Hello, Lake City family! Let’s talk about the LA Kush Cake strain! It has been rising in popularity in the recreational market lately, and we’re here to tell you why. LA Kush Cake is a hybrid-indica strain, meaning it has indica-dominant properties (may assist with sleep, relaxation, watching TV, etc.) and fewer sativa qualities (may be energizing, uplifting, motivating, etc.). It has a very interesting lineage: it comes from the Wedding Cake and the Kush Mints strains, giving it a classic OG gassy/diesel flavour with hints of vanilla and peppermint. The Kush Mints lineage is derived from the Animal Mints and Bubba Kush strains, which is what gives it the minty/vanilla flavour and some of its sativa properties. Wedding Cake’s lineage is derived from Animal Mints and Triangle Kush, which provides the indica-dominant parts of its lineage, its relaxing euphoric effects, and its earthy pepper flavour. Kush Mints is said to be an appetite suppressant and great for insomnia. When you examine LA Kush Cake’s lineage, it makes it easy to see how it is one of the higher-quality strains. The buds are dense and forest green with pops of purple and they’re typically larger in size. They are also covered in frosty trichomes, which hold a variety of terpenes, giving them their classic flavour and aroma.

Like any high-quality flower, it’s all about how it is grown and what conditions it is grown under. There are a few growers that sell LA Kush Cake in Alberta including Tantalus Labs and Natural History. You may want to consider your growers’ practices when making a purchasing decision. Tantalus Labs uses pure rainwater to water their plants using a rain catcher and irrigation system because they are conscious of their environmental footprint. Tantalus also uses full-spectrum lighting for their grow op, which means they use the sun as their primary light source. While these qualities are great in a flower, the sun can be very damaging for the terpenes and result in a less flavourful and/or potent bud. Natural History opts for growing outdoors, hand trimming, and hanging to dry and cure. This is great because machine trimming or tumbling can shake the terpenes and trichomes off the plant, which lowers the quality and potency of the flower. Whichever grower you choose, LA Kush Cake is a cult favourite for all the right reasons! If you’re looking for a high-quality flower to try, we highly recommend this one!

If you’ve already tried LA Kush Cake and you are looking for a similar strain to try, you may want to consider Chemdog, OG Chem, or Chemdawg OG. These strains have a sour/pine flavour with a skunky aroma, produce an uplifting and elevating high, and are said to help with stress and fatigue. There are a few growers that do this just right including Emerald health, Muskoka Grows, and GreenSeal. All of these brands produce light and fluffy light green buds, but each brand uses a different growing process. Emerald Health, which produces Chemdog, is a medical distributor out of Quebec that became part of the recreational market in 2019. They focus on the care they put into their facility with 16 indoor growing rooms, which helps the plants avoid sun damage. Emerald Health hand dries, hang cures, dry trims, and hand packages their products, helping to retain extra trichomes. Muskoka produces OG Chem. They are located in Ontario, where they have a large facility and a passion for growing cannabis while also being mindful of the environment. They use hydroelectricity and a 100% recirculatory irrigation system, meaning they can recycle and reuse their water. Their buds are hand-trimmed and cured to preserve the terpenes. Finally, GreanSeal, which is also located out of Ontario, produces Chemdawg. GreenSeal are small-batch growers that hand trim and cure their bud. They use specially designed multi-tiered growing rooms making them one of the few, if not only, growers who do this. This has made them one of the highest-yielding cannabis producers per square foot! 

A high-quality flower isn’t always easy to find, and it can be hard to know what to look for, so we thought we would make it easy for you. 

1. Is it harvested by hand? If it’s harvested by hand that’s a good sign that the grower takes pride in their product and wants to ensure you have the most potency and flavour. 
2. Was it hang dried? This can be a tricky one because some people prefer rack dried over hang dried. The rack drying method is space-effective and slightly faster, but the bud must be removed making it a slightly more labour-intensive process. We tend to opt for hang dried because this method holds the aroma.   
3. Does it retain moisture? The humidity of the bud makes a huge difference for the consumer. Stickier, moister buds usually fare better in a bong, water pipe, or dry herb vaporizer. Drier buds are better for joints, pipes, or even one-hitter/tester bats. 
4. How does it smell? The aroma of the buds can be very important in the conversation of trichomes and terpene preservation. If the flower is lacking in smell this can mean the flower has a lower concentration of trichomes, which is the part of the plant that has the THC and terpenes. THC and terpenes work together to produce the entourage effect, which means they coexist with each other to produce better overall effects. 

There is no right or wrong way to discover new brands, try new strains, or even grow your own cannabis. We want you to have access to great-quality buds wherever you are! If you’re looking for a new high-quality strain to try, consider LA Kush Cake. We can help you decide if it’s the best fit for you!