Strain Gang: Pre-Rollin' the Dice at L'Eagle Services

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. 

Pre-rolled joints have quickly become the hot dogs of Colorado’s recreational marijuana industry. They’re cheap to make, easy to consume and extremely convenient — but do you really want to know what’s inside? Customers leaving dispensaries with a complimentary joint may feel as if they’ve just won the lottery — but they may not feel the same after smoking it.

L’Eagle’s organic cannabis won our Best Sour Diesel award in the Best of Denver 2015. I wondered if its pre-rolls would be up to the same high standards, so I stopped by the shop at 380 Quivas Street last Friday. When I purchased an eighth of some exceptional flower, the budtender was kind enough to include a free, pre-rolled cone of Sour Diesel, which normally sells for $6, because it was my first time in the shop.

He warned me not to expect the same smooth burn and pungent taste I’d get if I rolled my own joint of the award winner. I was disappointed to learn that the crop’s bottom of the barrel had gone into my freebie, but the news wasn’t surprising — and his honesty was appreciated. So was the cone’s smell: The bottle it came in couldn’t contain the vapors, and my car reeked of skunky afternoon delight by the time I got home.

While the budtender’s candor had tempered my expectations, the quality was still more than strong enough to justify the standard price tag. The leafy burn was a little harsh at the beginning, as many cones are, but the diesel notes were evident. My cottonmouth was accompanied by a piney, citrus aftertaste, and the instant, face-melting high assured me that this was the sativa that had been advertised. My plans for laundry and TV-watching were ruined. I found myself zoned out, shooting hoops at the park for an hour instead.


Perfect for vacations, stoned adventures and chores, Sour Diesel is a popular choice for daytime smoking, and this was a pre-game treat I’d gladly spend $6 on before a hike or concert. As with most pre-rolled cones, you should burn this with a friend or save some for later. Puffing it all at once would get most of us way too stoned, and the higher percentage of leaves inside makes for a more irritating smoke that your throat won’t enjoy.

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