This Puzzled Life is a mental health and recovery blog exploring addiction, trauma healing, LGBTQ experiences, humor, and the strange moments that shape us.
“I’m high on life. Oh, wait, sorry, that’s just marijuana.”
-Unknown
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Negative energy go away. And since tomorrow is Child Abuse Awareness and the ribbon is blue, I want to talk to you about one of my favorite strains for PTSD called Blue Dream.
This strain I was introduced in the early days of figuring out the state’s cannabis program. While Blue Dream is a slightly sativa-dominant hybrid. If you’ve been a survivor with PTSD, you understand how very uncomfortable the visual and audio overstimulation can be. It slowly engulfs you until something is able to break the forward motion of those symptoms. This strain is one that does just that for me.
Let’s look at this strain’s lineage. Blue Dream is a 60/40 sativa-dominant cross between Blueberry x Haze. Blueberry is a cross between Purple Thai x Afghan. Haze are landrace strains, which are naturally grown in the wild with no genetic manipulation from Mexican, Colombian, Thai, and South Indian decent. Typically, the hazy strains can taste like a sweaty sock. One of the best things about this strain is that blueberry flavoring is strong enough to offset the hazy flavors. And it lasts from packed bowl to last toke. But despite the sativa side, that hazy indica comes through to help quell anxiety provoking effects.
The top terpenes in this strain are Myrcene, Pinene, and Caryophyllene. The medical benefits include chronic stress, chronic pain, depression, and sleep disorders. This strain is perfect for a one-gram attitude adjustment. Make this strain a staple in your cannabis medicine cabinet. Thanks for reading! And keep blazin.’
Affirmation: I treat myself like I’m my kindest, best bud.
“The plant teaches patience, presence, and perspective.”
-Unknown
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Negative energy go away. Today, I want to tell you about a strain that is all about St. Patty’s Day. And it is called Leprechaun Larry.
Leprechaun Larry is sativa-dominant hybrid. It is a cross between Larry OG x Green Crack. Larry OG is a cross between OG Kush x SFV OG (San Fernando Valley OG). Green Crack is a cross between Skunk #1 x Afghani genetics. The taste profile consists of citrus peel, sweet herbs, and pine. This is a strain’s taste profile is one that I have a difficult time of differentiating.
The top terpenes in this strain are Limonene, Terpinolene, and Pinene. Patients report experiencing better focus and creativity. And less stress, depression, mood swings, chronic fatigue, and ADD/ADHD. Make sure that you’re in a stable place with your anxiety before using this strain. Because it will definitely give you some pep in your step or a panic attack. Please keep in mind that each grow will be different and the flower effects, terpenes and genetics will differ depending on which region of the country that the plant is grown. Thanks for reading! Keep blazin.’
Affirmation: In this moment, I am safe, grounded, and enough.
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Negative energy go away. Today, I want to tell you about a strain that is good for the time of year where we all begin enjoy the warm sun. This strain is called Suncake.
Suncake is a 60/40 indica-dominant hybrid. It is a cross between Sunset Sherbet x Wedding Cake. Sunset Sherbet is a cross between Girl Scout Cookies x Pink Panties. Wedding Cake is a cross between Triangle Kush x Animal Mints. It’s flavoring consists of a sweet, creamy, berry, vanilla cake, and tropical citrus. However, I just identified light citrus notes.
Top terpenes in this strain are Limonene, Caryophyllene, and Linalool. Patients report relief from conditions such as insomnia, chronic pain, appetite loss, nausea, chronic stress, depression, and mood swings. This strain I would call an easy and slightly indica dominant strain. Yes, you can use this during the day as long as you’re an experienced indica smoker. Novice smokers might enjoy this one better as night. Either way, it does not act real indica. The effects feel much more like a balanced hybrid with a nice elevation in mood.
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Negative energy go away. In keeping with the self-harm awareness color orange, I want to tell you about a strain called Tangerine Dream.
Tangerine Dream is a sativa-dominant hybrid that is a cross between G13 x Afghani x Neville’s A5 Haze. G13 exact parent strains are unknown. But we do know that it’s a 70/30 indica-dominant. Afghani is a landrace strain that is a pure indica. Haze is a blend of four landrace strain that are Mexican, Colombian, South Indian, and Thai stative strains.
Top terpenes in this strain are Myrcene, Caryophyllene, and Limonene. Patients report relief from arthritis, chronic pain, depression, fatigue, headaches, inflammation, insomnia, loss of appetite, migraines, and stress. The taste is definitely a sweet and fruity flavor. As with any sativa-dominant strain be aware that if you have a problem with anxiety, it can increase an already miserable anxiety situation. I have a lot of anxiety, and I always take it easy with these kinds of strains until I know how it will affect me. This strain isn’t as potent as Green Crack. Just don’t go crazy “hot boxing.” Thanks for reading! Keep blazin.’
Affirmation: I consume with intention and gratitude for the experience.
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Negative energy go away. Today, I want to tell you about a strain called Platinum Kush Breath.
Platinum Kush Breath is a 70/30 indica-dominant hybrid strain. It is a cross between OG Kush x Afghani. OG Kush is a cross between Chemdawg x Lemon Thai x Hindu Kush. Afghani is a pure indica landrace strain found in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan. I wasn’t able to determine a definitive flavor. But it’s reported flavors of berry, fruity, peppery, spicy, and sweet.
Dominant terpenes are Caryophyllene, Limonene and Linalool. Patients report relief from depression, headaches, migraines, chronic pain, inflammation, cramps, or muscle spasms. Even though this strain’s potency doesn’t hit hard to begin with, it acts very much like a creeper strain. The indica effects were slow but powerful once they settled in. I would say that this strain needs to be used in moderation. Because if your not careful “couch lock” might be upon you. Thanks for reading! Keep blazin.’
Affirmation: I am worthy of health and happiness, and I choose to relax my mind and body.
“I think people need to be educated to the fact that marijuana is not a drug. Marijuana is a flower. God put it here.”
-Willie Nelson
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Negative energy go away. Today, I want to tell you about a beautiful strain called The Bridge by Apotha.
I couldn’t find a lot of information about this strain. However, I’m going to give you what I did find. The Bridge is a 50/50 hybrid cross between Street Guru x 1987. Now let’s dive a little deeper. Street Guru is a cross between Gushmintz x Oooze. And 1987 is across between (Fort Collins Cough x Super Silver Sour Diesel) x ( Kali Mist x Super Silver Sour Diesel). Good gracious that’s a lot of genetic material! The flavors include sweet, fruity berry flavors with a little bit of hazy and a dash of spicy notes. The assortment of flavors resembles a party in your mouth.
The top terpenes include B-Caryophyllene, Limonene, and Terpinolene (good as an antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial). The medical benefits in this strain includes relief from chronic stress, chronic fatigue, depression, mood swings, ADD or ADHD, headaches, and migraines. Let me just say that this balanced hybrid is an experience that you will never forget. And I promise that it’s one that would be perfect for amateur and experienced smokers. You can smoke it throughout the day and not worry about the hard core “couch lock.” Thanks for reading! Keep blazin.’
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Negative energy go away. Today, I want to give you a list of the stop cannabis strains of 2025. I know. I have smoked acres of weed this year. And I always enjoy seeing the top weed strains of the year.
It’s that time of year where we find out top strains from across the country. I manage my healthcare by researching strains that work best on my symptoms. And then, I look to see if any of the strains are found locally. See if you recognize any of these strains.
1. Blue Dream: a hybrid that gives you that nice balanced high. This strain works very well for PTSD.
2. Gelato 41: Abalanced hybrid known for sweet flavoring.
3. Cocolato: A daytime use with chocolate and coconut flavoring.
4. Sour Diesel: This is a classic sativa-dominant hybrid strain used to help with anxiety and fatigue.
5. Lemon Cherry Gelato: An uplifting hybrid popular for citrus and berry flavors.
6. White Runtz: A good strain to help with both relaxation and mental clarity.
7. Pink Certz: Uplifting hybrid that I tried recently that is very impressive with its balanced effects.
8. Godfather OG: A potent indica-dominant strain that has the potential to grant you a “couch lock” session.
9. Ice Cream Cake: I love this strain! It works well on pain, stress, anxiety, and insomnia. And it will make sure you drift off into a nice little cannabis coma.
10. OG Kush: Another classic blend of indica-dominance. This is just a good all-around strain.
11. Permanent Marker: I tried this indica-dominant strain this year. It definitely has the potency and stink that aims to please.
12. South Diesel: Classic sativa-dominant hybrid that is sure to give you some “get-up-and-go” effects while putting a the sour and stink flavors in one luscious bud.
13. Biscotti: This is an indica-dominant hybrid that is known as a “dessert strain” flavoring.
14. Super Boof: This is a stain that is sativa-dominant that didn’t push my anxiety into a panic attack. But use sparingly if you’re really sensitive to sativa strains. Just a “WOW” strain in my opinion.
15. Cereal Milk: This strain is known for its sweet and creamy taste profile. It’s said to be sativa leaning. However, it feels like a balanced hybrid. A must try for anyone!
16. Blueberry: A classic indica dominant strain that is known as a suppressor for many conditions and rich berry flavoring. This strain is often crossbred to many different strains. And a big genetic factor for strains that work is known to work well on PTSD.
I can say with certainty that these are not the only strains that have been spotlighted for 2025. But it is a list that maybe you have tried and can attest to the power of their medicine. Thanks for reading! Keep blazin.”
Affirmation: Love flows to me, through me, and around me.
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Negative energy, go away. Welcome again! Today, I want to review a strain known as Polar Plunge. I thought that while we are in a cooler season of the year, I would pick one to reflect that.
Polar Plunge is an interesting strain. Parent strains are a cross between Early Riser x Ice Box Pie. Early Riser is a 50/50 hybrid. However, the exact lineage is unknown. Ice Box Pie is a 70/30 indica-dominant hybrid. The genetics are a cross between Wedding Cake x Freeworld Chem. This strain has a little more sativa than what I like. However, it’s not too much to induce anxiety. Thank you, indicas.
Patients report relief from depression, nausea, stress, mood swings, chronic fatigue, and pain relief. This strain would be a good one for lunch break. It feels like a good balance. If you are sensitive to sativas, make sure and use in moderation. The terpene profile for these strains are B-Caryophyllene, a-Humulene, B-Myrcene. THC percentage is about mid-range. Thanks for reading. Keep blazin’.
“Policy made without open hearings can lead to unintended harm and fuel the very unregulated market lawmakers aim to prevent.”
-Justin Eve, Hemp Grower
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Negative energy go away. Ok, so today I want to tell you about the recent nationwide banning of hemp. And this is about to heavily affect people’s lives. I can say personally that I’m very disappointed. Let me explain everything that is going on and what to keep an eye on.
With the recent government shutdown and eventual reopening, the spending bill called the Continuing Appropriations and Extension Act of 2026 had nestled in its grasp was a new law that changed the THC limit from .3% delta-9-THC to .3% total THC. This action has closed the loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill which allowed for people to find relief when medical cannabis was not available. The new restrictions specifically prohibits products containing more than .4 mgs of total THC per container and bans the use of synthetic or artificial derived cannabinoids.
What does this mean? This means that the cap on THC will now prevent people from getting much needed relief and, once again, pushes consumers to the black market for products. Now, I was not in favor of these products because they were not regulated and gave cannabis a bad name by allowing irresponsible teens to have access to “gas station” and “headshop” products which have made people very sick. This includes CBD, THCa, delta-8, delta-9, edibles and vapes. As usual, though, instead of creating reforms to protect consumers, they have essentially made the products useless. I’m all about regulation because when it’s not regulated there are no testing safety standards that are required for medical cannabis. Therefore, there’s actually no telling what is in these products.
There are full spectrum products that contain THC and other compounds. Broad spectrum products that contain cannabinoids, which many use synthetics, but not the THC to get you high. And isolate products such as delta-8 and delta-9 which are primarily just isolated THC molecules.
The opposition states that the products are allowed to continue getting people high. Ok, well, the loophole allowed these products to have THCa because it was not THC. The conversion happens when a heat source like a lighter or an oven is used to release the psychoactive effects of the plant. So, essentially the product was still weed that would get you high. The difference is what stage the plant is harvested.
Many people use CBD, which is a cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant, to help relief the uncomfortable effects of many conditions. So now, because of the limits, this relief would require copious amounts of those same products, which is not practical or affordable. This is set to go into effect on November 18, 2026. You might be asking yourself why so far away?
This allows for further legislation which is already in the works to keep these products on the market safely. However, now this will be a federal ban on hemp products which will supersede state governance. The hemp industry is estimated to be supported by 300,000 jobs. And the economic estimates are $28.4 billion in annual sales. The time period allows industry to adapt and to potentially establish a regulatory framework. It also allows federal agencies like the FDA to clarify specific definitions and for the states to determine how they will interpret the federal restrictions within their own cannabis laws. And an immediate ban would have caused immediate chaos and economic disruption (www.thehill.com, 2025).
If something isn’t done, the redefinition of hemp will recriminalize most existing intoxicating hemp products which will now impose new, very low THC limits per container. For patients not living in a medical cannabis state, hemp-derived products were their only legal access to certain cannabinoids. The ban would eliminate the alternative completely. And it would limit patient access to only FDA approved drugs with only CBD and no THC (www.statnews.com, 2025).
And what organizations are funding this bill? You got it! Major alcohol industry companies such as: American Distilled Spirits Alliance, Beer Institute, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Wine America, and Wine Institute, pushed towards this ban as well as other retail giants such as Coca-Cola, Nestle, General Mills, Bacardi North America, and Moet Hennessy USA (https:mjbizdaily.com, 2025). Key congressional figures include Mitch McConnell, Dick Durbin, Tammy Duckworth, Brian Mast, and Nancy Mace (https://stateline.org, 2025). Please contact your congress men and women to urge a protective framework rather than a full ban. Those whose quality of life depends on it. Thanks for reading!
Affirmations: My body is filled with healing energy whenever I use hemp products.
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Negative energy go away. Today, I want to tell you about the “hash hole” or “doughnut” that I will use to celebrate National Hash Hole Day. The strain that I’m going to tell you about is called Zoo Dog.
Zoo Dog is a 70/30 indica-dominant hybrid. It is a cross between Gorilla Glue #4 x Chemdawg. Gorilla Glue #4 is a three way cross between Chem’s Sister x Sour Dubb x Chocolate Diesel. Chemdawg is an indica-dominant hybrid whose exact lineage is unknown. The genetics in this strain are amazing. GG #4 x Chemdawg were some of the first specific strains that tried when I initially got on medical cannabis. These strains are fire on their own. But with the combination of these strains and then a nice strip of concentrate is absolutely a bonfire.
The top terpenes in this strain are Limonene, Humulene, Isopulegol, and B-Caryophyllene. Patients report relief from conditions such as chronic pain, depression, headaches, migraines, anxiety, sleep, and stress. What I can personally tell you about my experience is that you better take your Cheetos to the couch with you. This infused preroll that is sitting at 43.04% will have you growing into the fabric of the couch or recliner within a few tokes. Thanks for reading! Keep blazin.’
Affirmation: My body is filled with healing energy whenever I inhale cannabis.
This Puzzled Life 