Tahoe OG
By the numbers: $10/gram, $200-$280/ounce at Pure Dispensary, 505 W. 40th Ave. in Denver
This strain was talked up by a friend as one of his favorite OGs. This friend partakes at least as regularly as I do, so I trust his word as a connoisseur. But I had not prepared myself for just how strong this weed would be.
I’ve seen Tahoe OG labeled as an indica, a sativa and a hybrid. Hmmm. The eighth I got was labeled hybrid. The nugs were super dense, compact and had visible trichomes. The buds weren’t huge, but they weren’t tiny either. Goldilocks herself might describe them as just right … is there a strain called Goldilocks? If there isn’t, there should be.
Regardless, I’d been using the Tahoe through the week in small doses to give me an appetite. There were occasions where I’d get almost entirely through the day and realize I hadn’t really eaten anything. So I’d hit a little Tahoe OG. Within minutes, my tummy was demanding to be filled. In those small doses this strain was super uplifting, motivating and positive. This is one I don’t want to forget.
More strain reviews: Golden Goat, Skywalker OG, MK Ultra, Blueberry and more.
But I had not tried it full strength and, well, that’s my job. So I rolled a joint (I’m honing my skills for the competition at the upcoming Denver County Fair this summer) with the intent of smoking only half of it. I took to the porch to finish what I started.
In a joint, the smoke caused a little coughing (I even wrote it down twice, “little coughing”). It was also the first time all day I experienced any forgetfulness. While telling a story, I just lost my train of thought, but it came back pretty quickly.
I did smoke only half of it, and thank goodness for that. Had I attempted the entire thing after not smoking all day, I might have tested my sanity a bit. Tahoe OG is strong, friends. Really strong. One way I discern an intense strain from a more mellow one is by the degree of perma-smile attained. Sure enough, after a few minutes of consumption I could not get the grin off my mug. I felt super goofy and my partner in crime was even goofier.
I had a little dry mouth, but nothing over the top. My mind kicked it up a notch and started problem solving. I’d recently been talking to some folks about a prospective job opportunity. It would be a life-changing move and could have the potential to be more intense than this OG, if you can believe that.
I’d had some mixed feelings, but to that point had only considered the positive consequences. Now, under the influence of this OG I was quickly analyzing all aspects of the opportunity. I finally allowed myself to examine the darker side of what this job might bring.
I love when cannabis provides more than giggles. Introspection is super important, and although I like to think I’m pretty self-aware, I sometimes have issues that I just don’t want to deal with. When a little toke can give you some real thoughtfulness I say you’re lucky. I mean, getting drunk provides a mind dump too, but often one that I’d recall the morning after thinking, “Damn, did I really tell so-and-so that last night? Embarrassing!”
After talking out my concerns I was able to determine, definitively and with much confidence, that this impending development wasn’t something I wanted to be a part of. Problem solved! And I’m totally crediting the Tahoe OG’s contemplative high.
But then things took a weird turn. This seems like as good a time as any to mention that a documentary crew was filming the smoke session. The two-man crew had been with me for a few hours with camera and boom mic in tow.
Until this moment it hadn’t really bothered me, but the Tahoe OG was wrecking my ability to normalize the situation. I was acutely aware that my life was being captured for some unseen audience. I knew that later someone in an editing room would watch over this stuff, panning carefully for any traces of gold. But I did not feel golden right now. The pressure was turning the Tahoe’s usually very mellow, indica-like experience into a bit of a nightmare.
I realize not many people will be in this particular situation while enjoying a big dose of this OG, but I think it compares to other high-pressure situations. I definitely wouldn’t use this guy before a big family event or a meeting at work, that kind of thing.
I quickly turned on “The Colbert Report” seeking to erase any anxieties and get back into my normal swing of things. It worked. The feeling of being watched subsided as Colbert made quip after quip. My body stopped tensing up and I was finally able to relax with an occasional chuckle and sip of water to ward off dry mouth.
The sobering experience had been just that. Only an hour after finishing my smoke on the porch, I was not feeling one single effect. I hadn’t even eaten anything. This solidified my notion that using Tahoe in a healthy dose before any demanding or potentially uncomfortable event is no good, as it really does not do the strain justice.
If I were giving out stars here, Tahoe OG would get four-and-a-half out of five stars for sure, maybe even five of five. The only real drawbacks were how quickly the intensity struck and the nervousness it caused in a high-pressure situation. Okay, and a little dry mouth. That can mostly be remedied by making sure you’re using it at the right time. Easy.
Tahoe OG is pretty to look at, tasty to smoke and a great helper for a little deep thinking. And given the proper circumstances, it would be an excellent way to relax and recharge after a long day.
