Strain Review of Head Banger from HBB Medical Inc.

Purchase Date: May 20, 2016       

Strain: Head Banger

Hybrid 50/50   1g

Cost $9

CBD 0%

THC 22.1%

Look of Bud: A plump bud that weighed exactly 1gram with only a few long orange hairs. The larger trichomes are fairly abundant making a slightly higher than medium amount of frost.

Smell of Bud: First I detected a piney/woody smell that was earthy and warm. The lightest note is best described as diesel.

Taste of Bud: Yes I ate raw bud. It’s actually good for you. Gives you those cannabinoids that still contain the acid chain attached (CBDA, THCA, etc) and have health promoting benefits all on their own. (I’ll eventually discuss this in another blog post-it’s on my “To Blog” list).

As with the smell there was no one overpowering taste to this strain. A slight Diesel taste mixed with the generalness of eating vegetation. Not an unpleasant taste at all. (Though I’d not recommend chewing much bud as the trichomes do like to stick to your teeth leaving a gummy feel)

Handling of Bud: Bud moisture was good. Not as moist as the Champagne I review earlier this month. I did do what the Budtender at HBB Medical recommended though, I removed the buds from their packaging and let it sit in a dark glass jar to air a bit before I was ready to use it. When it came time to grind it up I was very happy with the result. I rolled some into a lovely long slim blunt and it handled just like it should, dry enough to not bunch up in the grinder, but sticky enough to stay packed while hand rolling (not my strong suit). 

Burn and Effect:

Blunt: As I mentioned above the flower rolled well into a hand rolled blunt because it was sticky enough to hold together as I manipulated the stuff. She burned slow and did not need to be relit, a rarity for me. The effect for me was pleasant. I didn’t feel particularly high but rather happy and relaxed. I did notice the friends I shared with demonstrated more paranoia, but that may have been because neither of them are medically legal as I am. (Admittedly, I may have too little fear cuz I don’t know better as I’ve only known “legal”)

Bong: Its unfortunate but my first reaction is to want to cough due to the peppery effect of this strain. I’m also not a big smoker so those of you who do smoke more might not have such a big reaction. The smoke is good a milky cloud. I feel its effects almost right away. A cerebral high that is causing me to loose a bit of focus because there are so many other senses of mine being stimulated right now as I type this on my deck this gorgeous Sunday afternoon in May. So CREATIVITY IS BOOSTED! YAY. I love that! P.S. I’ve only smoked half the bowl and feeling fine! Interestingly, I did not experience the dry eye effect after smoking the bong like I did after vaping. I'm wondering if my eyes were dry from the vents blowing in my car instead...? Not to be forgotten, ash was white right through. 

Vape: First taste from the vape was diesel, than came the woody, earthy flavour. The inhale left a peppery feel in my throat that tickled a bit. There is a slight lemony note in the taste as well. The cerebral effects were very pleasant. I had a general overall sensation of wellness with no sharp turns into feeling high. I can’t say I felt it coming on or leaving but I defiantly felt emotionally light and happy.  I was not prone to navel gazing or ruminating on past or future like some high indicas can do to me. The downside came on about an hour after inhalation. Major dry eyes! Easily solved if ya got some drops with you (which I didn’t!).

Grade: 

My grade scale will be out of five. A point per category listed above with 0, .5, 1 as possible scores.

I give Head Banger from HBB Medical Inc. a  4.5/ 5 

Look:  1

Smell:  0.5

Handling:  1

Burn:  1

Effect: 1

Weight Accuracy: I actually purchased two grams of this and decided to weigh the contents of both packages individually. Both were exactly 1 gram on a scale that weighs to 0.01g. Thumbs up guys and gals! 

Last Notes: I was specific in my purchase this time as I had a special event this weekend. Three ladies out on the town looking for some fun. Dinner and a comedy show out of town, so I wanted something that would give us a happy mood but not make us anxious in public, nor sleepy cuz I was driving an hour there and back. I asked for a 50/50 Indica/Sativa hybrid mix and Mr. B pointed me right to two strains in the showcase. Head Banger and Tahoe. The only reason I choose one over the other was because I had heard the name before. I wasn’t disappointed. 

I never felt lethargic or muddled the whole night. Was able to navigate new streets with ease, feel relaxed in a new situation in a new city, in a dive of a bar. It was sketchy but I felt at ease and capable of handling an event I’d normally not even entertain attending. It was the perfect choice for a night out with friends. A perfect day strain. It would probably be great for doing any kind of creative activity as well. Over all, I love this strain. I’d chose it again.

Correction: I want to mention again the topic of moisture in the bud that I paid so much attention to in my first review. When I stopped by HBB Medical Mr. C was kind enough to educate me in the fine timing of curing. And I fully admit to still being Newbie enough to not know everything. Remember, my only experience so far is getting perfectly cured bud from LP’s in plastic jars with air tight sealing. So I’m willing and wanting to learn from anyone, even my mistakes. So hopefully I can correctly retell what I think he was telling me. 

When HBB packages their product it is done so when the moisture is such that the trichomes are not so brittle that they crush easily. It is recommended that after purchase you store your bud in a dark glass jar (or similar). I did this and the product was better only a few hours later. 

I’ve asked the guys to feel free to comment below the first review and describe what he told me in person. Hopefully one of them will get around to it, as my desire is to learn myself, but educate others as well. And if I’ve made a mistake in something I’ve conveyed here I’d love it if someone out there who knows I’m wrong would correct me. I’d hate to think I’m spreading false information when false information is what we are trying to get away from as we as a Country work on legalizing. 

Follow Up to My Cannabis Break

It was three weeks ago that I told you all I was taking a break from Cannabis. I think I've processed that week long enough. Time to tell you what happened.

I started this blog as a way to process the changes that I have been going through since starting Cannabis as my medicine. The desire to educate people grew the more I learned and realized how little actual truth about this herb is out there. 

I have to state, the changes that sometimes occur are not always medical, or physical. In my case I was very religious my whole adult life. Like, the kind of Christian who wouldn't let my kids watch Disney movies cuz they were full of witchcraft, or magic. I was THAT kind. I shutter, and have much regret for who I was back then. But I try to let the voice of wisdom speak louder and remind me that I only did the best I could with the knowledge I had back then. My best just happens to be better today then my best back then...that's all. (ok...it's not always better...I'm still a work in process.)

My last intake of cannabis in any form was a Friday night. I was off fully until Tuesday evening when I started to ingest it so I could sleep. I didn't start back to my day use, vaping and/or smoking until Saturday night a week later. It has taken these last two weeks to re-acclaimate and mentally/emotionally process all that has gone on internally.

I had a VERY bad first weekend. My biggest physical issue was restless legs, preventing me from sleeping. They hadn't actually start bothering me until day 2. But you can only go for so long without sleeping well. My other physical issues, pain, were easily dealt with by using Tylenol and Aleve. (These are the two drugs I've been on for years and the reason I started Cannabis in the first place was to get off them so as not to over stress my kidneys any further). My mental issues were mostly due to the ridiculous amount of stress I was under for a prolonger period of time. Years. And a big contributing factor was/is my ever present self doubt; doubting my judgment and well...everything. Much of this self doubt comes from the shame associated with my previous religiosity. (Not that church caused it, but rather for me it fed an already established shame and made it grow.)

A small example of how bad I was at the beginning of this pursuit; by the middle of the afternoon on the first Saturday I was literally packing all my cannabis related things into a box and hiding it all in my closet. Bongs, lighters, weed, printed material about cannabis, and my colouring page from #myTHCbox also went. I couldn't stand the sight of any of it so I cleared it out of sight completely. I was at the point of hating that I had ever started it. I deleted groups, and unfollower Cannabis community Facebook pages. I just couldn't have been more hateful towards cannabis.

By Tuesday afternoon I had pulled out a little weed to roll a joint and I start back eating my AVB with ice cream at bed time just so I could sleep. But I had still decided I'd not ever go back to using Cannabis as much as I had been. I could deal with the physical pain by using pharma products and I was willing to take the risk of damaging my kidneys. I got over that by the next Saturday.

My last day off weed was horrid. I was unable to think a positive thought. But by dinner I realized I was on a bad thought track and knew the only way to combat it was to grab my cannabis and get couch-locked! It worked too. Stress left. I calmed the fuck down and realized the sky was not falling. Next day I had the best Sunday a person could have.

And as I processed that weedless week I know that my emotional instability was not and is not caused by my Cannabis use. I really was under a crap load of situations. Most of which have now been resolved, thankfully! It just took a ridiculous amount of time. A couple issues remain, but I'm working on those with Mindfulness practices I learned in classes given by a medical Doctor here in the city; learning some new (and badly needed) coping skills, gaining insight into the causes of stress, and seeing a counsellor. I've spoken with both the M.D. and the counsellor about my shame issues that were fed and grew to huge proportions under the guise of a loving God and both have applauded me for getting out of something that caused me to feel so much shame. Unfortunately that doesn't remove some of the wrong beliefs I still have. That might take years to do in some cases. Some of those shame issues are what had me second guessing my original choice to start cannabis. So while I was six feet under all these major stressors recently those very shame issues were raising an even stronger opposition. But my week off helped clear up and remove the lack of trust I had in myself, at least regarding the issue of Cannabis as medicine!

What this whole week taught me:

The whole reason I took a weedless week was to see if cannabis was causing or creating more stress and drama in my life. I went through a strange week, denying its effectiveness first, accepting its medical use in one area of my life, and then embracing it fully again.

I've learned that Cannabis was not causing me to stress out, life was. Cannabis helps me realize what is no big deal so I can focus on what is.
I know that popping a low dose canna-cap of a Sativa/CBD mix allows me to chase the blues away. I don't feel any cerebral effects but I don't get dragged down by the time I've finished my first cup of coffee either, which can happen if I don't medicate effectively.
I know that I need to get more serious about keeping connected to the larger medical cannabis community. Not that there is anything wrong with the few people I've started to get to know, I just know they don't have all the answers either. Some of them are just as new (or newer) than me. But there is a world full of life-long medical cannabis patients who have a wealth of information that I want to learn from.

I know that I don't know enough about how to medicate properly for pain. I am still medicating with big pharma for pain and inflammation. I want and need to know more.
I'm also allowing myself some grace. My original pain issue was better for six months. I had more mobility and less restrictions due to pain since starting cannabis back December 2014. My new injury occurred mid August. It was intense! I was SO disappointed by the set back! So now, rather than being disappointed that I had to go back on big pharma drugs after I had only just gotten off of them I am learning to be ok with what is right now. Unfortunately I also badly sprained my ankle two weeks ago so I again had to increase my dose of pharma to the max while this newest injury heals. But giving myself a break (or grace) is exactly what I need to learn here, so I'm learning.

Although this may not have been the best way to do it, I do believe this break was a success. I've learned more about me, and what works for me because of it. And as a side note, three weeks out I have felt an internal shift recently that I'm hoping is permanent. It's a healthier perspective with less self doubt. If I went through a hellish week just for that it was well worth it!

Strain Review: Flower from HBB Medical Inc.

Fredericton has its first Medical Marijuana Dispensary!


Welcome to the neighbourhood HBB Medical Inc.! I will do a post later introducing you all to a dream come true! I literally didn't think this would happen for years, yet here we are. Opened April 2016 and I've been in and am doing my first review. More on them later.

Purchase Date: May 5, 2016

Strain: Champagne 

CBD/Sativa   1g

Cost $10

CBD 8%

THC 6%

Look of Bud: The nug looks dense and full and well trimmed. Lovely mix of dark and mid greens with long orange hairs. Tricomes are visible creating a medium amount of frost. 

Smell of Bud: Scent is fruity and sweet, reminiscent of Sweet Island Skunk. Slight pungent hint of skunk with an earthy undertone. 

Handling of Bud: Upon removing the flower from the plastic packaging I immediately noticed the bud still contained moisture. I was disappointed in its lack of proper curing. The bud did not grind well in my hand grinder because of this. It also took way more fire than fully cured bud needs to light. Next morning the bud I had left in the grinder was properly dried and easier to burn. 

Burn and Effect: When smoked from a bong it gave a good white smoke and produced white ash.

It has a slight floral and earthy taste. After 2 min I felt a slight buzz, 4 minutes a medium head high. At 8 minutes I was at full effect which is a nice head tingling relaxed contentment. I feel happy to sit here writing my review, or moving indoors cuz the wind is picking up. The low THC of 6% is deceiving though. The relaxed energy I have is perfect for having a conversation with the Bell Fibre Op lady at the door, or getting creative with what I’m going to do in my next art class (or what to say for the next sentence). Music is standing out more to me than it does with some other strains. This is the perfect strain for me for when I want to dance around to loud music while cleaning the house. Or getting physically active like working out or going for a run. 

When vaped the taste is distinctively pine and lemon with a slight skunky, earthy undertone. I found the taste rather pleasant. The effect time is about the same vaping as it is smoking. Length of time the effects lasted was longer than I expected. I noticed a slight brain tingle even 3 hours after I had smoked a bowl around 5:30pm last evening.

Grade: 

My grade scale will be out of five. A point per category listed above with 0, .5, 1 as possible scores.

I give Champagne from HBB Medical Inc. a  3/5 

Look: 1 

Smell: 0.5

Handling: 0 *not fully cured

Burn: 0.5

Effect: 1

I’d like to note that there is a risk of mold growing in the bud if moisture is left in it and then packaged. Check your package before you make your purchase, as long as there is no mold evident it is possible to complete the curing process yourself at home. Simply pop your purchased buds into a brown paper bag and let sit in a cool DRY place for a day or two. 

Last thoughts: I’m pleasantly enjoying Champagne by HBB. I will purchase it again as it is a great choice for my day use cuz it makes me happy and productive. It was also a decent cost at $10 per gram. I would recommend this strain, with the note to be aware of moisture on this current batch.

Check out my second Strain Review Here!