Strain Review: Grapefruit by Brightside PDX

“Wow! That really does smell like grapefruit!”

That’s the quote I’ve gotten from just about everybody I’ve let have a whiff of this new bag of Grapefruit, a medical marijuana strain available at Brightside in Portland (http://brightsidepdx.com). The limonene terpene gives it that intense, citrusey scent while the myrcene adds that fruity smell. The taste is also getting rave reviews, with the patients I’ve had sampling it telling me it some of the smoothest, tastiest smoke they’ve had in a while.

I prefer the sativa-dominant strains to help me with the creative work I need to do all day, but sometimes I will mix in an indica later in the day to help deal with lower back pain. With this Grapefruit, I found no need for that afternoon switch, as it seemed to keep my back pain at bay. The effects of the high weren’t as pronounced as the last strain I reviewed for Brightside, Silvertip, but well within the range I need to clear the cobwebs out of my mind and begin a long day of writing and research.

My roommate, Larry, suffers from pain conditions and arthritis. He did not get much utility out of the Silvertip but he’s seemed to find some relief in the Grapefruit. Like everyone else he marveled at the smell and taste of the buds. As for the pain relief he tells me it is adequate, but that he still prefers the indica-dominant strains like AK-47 that completely ameliorate his symptoms.

Another positive effect I felt from the strain was a sense of calmness, even in the face of adversity and challenges. The holiday season is very stressful for many people, myself among them, yet I found my usual “bah, humbug!” curmudgeonly alter ego subsumed by the friendly, joking, energetic guy I become at a sunny Seattle Hempfest. This is a great strain for anybody battling Seasonal Affective Disorder, that condition brought on by lack of exposure to sunlight during these short winter months. This may explain the popularity of the strain up here in the Pacific Northwest where our short winter days don’t include much sun.

I would advise anyone trying the Grapefruit to perhaps pair it up with some grapefruit juice, as this is one of the most dry-mouth-inducing strains I’ve ever smoked. If you’re seeking marijuana for the treatment or enhancement of mental state, this would be a great one to sample, but if you’re a patient looking for pain relief, this isn’t your best choice. For my purposes, this is a great strain for my creative work as well as my recreation time, since it doesn’t bog me down and lock me to the couch. So far, second only to Silvertip in my preference, and I give it 8 out of 10.