Medicinal Vs Recreational
Medicinal research, recreational users organized in Social Cannabis Clubs and medicinal users are a reality in many countries; medicinal and recreational uses of marijuana inevitably go hand in hand.
In countries such as Spain, society has evolved faster than laws and recreational use is widely accepted, depending on which part of the country you live in. Social Cannabis Clubs (SCC) are popping up like mushrooms all over the place. In Barcelona alone, there are a few SCCs with more than 3000 members. The SCC movement started about 15 years ago in the Basque Country, where recreational users were trying to find ways to access marijuana by their own means without breaking the law. The vast majority of SCC members are recreational users, even though they work closely with ill patients going through chemotherapy and other illnesses. Today, this SCC model is being used by activists in France, Italy, U.K and Latin American countries. Recreational users are trying to find ways to make it right, by working with local law enforcement agents and politicians. In recent years, the medicinal aspects of our beloved plant have taken special importance in the cannabis industry and many countries are, little by little, making small changes on decriminalizing the therapeutic use of marijuana (U.S., Canada, Italy, Czech Republic, Uruguay etc.). Public opinion regarding the use of marijuana as medicine, but also for recreation, has changed.
On the one hand, there is much research being conducted on marijuana to discover exactly how many cannabinoids there are and how they work and interact with each other. We already know marijuana contains more than 60 cannabinoids, but the effect of each of them is not yet known. Some seed banks are now starting to pay special attention to secondary cannabinoids, which are just as important as THC for some illnesses. Researchers have found that the effects produced by terpens and flavonoids are extremely important, they are responsible for producing the aroma, flavor and color of the plants. Terpens and flavonoids act in synergy with cannabinoids to deliver the positive effects on humans. This is known because, over the years, many studies have been conducted with terpens in all fruits and vegetables in order to conclude their influence on health. Terpen molecules bring flavor, aroma and half of the specific medicinal values of marijuana strains, which makes sense when you realise that aromatherapy is based on the influence of terpens on the human metabolism.
Nowadays, we are used to reading THC and CBD percentages on seed banks’ catalogs. In the future, we will have more information about specific strains; we will have access to THC, CBD, CBC, THCV, CBDV percentages and the terpens/flavonoids composition/concentration. This will act like a strain identity card and can warn users about the strain´s expected effects. We will be told the best way to get the most of the plant, by smoking, vaporizing or consuming it as an edible and this information will be provided for both medicinal and recreational users.
The following are two smoke reports conducted by a medicinal user in Canada (Nathan W.) in which he talks about the medicinal and recreational aspects of Kush´n´Cheese and Dinachem, two very different Dinafem strains.
Kush´n´Cheese
The name already sounds totally recreational to me. My mouth just waters by knowing that this is the cross between an OG Kush and the 91 UK Cheese elite clones. Yet, when smoked in a joint, by Volcano or BHO I can feel its medicinal traits.
It grows like a pure Indica during the vegetative state, really slow, however, during the flowering period it easily doubles its height. Thick, dark-green leaves grow throughout the early stages. Cheese characteristics come out towards the end of the flowering period, with multi fingered leaves and the “knot-like” appearance of the buds. Very solid, firm, round buds are formed.
It is hard to make up my mind, when it comes to pointing out what dominant aroma is on the bud. Both Kush and Cheese are impressively present, to my surprise, and I could easily also associate another familiar smell; that of a fresh baked pie…mmm, sweet, Yeaah! This strain is mouthwatering all the way to the end.
Flavor is easier to fix. It is clearly a Cheese flavor, with some hints of Kush, but definitely Cheese dominant. It is not harsh at all. It has a very smooth flavor. In a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being extremely harsh and 10 extremely smooth, I will give an 8 on smoothness. It doesn´t make you cough at all.
Kush´n´Cheese has a great Indica medicinal effect, helping greatly with insomnia and also stimulating the appetite. Therefore, if you are the kind of person who needs to slow down in the evening, Kush´n Chese will help you to do so. The percentage of head to body is 15% head and 85% body. From the first hit, the effect is present for two hours, sometimes a little bit longer depending on the tolerance of the individual. So, it is recommended for bed time use, since the smoke is very enjoyable in the evening and is not overwhelmingly psychoactive. Yet, it has the ability to hit you like a hammer and leave you flat.
Dinachem
According to Dinafem Seeds this strain is the cross of the original Chemdog and some Guavachem seeds. Chemdog is one of the top strains in the U.S. and is the mother of very famous strains like NY Diesel, OG Kush, etc. It has a very dense centralized growth pattern, buds being thin and long at the beginning, but putting on considerable girth at the end of flowering. It has the ability to get very tall, so trimming might be needed to control the height. It produces large amounts of shiny resin. Good ventilation is advised, since buds are really bushy and powdery mildew can be a problem.
It has a dominant fuel smell with some limonene hints to it. It tastes like it smells, like fuel or gas. It is not harsh, but it is not as smooth as Kush´n´Cheese. In a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being extremely harsh and 10 extremely smooth, I will give a 7 on smoothness. Yet, it doesn´t make you cough, so we are safe with Dinachem.
The percentage of head to body effect is 75% head and 25% body. Dinachem is strong and very cerebral, it could possibly be the true definition of “high” as it is extremely potent with virtually no ceiling. It has an almost instant effect, causing dry mouth and an increased appetite. Its effect lasts for 2 hours from the first hit.
Surprisingly, it has more pain relieving qualities than one would expect from such a heady buzz. It also has great anti-antagonistic value when it comes to medicating mental illnesses like ADHD or mental anxiety. Caution should be taken by non-experienced users as Dinachem´s high THC level (above 20%) may be too much for some, but it stimulates appetite, making it ideal for people treated by chemotherapy. Moreover, it can be used by AIDS patient as analgesic.
Nathan W. has briefly explained two very different strains with specific characteristics for medicinal and recreational users. Marijuana is enchanting, it is a beautiful plant that hypnotizes growers, making it a must to check on it every day. It is joyful to watch how plants grow and develop lovely flowers which become huge, compact, resinous buds. The whole process of making your own medicine is recreational. Once harvested, it is time to appreciate all the work done by smoking it, making edibles or whatever you please. No doubt, this plant is medicinal and recreational from the top to the bottom.
Originally published in Weed World 106