Strain Theory: The sativa-dominant Blue Dream sparks energy and wild ideas — like baking a pie from scratch, for the first time
Strain Theory: Blue Dream
By the numbers: $8/gram, $150/ounce (medical patients) at Good Chemistry, 330 E. Colfax in Denver.
I’m not sure which I’ve recommended more over the past five years: Blue Dream or “Breaking Bad.” The former is seemingly ubiquitous in Colorado, and there’s something fitting about such an active, uplifting strain bearing our standard. The latter is a cable show and not marijuana, for those of you too cool to own a television but who can still afford a giant rock to live under. If I had cataloged the most common request at dispensaries where I’ve worked, it wouldn’t be, “What’s going to get me the highest?” but rather, “What can I smoke that won’t knock me out?”
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An example of Blue Dream from a different Colorado dispensary (Ry Prichard, The Cannabist)
Then I’d recommend something with the word “dream” in the name and they’d look at me like I was high.
This particular phenotype of Blue Dream is one I’m very familiar with, as I’ve been smoking it since I started in the industry. It’s my long-term girlfriend of marijuana. In the interest of full disclosure, the folks over at Good Chemistry and I also go way back, and they’re some of my favorite people in the business. Which made my shopping experience a little disappointing, as I’d never actually stepped through their doors.
As has become all too common, I felt like I had entered a cattle call and not a dispensary, despite there being only a handful of us perusing. It seemed like front-desk guy was on his first or second day, as our only exchange of words was an “OK, come on back” after I presented my ID, immediately turning his attention to the next in line. I hung out near the back of the skinny room — as I assumed I should — and checked out their well-designed menus on giant flatscreens behind the bud bar. Something I’ll call “patient-envy” set in quickly.
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Sold out of sativa, the rec side included one hybrid and two indicas, with seven selections available for medical flower. I took a whiff of their Island Sweet Skunk and Alien Dawg, both of which seemed on point, but opted for the medical-only Blue Dream and saving $10. I commend dual-use shops for keeping more options open for patients, so it’s hard to begrudge their selection.
Blueberry always reminds me of Northern Lights in that it’s been around forever, yet I rarely see it as a standalone strain I’d want to pick up. Crossed with Haze, however, it becomes a strong pain reliever without the narcotic downer that I’m rarely seeking. Haze, on the other hand, can be way too speedy and mentally engaging at times, especially for those just giving pot a shot.
The resulting sativa-dominant Blue Dream is what I always refer to as “workout weed.” I’ve jogged about as many times as Ron Burgundy, but I’ve been told on many occasions Blue Dream simulates runner’s high for those familiar with both. Zone out and crush reps, bro!
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It would be easy to mistake this for straight Blueberry in a blind smell test with the sweet fruit notes emanating from the bag, but there’s a lingering pine spice that I really enjoy hidden under there. The hairs are trademark Haze, however: they’re almost a light peach hue and incredibly abundant. Combine that with a generous amount of trichome coverage and it’s reminiscent of a first frost.
Loading up my one-hitter, I took three pulls of what tasted like the same gum Violet Beauregarde was chewing in the Wonka factory. The flavor was off the charts and would be worth dusting off the old Buddha vape in our closet. Immediately, there was a head rush that had me feeling more like Charlie Bucket, though, and I hatched one of my more hare-brained ideas. I was going to bake a pie. From scratch.
For the first time.
I suppose this is where the focus of Blue Dream shined the most. Baking requires a lot of precision and patience, neither of which are my strong suits. My girlfriend was out of town, so eating an entire pie seemed like a perfectly worthy goal on a weekend evening.
