One (land)Racy Strain Review: Red Congolese

What’s a landrace cannabis plant? Think of it as you would heirloom fruits and veggies. These are plants of “pure” genetics that haven’t crossed paths with others, and not only have the genetics on lock but the #terroir (eg the characteristics conferred by native soil & climate) of where they were grown. So, most anything found in today that’s called landrace is carrying the GENETICS of the ancestor plant but likely lacks the OG terroir. Does that make sense?  

Anyway, winner of the ‘13 Cannabis Cup and longtime love of old school stoners, Red Congo is a straight-up #sativa; I won’t even say ‘leaning’, bc this baby shows all the signs of being the closest thing to a pure sativa I’ve smoked in a very, very long time. 

The lineage of Red Congolese is a tad debated. There is some belief it’s an African landrace strain and others believe it to be a combination of Mexican and Afghan genetics. From what I’ve read in multiple, diverse sources (including this one from Chronicle Books), it seems like all three regions are in there somewhere. THC levels of Red Congolese cannabis flower average around 18-20%; these “live resin diamonds” are clocking in at 82.7%! This extract is a collaboration between Bay-area based GoldSeal (purveyors of excellent flower) and well known extractor/cultivator, Nug. 

The high gives me a energy, mental clarity and, awesomely, a boost in creativity; I knocked out web content for a client after a bonghit or two and felt weightlessly euphoric while doing so. Red Congo gave me an enjoyable full-body tingle, too. Oh, how I love a good tingle. 

Though evidently not a true landrace, this strain is derived from an indigenous cultivar from the Congo region of Central Africa. Based on my research, the seeds from these tall wispy, narrow-leafed plants were brought west centuries ago and crossed with landrace Mexican and Afghani cannabis plants. Please, if you know more about it share in the comments! 

Personally, it’s a great strain to smoke then tackle either physical or creative mental tasks. I found the high from one fat low-temp dab to be long-lasting, extending into the 4-5 hour range. Seriously! I didn’t even think about another dab...for hours. That’s pretty unique for me. The prime terpene present here is #caryophyllene, which helps imbue euphoria plus it enhances pain relief due to its anti-inflammatory properties; perfect example of #entourageeffect. Red Congo smells of tart, overripe fruit, very terpy, and has a sweet, spicy, cheesy flavor - it’s like a cheeseboard of weed! 😂 

For me, this is an ideal day-smoke. Not an extract to use shortly before bedtime bc it revs me up, but maybe a mid-afternoon puff to carry me nicely into evening. I’m parsing this out frugally because I love it so much! 

Fun fact: Bob Marley’s favorite strain was reportedly “Lamb’s Bread”, also a landrace, endemic to Jamaica. 🇯🇲

Have you experienced Red Congo? Have anything to add? 

The Wee(d)kend Savior in Your Pantry.

Ever over-indulged with cannabis? Pulled the classic “this edible isn’t working” and take more too soon? Or just gotten *too* lifted? A few of my clients have asked for advice for some, um, cannsumption problems recently so I wanted to spread a tidbit of knowledge that might save your weekend sometime.

I’ve definitely had moments of regret over the decades, especially since part of my work is testing many different products for clients, etc. This common stoner misstep is sometimes a rough but necessary part of figuring out our ideal personal THC dosage; unfortunately, it also leads to folks ending up in the emergency room or just plain having a TERRIBLE time. I mean, I know people who have had one atrocious edible experience and have sworn off marijuana for life. For LIFE, ya’ll. It really does feel horrible, believe people when they say they feel like they’re “dying”: the racing heart, the sweating, anxiety, nausea, dizziness, disorientation - it’s like, bad.  And don’t think you’re beyond it, veteran smokers, cannabinoids are processed very differently in our bodies depending on a litany of factors from your age, sex, what you’ve eaten that day, if you’ve worked out, your mental state, if you’re a woman your hormonal cycle will impact how cannabis effects you, and of course the amount, type and mode of weed you ingest matters. You never know how  different ganja products will impact you, regardless of how you take them - smoking, eating, vaping AND/or combining with alcohol (which can be the cannabis kiss of death, btw). Go low and slow, people, low and slow! At least until you understand your tolerance and limits (as you would with alcohol, frankly). And please don’t drive when you’re blazed, it’s JUST AS BAD AS DRUNK DRIVING. It’s one thing to smoke a joint with your friends, have a hike or something, then drive a couple of hours later - don’t puff tuff then go control a 2,000 pound gas-filled vehicle. Ya feel?

Cannabidiol (CBD) has been shown to counteract the negative effects of THC but isn’t always at our fingertips. But good news, however, and it involves a kitchen staple you probably have in your cabinet or is growing in your California ‘hood: Pink Peppercorns. The Peruvian Pepper Tree (sometimes called the California Pepper Tree) thrives in central and southern California and was planted prolificly in planned neighborhood grids like mine in San Diego in the 50s/60s. The berries or “drupes” are the seeds inside these vivid pink outer husks which are ripe in the Fall and Winter months and they last basically forever. (I use them medicinally and in my cooking as well, they lend a really subtle sweet chili flavor to my avo toast. Mmmultitasker!)

How to Use: Simply crush peppercorns using a mortar and pestle or grinder, give them a few deep sniffs, and/ or chew on 5-10 kernals for a couple of minutes, taking care not to swallow right away. I found that chewing the kernals made for a quick (minutes) onset of “de-high-ing” (ha) wherein sniffing them didn’t do much for me. Others have reported a reversal in the negative effects of THC (anxiety lessened, nausea subsided, heart rate normalized, etc.).

Why it Works: It’s posited that there is an #EntourageEffect of the Terpenoids in the pepper plant interacting directly with the THC cannabinoid in cannabis. Per LeafScience, "Pepper contains the terpenes myrcene, α-Pinene (alpha-pinene) and the terpenoid (a modified terpene) caryophyllene.  Pinene has been used for asthmatic patients as a bronchodilator, and, beta-caryophyllene which has been researched for help with athritis, multiple sclerosis and HIV-associated dementia as well as treatment with anxiety and depression. In other words, the terpenoids found in pepper could help with the THC-induced symptoms felt from the phytocannabinoids found in marijuana".

Terpenes, cannabinoids and the entourage effect - extremely exciting plant medicine for our world - this space is just so, so promising. If you or someone you love is curious about cannabis and would like to acquire deeper knowledge of the plant, applications, and therapeutic benefits to help her make more informed cannabis-for-wellness decisions, contact me for personalized, confidential virtual cannabis coaching: thecanncierge@gmail.