at this point, so anyone who gets their hands on it either has a hookup or paid a lot of money to get them. Kush Mints’ looks are great, and I can see why someone would buy it based on that alone — that’s what I did — but I don’t think it’s worth what most dispensaries are charging for it. You can find similar highs and stronger strains out there.”

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