Why Colorado Tokers Love A5 Wagyu

A nice steak is often expensive, but nothing comes close to wagyu. Marbled with vast spiderwebs of tender fat and raised in Japan under relatively cushy circumstances, true wagyu costs more than some paychecks, especially if it's A5 grade, the highest score for Japanese wagyu. That's the real top shelf.

I can barely afford a few thin slices of wagyu sashimi in Denver, let alone a full ribeye. This is usually when I'm grateful for finding a weed variety of the same name that's much cheaper, but I had to wait until payday to buy an eighth of A5 Wagyu from Green Dot Labs, too. Given the Boulder cultivation's sterling reputation for bringing the heat, though, I knew that this steak had enough sizzle and substance to satisfy.

Green Dot mixed in-house cuts of Downshift and Candy Cake to breed this prime cut of bovine bud, which surpassed my expectations from jar to ash. This A5 was an A10, thanks to a meaty aroma and an incredibly potent high guaranteed to surprise anyone who tries it for the first time, no matter their tolerance. In fact, A5 Wagyu is so powerful that I wouldn't recommend it as an all-day strain, because most people are destined for the dunce corner after their second hit.

Then again, wagyu steaks aren't meant to be marinated, grilled or even eaten on a weekly basis. They're too rich to approach like any other steak, and the same goes for this beast of a savory strain. I puff like a coal plant in the ’70s, and one bong rip of A5 Wagyu sends my brain to slaughter. Once I knew what to expect, though, A5 Wagyu became one of my favorite Green Dot creations.

Looks: Just like heavy marbling, trichome coverage on A5 Wagyu is so thick that your eyes might miss the purple hues and subtle blue spots underneath that white coat. The gnarled, dolloped buds are denser than they look, and their shape adds to the intimidation.

Smell: Don't let Green Dots' description of "fatty, savory gas" scare you away. That might sound like a bad post-burrito experience, but opening a jar of A5 Wagyu showcases a sweet, rubbery funk that longtime cannabis lovers go crazy for, with a zesty onion blanket and buttery finish.

Flavor: A5 Wagyu's savory notes of garlic and onion play well with a dominant gassy funk, both of which stick to my cheeks as fatty, nutty flavors jump around my tongue. The combination creates a strong aftertaste.

Effects: A little A5 Wagyu goes a long way. I don't need a full bong rip to visit new dimensions, and that's barely hyperbole. This is a visual, almost psychedelic high that starts in the brain and works downward. While it leaves enough energy for something, I'm usually too stoned to know what that something might be before inevitably turning into dust on my couch. Unless you want to sit under a tree or look at the clouds, keep this one indoors.

Where to find it: We've spotted this Green Dot exclusive in flower or extracted form at A Cut Above, Allgreens, Berkeley Dispensary, Best High, Boulder Wellness, Callie's Cannabis Shoppe, the Cannabis Depot, Chronic Therapy, Colorado Harvest Company, Del Mundo Cannabis, Den-Rec, Denver Kush Club, the Dispensary Littleton, Doc's Apothecary, Eclipse Cannabis Company,  Elevated Longmont, the Farm, Golden Meds, Green Dragon, Green Valley Dispensary, Greenfields, the Green Solution, High Level Health, Higher Grade, Karing Kind, Kind Love, Lakeshore Cannabis, Life Flower Dispensary, Lightshade, Lova, Magnolia Road Cannabis Co., Maikoh Holistics, Medicine Man, Native Roots, Nature's Kiss, Oasis Cannabis Superstores, Peak, Potco, Pure Dispensary, Reefer Madness, RiNo Supply Co., Rocky Road, Simply Pure, Skunked, Snaxland, Social Cannabis, Solace Meds, Spark, Standing Akimbo, Star Buds, Unity Road and Xclusive Cannabis, but more stores likely carry it.

Is there a strain you’d like to see profiled? Email [email protected].