The 12 Day Difference
March 14, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Chemdog #4. A potent smoke sought out by users for its dominating buzz that can range from supremely relaxing, to devastatingly cerebral. Hailed medicinally for its long-lasting pain management and insomnia aid. For some it can also offer relief from anxiety. A representative of Conscious Care Cooperative was kind enough to offer the Journal a sample of multiple grows, one pulled at eight weeks, the second at nine and a half, a premium grow according to CCC.
When comparing them physically, the eight week Chemdog (we will say 8wkCD) had a looser formation with broad leaves that parted from the body, hiding the inner bud. Observing trichome production with the naked eye on 8wkCD you can see a dusting of gauzy white resin, neatly arranged but sparse. At 60x-100x magnification slim bulbs sitting atop stumpy stalks of resin that had just begun to cloud became clear.
Chemdog #4 at 9 1/2 weeks
The much denser 9.5wkCD sprouted patches of healthy orange hairs. It’s colors were primarily forest green, mostly diffused through thick clumps of partially amber trichomes that casted it in whites and browns. Under the microscope proliferous stalks of resin that seemed to form on any possible growth point were visible on most of the bud. Cracking it open was audible, and revealed hash like pockets of amber resin around the stem.
9wkCD in detail
During a long afternoon drive with my un-medicated partner I was at ease being still and noting my surroundings. This buzz enhanced a mood that shifted from care-free silence to intimate life observations and intuitive banter. For this 3 hour buzz I combusted .1g (an average joint is between .3g-.6g) in a single inhalation. As noted in my earlier review, I experienced a 30 minute slope to peak that remained steady for over 2 hours.
Pulling into the driveway the faint afterglow that I am so fond of in Chemdog #4 was in its twilight. I performed a few chores around the house, checked in with my partner and set down to sample 8wkCD.
Combusting a pinch through a 2010bc Lowrider brought a heady, compact buzz that began in the mind and eventually a emanated from the front of the body. The time after inhalation to full effects was greatly reduced in the 8wkCD. Both energetic and stoney, but ultimately more distractible than the cool, collectedness of the 9.5wkCD.
8wkCD
When evaluating each experience it was hard not to draw comparisons between the under-aged and the mature. Where the 8wkCD was an eager to please buzz with enthusiastic distractibility, an hour-long and instantaneous. The 9.5wkCD was a slow come-on that eventually took hold for hours. A notoriously punishing high to those impatient users who underestimate its buzz 15 minutes after smoking. Aromas of the 8wkCD were saccharine, instant and straightforward. I noted sugared lemon and a young pine’s crushed needles. Inhaling this bud’s scent was astringent to the nostrils. The 9.5wkCD had depth. Still a heavy note of lemon and pine, now added were both playful traces of tobacco and dark chocolate, certain one moment and elusive the next. The astringent sensation had rounded out to more something entirely organic and pungent. 8wkCD was light and pliable, 9.5wkCD dense and strong.
Personally, I saw a use for both in my collection. My day smoking only Chemdog #4 was both luxurious and productive in my personal and social life. I alternated between both effects throughout the day with great results, maintaining an enjoyable all-day buzz without too much hassle. I hope the medical community explores the idea of releasing different harvests that potentially relieve a wider variety of ailments. A few minutes outside of the final edit, I rolled both harvests up for a quickly acting high that covered a broad spectrum of sensations that carried on all night.
Jack Foster
Seattle Cannabis Journal
March 14, 2011
