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Background: I vape buds every night, using a Storz & Bickel Mighty set at 200 degrees Celsius. Prior to legalization in my area, I had little to no choice what I grew and smoked: weed was weed. But in the past few years I have had the opportunity to formally compare strains to find my favorites. Northern Lights is certainly in my Top 5. I evaluate all strains with the same criteria: how far can I go at both ends of the cannabis spectrum at the same time? Can I get a numbing effect while freeing my mind of all the obsessive/negative thoughts? Sadly, the answer for most indica and hybrid strains I have tried (about 15) is no: I get one or the other, even with hybrids. But Northern Lights hits on both. It is my go-to strain when I can’t find Lost Coast or Blueberry Cookies. I’ve been using it for a year now, off and on. Effect: I take hits every 30-60 seconds, and am feeling it within 10-15 minutes. The body effects are excellent: I go numb. I feel comfortably warm and light. A few minutes later, the psychoactive effects kick in and my mind quiets down. I can hold a conversation but prefer not to. I crave silence. My mind wanders in an amusing way: I hear melodies without any music playing. If I could animate it, it might look like a 60’s style art cartoon, minus the LSD weirdness. I never feel out of control, but I also know better than to attempt anything more ambitious than a walk to the restroom. If it didn’t mess with my concentration, I’d prefer to feel like that all day long.

Background: I have used this almost daily (nightly) for 7 months. I only use flower, and vape it through a Storz & Bickel Mighty set at 200 degrees Celsius. I pack the ground bud into the small metal cartridges intended to hold concentrates, which makes cleaning the heating chamber very easy. I use 1-2 cartridges (15-30 hits) per night when I go to bed. Of the strains that are reliably available in my area, this is my current favorite. My sources call it Blueberry Cookies. I am always chasing the elusive dream of having the best of both ends of the cannabis spectrum: the warm embrace of an indica with the mood lift of a sativa. Theoretically, any hybrid strain should do it, but I have not found to be the case for me. Maybe it’s the terpenes, I don’t know. Furthermore, I have given up on concentrates, which lack the depth that real buds posses. (I often use the analogy that bud is to concentrate what fresh fruit juice is to Kool Aid.) Blue( Experience: The body effects hit first, about 10-12 minutes in (I take a hit about every 30-60 seconds). I feel wrapped in a warm, comfy virtual blanket, my feet and face go numb and tingly, and my lower back pain subsides about 50%. Couch (bed) lock comes soon after, and I finally calm down enough to lie perfectly still. Then at about 20 minutes the psychoactive effects kick in, and my mood improves considerably. On my Releaf app I always track anxiety and depression, and this strain gets me to “0” (full grin) every time. Not quite like the good old days of laughing out loud, but close enough to send me off to sleep without the internal, nagging critical voice that plagues me during the day. The high lasts 1.5-2 hours for me. The Leafly description for this strain includes a warning for newcomers, and I cannot comment on new users’ experience, but the first two times I used this it was exceptionally powerful. The effects have since diminished a bit, making me wonder if I should rotate strains. I recently tried a close relative (Blueberry Skunk) and found it sorely lacking by comparison. I can recommend this with no reservation to anyone who is a regular user.

Without question one of the finest strains I have tried in my 40 years of using cannabis. I use it in the evening, after I am done working, and when I want a mental withdrawal from everyday life. I vape it with a Storz and Bickel Mighty at 200 degrees C. The high comes within 10 minutes, and lasts about 3 hrs with a gentle come down. While high, there is no couch lock, I feel light, as if I am floating in a pool of warm water. The psychoactive effects are outstanding. It takes a lot to raise my mood, but this puts me in a very happy state of mind. I get focused, can dial in to music or TV and get completely absorbed. My body gets tingly, especially my feet and face. Definitely triggers munchies. So far I’ve used this strain six times, and it has been outstanding every time. Strong enough to not use when working, this is after-hours-only. But if I could, I’d live in that state of mind all day, every day.

So, enough complaining about opening day jitters. We got through it, and won’t have that experience again. The last time I visited, on a Friday afternoon, the place was empty. I pressed the button, was immediately buzzed in, and showed my card. 15 seconds later I was in the waiting room. No wands, no hassles. The budtender saw me immediately. I told him what I was looking for—an indica or indica-heavy hybrid—and he recommended a strain that he had tried earlier in the day. He was helpful, attentive, and cool, letting me see and smell the bud, and we talked about how and when to use it. I paid and was out in 10 minutes. The budtender’s recommendation was spot-on. Their stock keeps growing, I get updates by text, including special offers. If anyone is having a better experience elsewhere in MD, rock on. But this is exactly what I expect of a new business working under a regulatory microscope. I suspect that after they settle in they will develop a personality and atmosphere that fits their repeat customers. There is no reason whatsoever that anyone should not visit this business. Celebrate the opportunity to purchase medical-grade cannabis in a safe, clean, friendly environment.

I medicate daily, about two hours before I go to sleep. My goal is to dissociate from my workday; I want the stress, anxiety, and hypervigilance to stop, otherwise I am destined to a night of repeating nightmares. Most frequently these nightmares involve some sort of futile attempt to finish a task. I try, I fail. I try again, I fail again. All night long. For me, success in medicating is determined by how well I break this cycle. I always use a Storz & Bickel Mighty to vape bud at 200 degrees C. I put about half of a cartridge in, which is good for about 8-10 small hits. I track the high using the Releaf app, about 5-6 sessions per strain. Captain’s Cake gets the job done: stress, anxiety, and depression drop within 10 minutes of my first hit. By the time I am done vaping, I feel enveloped by a supersoft, warm feeling like I’m wearing my favorite hoodie and sweats. In one particularly effective session I felt like the hoodie was soaked in warm butter, if that makes any sense: a lovely virtual embrace. My Releaf notes remind me that I feel focused, chill, and happy. Within 30 minutes I get the munchies, which are hard to resist but if I have a small dinner and focus on light foods I can avoid overeating. This strain gets me to the isolated, secure place I am after. The effects last about 2 hours, and the comedown is mild and pleasant. While high I have no interest whatsoever in conversation (I spend all day in constant communication). I’d rather focus on TV or music and get entirely adsorbed by it. The wider world goes quiet, I drift off to sleep, and sleep soundly. Even 6 hours of sleep is enough for me to wake feeling relaxed, rested, and ready to dive into another hectic day. I haven’t slept this well in 20 years or more. I give this strain 4 stars because it lacks the one additional effect that would make it perfect. I am always calm and chill, but never reach any lightness of mood. Not even a chuckle most of the time. But I could live in the Captain’s state of mind 24/7 and never complain.