Despite growing up in a Canadian town where some people live on actual farms and everyone considers cowboy boots to be essential wardrobe items, I have never been a huge fan of country music. Something about the genre just never resonated much with me, and I have almost no familiarity with any of country music’s greatest hits, save for some Johnny Cash classics to listen to on some of those really sad days. So, even though the music of Willie Nelson does not hold any sort of special place in my heart, I am still quite fond of this man and fairly familiar with his contributions to the cannabis community.
Easily one of the most prominent celebrity stoners alive today, this 86-year-old activist and icon is reportedly the only human who has been able to smoke Snoop Dogg under the table. It does not get more OG than that. Now, according to the folklore, there was a sativa-dominant flower that the sage Willie loved so dearly that he ended up purchasing the entire first crop of it. This girl was even good enough to earn her lover’s name, as this landrace sativa most commonly exists under the title of Willie Nelson. Although, if you dare doubt the wisdom of this octogenarian stoner, note that the Willie Nelson strain is also the winner of the 2005 HTCC “Best Sativa” flower. All of these honours felt like music to my ears (no matter what the genre) and this was a strain that I yearned to one day know better.
THC and CBD are the two main compounds in cannabis that are the most researched, to date. Although, the much lesser-known cannabinoid THCV has been getting some time in the sun lately, due to some unique and stunning properties. Found most popularly within African sativa landraces, THCV is gaining fame mainly due to its ability to taper feelings of hunger. I took an interest in THCV while noticing that the strains with higher concentrations of this compound gave me intense feelings of euphoria and greatly diminished feelings of self-consciousness and anxiety. I found it important to know which strains have a higher-than-average THCV content as I felt that it would help me parse out which sativas might evoke panic in me and which would have me feeling on top of the world. Willie Nelson is on the list as a well-known high THCV strain, although also somewhat exotic, she was a flower that I figured I would never really get a chance to try. So, when I did finally see her on the dispensary menu, I felt a bit like I was seeing winning lottery numbers come up, and consequently, I purchased a half ounce with no hesitation.
The first effect that I notice after smoking this strain is also what I would emphasize as the defining feature of Willie Nelson. Many users report it as a feeling of increased creativity, although, I would describe the effect more specifically as bestowing very focused thought association. If I am alone, the high starts out with an intense preoccupation with a string of inner thoughts. In the company of others, the high broadcasts as an ability to engage in some rapid-fire conversation. One of my first occasions experiencing this strain was with a girlfriend before we went out for dinner and drinks. With both of us feeding off of each other’s continuously bubbling ideas, we basically perpetuated a never-ending conversation that night. Once you peel yourself away from your thoughts for a little while, you will also notice that this strain’s effects include a strong sense of happiness and giddy euphoria. Consequently, a nice dosage of Willie Nelson will be sure to give you one of those involuntary smiles that is hard to remove from your face. Willie Nelson can also give you a sense of energy, motivation, and productivity, although (for me) not to the same degree as a strain like Green Crack. Willie Nelson’s energizing high is also accompanied by a sense of mellowness or ease and a slight body buzz that is fairly relaxing.
Willie Nelson is a batch of weed that has had no downsides for me. Even with the availability of limitless strains to sample, this particular strain has been so dependable that I even purchased her for a second time when I had the chance. I feel blessed to have partaken in some herb that is rumored to have been a favourite of one of the greatest. It is almost like I have shared a joint with a legend, and this girl surely will be “always on my mind.”
2018-02-01