The more I learn about cannabis as well as how MY body reacts to it, it is clear that listening to someone else’s opinion of what may be the best strain available is probably not the most prudent thing to do. Everyone is different when it comes to how any particular strain will interact with them. Body types, diets, fitness as well how experienced someone is with cannabis will cause someone to have a very unique experience with any strain out there.

So my advice is to take a journal and start to right down the various effects you feel with the strains you choose to try. Start to make a habit of looking at the strain’s COA’s. Right down terpene profiles and THC amounts etc. This will help you keep fine tuning your experience.

For example…I have been on a quest to find a strain that offers both appetite stimulation as well as muscle relaxation and sleep. I have tried indica’s with greater than 20% THC as well as indica-leaning hybrids. At first I was only paying attention to THC levels and other user reviews to try to find the strain(s) that work best for ME. But then I started to notice that the strains I liked the best were not the highest in THC nor were they the most popular among reviewers.

So I started looking into the strains in more detail. What were the levels of CBD? What were the total terpenes? What was the breakdown of the terpenes? Once I started looking more in depth, I have discovered a strain that has quickly become my all time favorite and surprisingly the strain is not an indica or an indica-leaning strain. It is hybrid that is for sure more towards the sativa side. The name gives that away. Lemon Pound Cake is now my all time fav strain for smoking and here is why…

Lemon Pound Cake lives up to its name. So many strains have names that do not translate to the experience. I have tried strains that lead you to believe you will taste chocolate or some sweet mints only to have none of those tastes come through after lighting it up. Lemon Pound Cake tasted just like a fresh slice of…LEMON POUND CAKE! Go figure. So the taste and smell experience were awesome and mouth watering. Secondly, the effects came on a little slower but lasted longer, which is perfect for someone like me who is wanting it for nighttime use. Those effects were due not only to its THC level being close to 22%, but also because the 3 dominant terpenes created an incredible entourage effect. Total terpene percentage came in over 2%. Then that 2% was dominated by Limonene, Caryophyllene and Myrcene and I have learned that when a strain has Limonene and Caryophyllene as the two major terpenes, that strain offers the most relief for my muscles as well as my stomach.

So for my medical marijuana needs, Lemon Pound Cake checks all of the boxes for me. The smoking experience and the effects are perfect. It is now my “perfect strain.” It took me almost two years to figure all of this out. When I first got started here in FL with MMJ, I was in the age of discovery again. I would try any strain if it said it had at least 17% THC. I was not caring if it was an indica or a sativa and I was for sure not paying attention to the terpene profiles. Now, when I sit down to place an order, I look for strains that ONLY have the terpene makeup that best works for me. That means I may have to really do some searching before buying but the experience and health benefits are so much better and I am convinced you will find it to be the same once you fine tune your personal cannabis journey.

So spend those extra minutes with a journal after you try a strain. Write down what you liked and maybe didn’t like. Look up the terpenes and soon you will too will find one of YOUR perfect strains.