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? 

Tell Your Parents (About Cannabis)

Oh, how the tables have turned! What a difference 20 years makes, huh? Instead of hidin’ my herbage from my ‘rents, I’m lovingly sharing with them the virtues (and samples) of the cannabis plant. As we head into the holidays, I thought I’d share some, hopefully, helpful hints for you to do similar should the opportunity arise and it might: over two-thirds of Americans support legalization (see below for those stats via Pew Research). 

Are your parents or other relatives curious about cannabis? Could they benefit from the plant but feel confused, overwhelmed by the world of weed? I wrote this piece on connecting with other generations about cannabis - it’s easier than you may think. 

I won’t out them publicly, but my IRL friends who know my parents, aunts, and uncles also know I’ve taken a liberal approach to normalizing the topic around them, my own grandparents (yeah nanogenarian baddies!), and of course, by heart and soul, my daughter. I’ve also made it part of my business model to be an educational conduit for other families, since sometimes mama ain’t gonna listen to you, but...she might listen to me (at least about this topic). For your holiday pleasure, here are a few tips for *sparking* the canna-convo with those fabulous humans who raised you: 

• Share your experience. Be authentic and answer questions truthfully, always. I’m obviously coming from “a place of yes” when it comes to weed, so I start with the celebrations: it helps me with so much in life, from sleeping well, to period pain, to my persistent anxiety, to the fun of it, to me it’s ALL WELLNESS - herb is definitely a huge positive facet of my lifestyle. However, I also cover the pitfalls (potfalls?), and have my standard issue warnings (keep reading); even if your sitch was negative, your folks can glean some wisdom from it. Have a bad trip? That’s ok, of course, be mindful of how you place it (“I ate too much” vs. “I ALMOST DIED!”) and be objective (“in hindsight, I’d have smoked and not gone to edibles”) and, remind them that cannabis effects everyone differently and to always start slow and low: 1 to 2.5 milligrams (yes, you read that right), is a great starting point as even 5 mg can scare folks off - believe me, I’ve seen it many a time. 

• Be Cool: but not *that* cool. Use lay-person terms and do NOT go straight to advanced moves. What are advanced moves? Edibles, concentrates, and dabs. Pops will get waaaay to high, it’ll scare him off the weed and piss your mom off, so just stick with straight up cannabis in flower form (if your parents are hesitant to smoke, grab a handheld dry herb vape or a bong to filter and cool the smoke).

• Read Your Audience. From my experience, a lot of people are more open to herb than we give credit (I mean, these are the original stoney festival goers of yesteryear - they paved our way!), but IF you have very conservative parents who may really, truly benefit from cannabis and hemp derivatives, start talking about CBD with them first, it’s everywhere and such a mainstream wellness tool now. But make no mistake, THC is an incredibly powerful compound often overshadowed in these CBD-frenzied days . 

• Clearly, give them something - start with CBD, and include a topical. Moms love topicals. Gifts are always a welcome thing from one’s kiddo, no matter age. I’m a huge fan of gifting the ones I love herb-oriented prezzies, taking care to always explain the basics: topicals, low-dose edibles, jars or herb, a little pipe...stoke your parents out. Just make sure they don’t have to go buy anything to have their experience. Be ready to be surprised too: A friend’s dad has a PuffCo Peak! Still shopping? A source of vetted, CBD-infused products shippable everywhere is HelloMD.com, and you can even grab $20 credit off your purchase by using my affiliate code: Canncierge20. 

• Explain this: Cannabis is metabolized differently depending upon how it’s consumed (i.e., edibles, vaporization, smoking, drinking, etc.) producing differing effects and durations of said effects (good, bad, or indifferent). For instance, a hit from a 65% THC vape will last the least amount of time (say an hour or 2 max), a hit from a joint/pipe/bong will last longer (1-3 hours, dependent on potency), and edibles will be in effect for hours, sometimes up to 12, but usually 6-8 is a more standard expectation. 

• Start low and go slow - especially with edibles, but also with other consumption methods. Begin at stage one: a single puff off a joint, 2.5mgs of THC in a lab-tested edible, or a single draw from a vape. Then, wait. When someone feels good - stop and enjoy the literal flower. 

• Start slow and go slow - especially with edibles. Felt I should just go ahead and state that twice to really stress it’s importance. 

• High quality CBD extract suspended in a carrier oil (like coconut oil, MCT, etc. bc it, like cannabis, is fat-soluable, and absorbs into your body) will lower a THC high - it’s a good idea to have some on hand for moments of over-indulgence, but moreover for it’s awesome benefits as an anti-inflammatory, anxiety helper, nausea killer, etc. My favorite is a super potent nanoliposomal extract from Reset Bioscience - I’m not paid by them, I just like their product (so much they gave me a discount code! Use “Canncierge35” to save 35% on your purchase). 

• Leave Room for Qs. This conversation sometimes need to marinate with people; I’ve found that planting the seed (heh) then allowing it to grow with folks is an organic way to allow them to ask YOU about it next time, making it a more self-directed activity over which they’ll have ownership and control. 

• Call Your Mother! Seriously, assuming you get your loved ones to try something, either stick around to make sure they’re cool or just call or text them a couple of hours later. This can make all the difference in an experience! 

• Encourage them to ask their doc about cannabis. Especially if someone is experiencing heart issues, has a history of psychosis, or is on blood thinners -  this plant is especially important to be open about with caregivers. Legally, doctors cannot initiate conversations about cannabis as a prescription (yet), but they DO have to answer your questions (sometimes by calling me, lol). So make them do some research or share with them the research you’re reading and ask them to INTERPRET the research. Asking their “INTERPRETATION” is key language to use as it gives them latitude to show understanding (or lack thereof) instead of simply regurgitating the research. If they can’t yet answer something to your satisfaction, continue pushing them. Medical pros are actually more open and educated about cannabinoids now than ever. And hey, they really need to know this stuff - it may be your question that changes the way your doctor practices their craft with you and other lucky patients. 

• Patience, my child. You’ll probably find that this topic is one you touch on multiple times - their friends are talking about it, your friends are talking about it, the media’s all over it, and cannabis is in the age of another (r)evolution - it’s here to stay - and what a wonderful thing that really is. When you gift someone a topical or something non-intoxicating, even that small exposure helps dismantle the stigma and stereotypes associated with herb - they’ll likely warm-up to other modes of use. 

• A note on folks who may not have the ability or interest to use cannabis, not necessarily because they’re against it, but perhaps due to a pension or other financial situation tied to the federal government that can be taken away from them if they were ever to test positive for THC. Or, maybe they’re in a sensitive professional position wherein they can’t risk having their internet search history have cannabis in it for fear of punishment. Believe me, I have clients who deal with these realities, so we must honor these responses. But, that does not leave a single person off the hook from vocalizing their support for cannabis reform on behalf of those who use it - just as they would for any other cause from which they don’t directly benefit: think about any other cause with advocates, donors, supporters, etc. I would venture to guess many supporters and advocates for cancer and other very important causes don’t directly benefit from research but engage in supporting it for the love of those who do. 

Interested in doing a deep dive into your own canna-practice? You can buy time with me for yourself, your spouse, or your parents; I do remote one-on-one or couples consults (often people can benefit from the same stuff! And how FUN to do together?). A cannabis coaching session makes a great bday, anniversary, Christmas or Hanukkah gift. Schedule a consult through this link and, of course, feel free to ask me about custom workshops tailored to you: I’ve done bachelorette parties, CBD-themed baby showers, bday parties, ladies’ nights, anniversaries; you name it, I’ll meducate it. My clients leave consults with personalized functional knowledge of the cannabis landscape, a ton of reference information, achievable action steps & guideposts for choosing quality products to suit their needs, and solid discounts with my retail partners, too. (You know your mom loves a deal). My goal is to give folks knowledge to make informed consumption decisions on their canna-journey. 

I hope these suggestions I’ve pulled from my own practice and life are helpful in your family circle. What questions do you have? How do you place cannabis in your family’s conversations?  Are you talking about it at all? Let’s chat in the comments.