Upon doing some preliminary research, I have come to discover that Grapefruit was once an extremely popular strain, although one with a somewhat vague backstory. Grapefruit is apparently a genetic cross of Cinderella 99 and a grapefruit flavoured sativa landrace. Although, the strain did not receive mass popularity until the 1980’s, when the clone was found by a BC breeder named Steve from Spice of Life. Since its heyday, a true BC grapefruit is hard to find, therefore, any strains one may find titled as “Grapefruit” could provide diverse effects that are not entirely similar to the prototype.
My dispensary consistently sold Grapefruit for exactly $7 per gram. A sweet and citrusy sativa is pretty much impossible for me to overlook, and one with an equally sweet price tag is always going to be a definite purchase. I usually don’t create high expectations for strains that I find in the bargain bin, although I still had faith that this would not be a strain that would not let me down.
My 3-gram container looked fairly unassuming; the buds were long and cone shaped, stuck to a fair amount of stem, super airy, and not too pungent. Although, as soon as the buds are ground up, they release a delicious amount of sweet citrus aroma, very reminiscent of grapefruit. My very first sample was via my portable vape, and once it heated up and I took a pull, I was hit with a surprising amount of deliciousness. The grapefruit flavour was unmistakably apparent, and the flavour is like blowing out some tasty grapefruit scented incense, as there was a nice herbal element present as well. The distinct, mild, and pleasant taste is strongly present even when this bud is burned as smoke, and the smoke itself is also very smooth and easy on the lungs. The pleasant flavour eventually translates into a very pleasant high, albeit not a very powerful one. It starts out with a small smile creeping across your face, and an instant hit of energy, talkativeness, and an upbeat good mood. I did not feel initially lost in my head, but rather, quite engaged in my surroundings. I was feeling essentially like my normal self, just really energized and happy. Grapefruit basically just feels like coffee for the soul. Higher doses of the strain will give you a nice feeling in your chest, but the effects are basically extremely mental, and I would not go to this strain searching for pain-relief or heavy medicine. I would call the high a total hug for the brain, all good feelings that make you want to be in harmony with everybody.
Based on the average potency of this strain and lack of visible stoned effects, I felt like Grapefruit would potentially function as a decent strain to use before going to work serving tables. Surprisingly, it turned out to become one of my top favourite strains to use while at work. The effects were essentially a holy grail for the type of work that I needed to be doing, especially with a good microdose. I was worried that the dose would not be potent enough to completely calm my anxiety, but it did the job well; the pleasant mood and talkativeness was perfect for serving customers, and I was always smiling and happy to go the extra mile with people. The hit of energy was also really perfect to have me zoned into all my tedious cleaning tasks, I would usually let myself get completely lost in my thoughts over the hum of the vacuum cleaner. I also experienced minimal munchies, no anxiety/paranoia, and not much drowsiness on the comedown. However, the effects seem to be fairly short-lived, so I would have two joints (or bowls) ready, if you want the elevated mood to last a desirable amount of time.
All in all, I felt like I got more than my money’s worth with this strain. It did not get me there as a medical strain, due to its low potency and lack of full body effects. It also was not a strain that I would take with me for an upbeat social outing, as it can create a sort of subdued and mentally immersive high, despite the increased talkativeness. Grapefruit was however, more than ideal as either a productivity strain or as just a casual daytime smoke, due to her uplifting energy and mentally engaged peaceful mood. Grapefruit is like that girl that has always been there for you when you needed her, except she was never sexy or seductive enough for you to want to go wild on her. She may be a good girl rather than one who can blow your mind, but, give this mild lady a chance if you ever need to get into a clear-headed, blissful, productive state, and she will always have your back.