Blended Bud

One of the advantages to having countless jars of wildly varied strain types is partakers no longer have to wait for underground growers to crossbreed the flighty head-spin of Green Crack with the breezy mood elevation and appetite stimulation of Blue Magoo. Following the grand traditions of tobacconists and vintners, you can now create your own exotic blends and name them after your dog or a Darryl Dawkins dunk or whatever.

Before we get started, we're talking primarily about daytime strains here. You can mix heavy hitters like Dogwalker with Blueberry and a dash of Northern Lights, but you'll be too asleep to enjoy the ride.

To assemble your own blend, you'll need a quality herb grinder, a dispensary with a wide selection of strains, and a knowledgeable budtender.

Step 1.

Find a foundation. Build your blend around a workhorse strain, preferably with a solid baseline of long-lasting effects. You'll also generally want to settle on strains that are widely available. Cinex, Blue Dream, Golden Goat and Sour Diesel are solid options. Your foundation will make up somewhere between one-third and half of your blend, so choose wisely.

Step 2. 

Build on the base. Consider what your primary strain is missing. A creative jolt? Mood elevation? Cancer-fighting properties? The key to assembling a quality cannabis blend is utilizing the array of terpenes that combine with cannabinoids like THC and CBD to produce harmonious effects. High-end shops might provide batch-by-batch terpene analysis, and sharp budtenders can serve as guides, but you can also trust your nose in a pinch.

When in doubt, the better a flower smells, the more likely you will enjoy smoking it. There are hundreds of terpenes present in cannabis in trace amounts, each with distinct aromas and effects. If you've got a decent nose, the major players aren't difficult to learn.

Step 3.

Experiment. This is new ground, so feel free to try new things. Adding low to moderate doses of CBD-heavy strains can level out the anxiety brought on by too much THC, particularly in women. Look to add outlier strains, too. Durban Poison, for instance, contains high amounts of the cannabinoid CBG, which has proved effective in treating inflamed bowels.

Step 4.

Grind it altogether, store in an airtight jar, and smoke a pinch at a time. 

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The Triumph Return of the World Famous Cannabis Cafe 

Historic Cannabis Landmarks In Oregon | Weed War II: The Battles to Come

Blending Buds and Learning Terps | Pick Your Loose-Leaf Vaporizer 

What You Need to Know to Grow | A Directory of Dispensaries

High Cinema | Stoniest Portland Albums

WWeek 2015