This Puzzled Life is a mental health and recovery blog exploring addiction, trauma healing, LGBTQ experiences, humor, and the strange moments that shape us.
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Negative energy go away. Today, I want to tell you about a strain that brings back the fond memories of the 1980’s. And how many of us Gen X individuals could ever forget the movie Karate Kid? Mr. Miyagi, Daniel Laruso, and his redemption from being the one who was bullied. To the one who showed us what hard work, trust and discipline could accomplish by the ultimate underdog.
Cobra Chi #2 is a 70/30 sativa-dominant hybrid that is a cross of Margwa #1 x Chimera #3. Margwa #1 is a strain that is not publicly documented. Therefore, I don’t have a direct lineage for this strain. Chimera #3 is a balanced hybrid cross between Chimera x White Truffle. Looking at these genetics Margwa #1 must have a sativa-dominance in its genetics somewhere.
The top terpenes for this strain are D-Limonene, Linalool, Myrcene, and Caryophyllene. Patients report relief from conditions such as chronic stress, chronic pain, depression, migraines, mood swings, ADD/ADHD, headaches, and nausea. This strain, in my opinion, is very mild. And it is a strain that can be enjoyed by all. Thanks for reading! Keep blazin.’
Affirmation: I water myself from the bottom up to grow deep roots like a strong mother plant.
“Weed is the friend that doesn’t mind if you cancel plans.”
-Unknown
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Negative energy go away. Today, I want to tell you about a cannabis strain called Apples and Bananas. Nothing says spring time and fresh fruit like this strain.
Apples and Bananas is an indica-dominant balanced hybrid that is a four-way cross between Platinum Cookies x Grandaddy Purple x Blue Power x Gelati. Platinum Cookies is a cross between OG Kush x Durban Poison. Grandaddy Purple is a cross between Purple Urkle x Big Bud. Blue Power is a cross between Sour Double x Master Kush x The White x Blue Moonshine. Gelati is a cross between Gelato x Biscotti. This strain is simply sweet and fruity.
The top terpenes in this strain are Myrcene, Limonene, and Caryophyllene. Other combinations of this strain also have Linalool in them. Patients report relief from conditions such as anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia, appetite loss, nausea, muscle spasms, cramps, PTSD and pain. The effects for me seem indica dominant. However, try it for yourself and watch the stress melt away. Thanks for reading! Keep blazin.’
“Some strains whisper. Neon Berry walks in wearing sequins and introduces itself to everybody.”
-This Puzzled Life
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Today, we’re stepping into the neon glow. The kind of berry‑sweet, electric‑hearted strain that feels like a gas‑station slushie and a cosmic prophecy had a baby. Welcome to this Budtender Moment as I highlight the strain Neon Berry.
Neon Berry is a sativa‑dominant hybrid. It’s the kind that lifts your chin. Straightens your aura. And tells your anxiety to go sit in the car with the windows cracked. It is a cross between Blueberry × Strawberry Cough. Blueberry is a cross between Afghani × Thai. Strawberry Cough is a cross between Haze × a mystery strawberry cultivar whispered about like a church‑lady scandal. This is berry lineage with a passport and a past.
The taste profile for this strain is a blue raspberry slushie from a gas station that definitely has a ghost. Strawberry Pop Rocks with a cool, minty exhale that feels like someone just opened the freezer door on your soul. And a faint candy‑shell sweetness that lingers like gossip.
The top terpenes in this strain are Limonene, Myrcene, Pinene, and Caryophyllene. Together they create a bright, effervescent, berry‑electric cloud. Patients look for this strain for mood elevation, stress relief, creative focus, mild pain relief, and social ease.
Please keep in mind that depending on differences in grows depends on what area of the country it is grown in. There will also be slight differences depending on when, where the plant was grown. Thanks for reading! And keep blazin.’ Have you tried this strain?
Affirmation: I allow joy to be loud, bright, and berry‑flavored. I glow without apology.
“Healing doesn’t always whisper. Sometimes it shows up loud, sweet, and ready to shift the whole room.”
-This Puzzled Life
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Let the ancestors lean in. OG Pop Tartz is one of those strains that walks in the room like, “Y’all ready for a little mischief and a little medicine?”
OG Pop Tartz comes from a lineage that feels like a family reunion where everybody brought something loud to the table. It’s a cross between Lemon Cake × Sour Apple. Lemon Cake is a cross between Lemon Skunk × Cheese. Sour Apple is a cross between Sour Diesel × Cinderella 99. This is a strain built from families who don’t whisper. They testify.
Despite the name, this isn’t a sugary breakfast pastry. OG Pop Tartz tastes like tart fruit on the inhale. A little diesel on the back end. Some sweet citrus peel. And a warm, earthy finish that feels like a porch swing at dusk. It’s bright, funky, and layered. It’s like a Pop-Tart made by someone’s weed‑growing uncle who refuses to follow the recipe.
The terpene profile is a trio that hits like a Southern choir harmony. Major terpenes are Limonene, Caryophyllene and Myrcene. And depending on the grow, you may also catch hints of Linalool or Humulene, but the core trio stays steady.
Patients often reach for OG Pop Tartz for mood elevation, stress relief, mild-to-moderate pain management, creative focus, social ease, and appetite support. It’s functional without being frantic. Soothing without being sedating. And a middle‑path strain for folks who need clarity with comfort.
A Colorado-grown batch might lean sharper and more citrus-forward. A West Coast batch may come in sweeter, fruitier, and more relaxed. A Southern grow? Expect funk, density, and terps that cling to your shirt like gossip. Same genetics. Different expression. And just like cousins raised in different households. Thanks for reading! Keep blazin’.
Affirmation: I honor the version of myself that is growing. Unfolding. And expressing differently in every season. And it’s just like the plant.
“How many stoners does it take to screw in a lightbulb? None, we got lighters.”
-Unknown
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Negative energy go away. Today, I want to tell you about a strain that I’m grouping under 80’s names. And what Gen X’er doesn’t remember sniffing the permanent markers accidentally left around the room by the teacher. Ok, maybe it was a little strange to those who never did this. But we Gen X’ers sniffed random markers as part of our childhood daily life.
The very first thing I noticed about this strain is that familiar aroma and taste of diesel fumes. So maybe it doesn’t exactly smell like the highly sought after ink smell but it’s one that you will remember without a doubt. The genetic line is lengthy so pay attention. This strain is a 70%/30% indica-dominant strain. The genetic cross is Biscotti x Jealousy x Sherbet BX strains. Biscotti is a cross between Gelato 25 x Sour Florida OG. Jealousy is a cross between Gelato 41 x Sherbet BX1. And finally, BX strain are a backcross Sherbet strain. And a backcross strain is s hybrid strain that is bred back to a parent strain. The main reasons this is done that I will simplify is related to particular strain trait reinforcement and genetic stability. There are other reasons but those are just a couple.
The major terpenes in this strain are Myrcene, Limonene, Caryophyllene. Patients report from such conditions as chronic fatigue, PMS, cramps, depression, mood swings, chronic stress, and PTSD. I had this strain as a vape cart. But if you like the taste of diesel you’ll sure to love this strain and its potency. This strain was voted Leafly Strain of the Year in 2023. Keep blazin’!
“Some flavors don’t just taste good. They take you back to the version of yourself who still believed in magic.”
-This Puzzled Life
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Let the smoke curl up like a memory you can almost taste. Before Blackberry Snow Cone ever hit a vape cart. Before terpenes had names I could pronounce. Before I knew what a phenotype was or why growers argued about them like SEC football. There was me. Barefoot on Mississippi gravel. And clutching a Styrofoam cup of neon‑blue snow cone like it was salvation.
One of my favorite childhood joys was standing at that tiny snow cone shack. The one with the hand‑painted menu and the fan that never actually cooled anything. Waiting for that syrupy mountain of ice. And right beside that memory sits another of walking the roadside with purple‑stained fingers. Plucking wild blackberries straight from the bramble. They were warm from the sun. Tart enough to make your jaw twitch. And sweet enough to make you forget the thorns. Blackberry Snow Cone hits both of those memories at once. Like someone bottled nostalgia. Chilled it. And handed it back to me in vapor form.
Blackberry Snow Cone is an indica-hybrid. This isn’t a widely standardized strain. But most growers trace its roots as a cross between Blackberry Kush × Snow Cone. Blackberry Kush is a cross between Afghani × Blackberry. Snow Cone is a cross between Snowman × Cherry Pie. The flavor profile consists of fresh‑picked blackberries, shaved ice sweetness, with a cool, creamy finish. It also has light herbal undertones that nod back to its Kush ancestry. It’s childhood nostalgia with grown‑folk nuance.
The terpene profile for this strain includes Myrcene, Limonene, Caryophyllene, and Linalool (sometimes). Patients often reach for Blackberry Snow Cone for stress, mood, mild pain and tension, creativity, focus, and anxiety. It’s the strain equivalent of sitting on a porch swing at dusk. And letting the day melt off your shoulders.
And so here we are. Grown, busy, bruised by life in all the predictable and unpredictable ways. And still chasing the same sweetness we loved before we even had words for why it mattered. Blackberry Snow Cone isn’t just a vape cart. It’s a little time machine disguised as vapor. A reminder that joy doesn’t have to be complicated to be real. Sometimes it’s just a flavor that takes you back to gravel roads, purple‑stained fingertips, and a snow cone stand that felt like church.
If a strain can carry you home and forward at the same time, this one does. Inhale. Exhale. Remember. Release. And let the world soften around the edges like melting ice on a hot Mississippi afternoon. May every hit remind you that sweetness is still out here. And waiting on you to claim it.
Please keep in mind that depending on differences in grows depends on what area of the country it is grown in. Ther will also be slight differences depending on when, where the plant was grown. Thanks for reading! And keep blazin.’ Have you tried this strain?
Affirmation: I honor the sweetness in my past. The strength in my present. And the joy I allow myself to taste today.
“The first time I smoked, I didn’t get high, but I did end up going to McDonald’s.”
-Unknown
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Negative energy go away. Today, I want to talk to you about the strain known as Zookies by Max Harvest
Instantly this strain makes an impact. Some strains might be slow to take effect, but this one doesn’t. Let’s look at the genetics. Zookies is a 50/50 hybrid cross between Animal Cookies x Gorilla Glue #4. Animal cookies is a cross of Girl Scout Cookies x Fire OG. Gorilla Glue #4 is a cross between Chem’s Sister x Sour Dubb x Chocolate Diesel.
This strain is loaded with terpenes such as Caryophyllene, Limonene, Myrcene, Linalool and Humulene. The medical benefits include relief from insomnia, chronic pain, depression, muscle spasms, cramps, nausea, and appetite loss. This strain lives up to it’s reputation as an overall great strain. The indica side of this strain is very potent. However, there’s enough sativa to still be able to be productive. But use in moderation as “couch lock” is possible and happening as I write. Thanks for reading! And keep blazin.’
“I don’t smoke weed to escape reality. I smoke it to make reality funnier.”
-Unknown
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Negative energy go away. Today, I want to talk to you about one of th3 stinkiest strains that I’ve come across. And its name is Mule Fuel.
Mule Fuel is a 90/10 very heavy indica hybrid. This strain is a cross between Lurch x GMO (GMO Cookies). Lurch is a cross between Grape Ape x Ghost OG. GMO is a cross between GSC (Girl Scout Cookies) x Chemdawg. This strain has the aroma and taste of both diesel and skunk. And if you know anything about the GMO strain, you know that it stands for Garlic, Mushrooms and Onions. And that, my friend is not a strain that would be easily smoked in public in an attempt to be indiscriminate. It will stink up anything around you.
The major terpenes with this strain are Terpinolene, Myrcene and Caryophyllene. The medical benefits with this strain provide relief from conditions such as chronic stress, anxiety, insomnia, nightmares, chronic pain, and depression. And I can attest to the potency and relief that I get from this strain. Accompanying the smell and aroma are some hard-core munchies and the dreaded “couch lock.”
This strain is one where you need to be prepared to take a nice cannabis nap. I would not suggest this strain for an amateur smoker. This is a strain with very heavy effects. Use it sparingly as a little goes a long way. Thanks for reading! Keep blazin.’
Light the citronella candle, put on your yard shoes, and tell Piper to stop pawing at the screen door like she’s ready to fight wildlife. Today’s Budtender Moment is a full‑on Deep South summer survival guide disguised as a strain review. We’re talking Viper Crumble, the strain that strikes quick, coils around your stress, and drags it off into the woods like a reptile with a mission. Tap the bowl three times. Check the porch for snakes. Whisper, “Not today, Satan,” as you spark it.
Viper Crumble is typically a sativa‑leaning hybrid known for its fast onset, bright energy, and “I suddenly feel like cleaning the pantry” motivation. Genetics vary by grower, but most versions come from Viper × Crumble Cake or similar high‑energy, citrus‑forward hybrids. Viper is a cross between Burmese Landrace × Blackseed. Crumble Cake is a cross between American Pie × (Jaeger × Skunk Dog) × Wedding Cake.
Viper Crumble doesn’t just hit. It lunges. This is the strain that shows up wearing camo shorts, holding a gas station slushie, and saying, “Sweetheart, it’s too hot to be stressed. Let me handle this.” It’s sharp. It’s sneaky. It’s the emotional venom extractor you didn’t know you needed. And if you’ve lived through a Mississippi July, you already know: When the heat rises, the snakes get bold. So does this strain.
Viper Crumble is typically a sativa‑leaning hybrid. And strains in this category, especially those rich in limonene, pinene, caryophyllene, and myrcene tend to offer a very specific set of reported therapeutic effects. Patients report relief from low energy, stress, mental fog, daytime fatigue, and that “I’m melting and everything irritates me” feeling. It’s a perfect strain for hot days, chores, creativity, or simply sitting on the porch judging the weather. Together, they create a strain that hits fast, lifts quick, and keeps your senses sharp. And it’s perfect for a climate where even the reptiles are clocked in and ready for foolishness.
1. The Strike
It hits fast. It’s like stepping outside and immediately being slapped by humidity. Your brain wakes up. Your mood lifts. You suddenly remember every chore you’ve ignored since Easter.
2. The Slither
Euphoria winds through your chest slowly and smoothly. Thoughts loosen. You feel lighter, brighter, and slightly mischievous. Coco walks by and you swear she’s scouting for snakes like she’s on payroll.
3. The Shed
Your stress peels off like old skin. Your shoulders drop. You feel refreshed, alert, and ready to face the heat index like a seasoned Southerner who knows better than to walk barefoot in the yard.
When the Deep South gets hot, and I mean “air so thick you could butter it” hot, the snakes get active. They sun. They roam. They show up where they do not belong, like under porch steps, in flower beds, in the Dollar General parking lot, and once, famously, inside someone’s dryer vent (we don’t talk about that).
Viper Crumble is the Deep South summer strain for anyone who needs clarity, energy, and a little reptile‑level alertness. It’s bright, fast, and beautifully sharp. And the kind of high that makes you feel like you can handle the heat, the humidity, and whatever slithers across your path. But unlike the real reptiles, this one is here to help. Please keep in mind that each grow will be different and the flower’s effects will differ depending on which region of the country that the plant is grown. Thanks for reading! Keep blazin.
Affirmation: I stay sharp, steady, and unbothered. Even when the heat rises.
“Some strains relax you. Dank OG unplugs you and plugs you back in at 50% brightness.”
-This Puzzled Life
Light the charcoal. Sprinkle the sage. Negative energy go away. Crack your knuckles. Clear your schedule. And maybe put your phone on Do Not Disturb. This one’s thick, sticky, and spiritually committed to humbling you. Today, I want to talk to you about a strain that represents the funk that we will be discussing this month. And it’s a strain that’s concentrated called Dank OG.
Dank OG as a concentrate is not here to play. Flower Dank OG already walks around with that “I’ve seen some things” energy. But once you turn it into wax, badder, rosin, or shatter, it becomes the strain equivalent of a Southern auntie who takes off her earrings before she speaks. This is old‑school gas turned into a modern‑day thunderclap.
Dank OG comes from the legendary OG Kush line. The backbone of half the gas-heavy strains people swear by today. The lineage for this strain is OG Kush × Unknown Kush Hybrid. This is the family tree of strains that smell like they were raised in a garage. Taught discipline by a mechanic. Is blessed by a pine forest. And has that classic “sit down before you fall down” energy.
The terpene Profile consists of Myrcene, Limonene, Caryophyllene, and Pinene. Concentrates amplify everything. The aroma, the flavor, the punch, and the personality. Dank OG’s terpene profile hits like a gospel choir of gas. In concentrate form, these terpenes don’t whisper. They testify.
Dank OG concentrate tastes like someone bottled the smell of a gas station parking lot after a summer rain and then added pine needles for decoration. The flavor profile are made up of heavy diesel, deep earth, sharp pine, a warm, peppery finish, and that unmistakable OG “who turned up the gravity” aftertaste. This is not a dessert strain. This is a “wipe your tools on your jeans and get back to work” strain. Dank OG concentrate hits with the force of a memory you forgot you had. This is also a couch-lock classic. A “don’t make plans” strain. A “why does my blanket feel emotional” strain.
Patients often reach for Dank OG concentrates when they need relief from chronic pain, stress and anxiety, insomnia, muscle tension, overthinking, post-socializing exhaustion, and that feeling where your brain won’t stop narrating your life. The concentrate form makes these effects faster, stronger, and longer lasting.
Dank OG branded concentrates have placed in regional concentrate competitions, often recognized for Best Solvent Concentrate, Best Rosin, and Best Hybrid Extract. Dank OG carries the same award‑winning terpene backbone that judges (and seasoned smokers) consistently fall in love with. It’s that gas, pine, earth, and that unmistakable OG punch.
Each batch of Dank OG, like any cannabis strain, can have slight differences depending on how it’s grown, harvested, cured, and extracted. Terpenes shift. Potency shifts. The vibe shifts. That’s part of the magic. And Dank OG itself has earned recognition in concentrate categories across multiple regional competitions. Its lineage, especially OG Kush, is where the trophy case really starts overflowing. Thanks for reading! And keep blazin.’
Affirmation: I honor the rest my body asks for, even when the world demands more.