36 OCTOBER 19-25, 2023 westword.com WESTWORD | REAL ESTATE | RENTALS | HEALTH WELLNESS | SERVICES | EMPLOYMENT | ADULT | MUSIC | CLASSIFIED | FIND MORE MARIJUANA COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/MARIJUANA Sonic Flavor BY HERBERT FUEGO Detecting specifi c smells or fl avors takes open nostrils and, sometimes, an even more open mind. But every once in a while, I’ll smell something that instantly takes me back to a childhood memory. After toking and talking with friends about it, I’m convinced that Cherry Lime Soda is one of those things. Opening a jar of Cherry Lime Soda in- stantly reminds me of a cherry limeade from Sonic — or, if you’ve never been to Sonic, a more skunky and citrus-forward Shirley Temple. Sonic’s cherry limeade is so popular that the fast-food chain sells instant powder so you can make the drink at home, but even that doesn’t singe the nostrils like a jar of Cherry Lime Soda fl ower or rosin. Beautiful and delicious as it is, though, the high can take some getting used to. Cherry Lime Soda’s Colorado lineage in- cludes Citradelic Sunset and Cherry Fluff, both of which are juicy and fruit-forward, bring lots of energy and destroy concentration. While I certainly support more Hazes, Diesels and other daytime varieties that have ceded grow space to more commercially friendly strains over the past few years, buzzing or fi n- icky highs aren’t my favorite. I’d still probably smoke Cherry Lime Soda even if that were the case because of how tasty it is, which is where the small risk of THC freakout comes in. The potency of Cherry Lime Soda could turn any cannabis user into a wide-eyed monkey with zero direction and the driest mouth on earth. Green Dot Labs’ version is that strong. Take it one pipe rip at a time or go slow with the joint, and you’ll reach the right altitude level and enjoy the sustained aftertaste — but no one buys a cherry limeade to take just one sip, so be prepared to test your discipline. Looks: A powerful-looking sativa bud in all its glory, Cherry Lime Soda spreads and stretches by today’s standards, and the pistil coverage is above average. The sugar- covered fl uffi ness and spiky nodes look great, though, and remind me of rock candy. Smell: Notes of cherries, bubble gum and a spritz of lemon-lime all swell up my nostrils at once. After a few more sniffs, zesty hints of hash and wood expose themselves at the end. But getting past such heavy notes of cherry limeade is hard, and I don’t really want to. Flavor: Although not as strong as the aroma, Cherry Lime Soda’s fl avor is still impressively close as a following act. Tart cherries, hints of lime and a surprising but subtle tobacco and vanilla back end are all present, with the fruitier notes covering my tastebuds long after the session ends. Effects: I don’t smoke Cherry Lime Soda before bed, but I wouldn’t touch it before a workout, either, unless you like running in circles. Focus and hydration are scarce after this energetic blast shoots me into the stratosphere, but sitting still is even harder. Anxiety and the munchies are both minimal, though, so I love Cherry Lime Soda before a trip to the park, yard work or easy-but- boring errands. Where to fi nd it: We’ve sniffed out Cherry Lime Soda fl ower and concentrate at A Cut Above, Ajoya, Allgreens, Berkeley Dispen- sary, Best High Boulder Wellness, Cherry Peak, Colorado Harvest Company, the Dab by Silverpeak, Denver Kush Club, the Dis- pensary Littleton, Eclipse Cannabis, Elevated Longmont, Elite Cannabis, Golden Meds, Good Chemistry, Greenfi elds, Green Valley Dispensary, the Green Solution, the Herbal Center, the Herbal Cure, Higher Grade, Ho- rizon Cannabis, Karing Kind, Kind Love, Kind Meds, KrystaLeaves, Jars Cannabis, Lakeshore Cannabis, Life Flower, Lightshade, Lit, Lova, Lucy Sky, Maikoh Holistics, Mana Supply Co., Medicine Man, Native Roots, Nature’s Kiss, Oasis Cannabis Superstores, Peak, Pig ‘N’ Whistle, Pure, Reefer Madness, Rocky Road, Silver Stem, Simply Pure, Snax- land, Social Cannabis, Solace Meds, Spark Dispensary, Standing Akimbo and Unity Road, but more stores might carry it. Is there a strain you’d like to see profi led? Email [email protected]. Get us a Route 44 size of this Cherry Lime Soda, please. MARIJUANA S T R A I N G A N G HERBERT FUEGO