Why Colorado Tokers Love Dante's Inferno

Dante's Inferno is so hot right now. Not Mr. Alighieri's version — his is warm year-round — but the Colorado-born cannabis strain I've seen everywhere from Trinidad to Fort Collins.

Beautifully coated in trichomes and armed with a brain-melting high, Dante's Inferno has burned through Denver dispensaries, leaving nothing but stoned, happy and returning customers in its wake. This mix of Oreoz and Devil Driver was born out of a collaboration between Michigan breeder Tiki Madman (who also created Devil Driver) and Colorado's own Clearwater Genetics. Known for its intimidating, thick coat of trichomes but lackluster flavor, Oreoz is always an interesting starting point for new strains, but Dante's Inferno is a definite hit, thanks largely to the local talent involved.

Tiki Madman's national popularity and Clearwater's established roots in Colorado, both as a breeder and a commercial grower, undoubtedly helped Dante's Inferno spread like wildfire through the state. But its success is also tied to new phenotypes from genetics providers, particularly Klone Colorado's Mile High Dave cut, which is one of the most visually stunning strains I've seen in a long time. And unlike Oreoz, this looker has substance under those trichomes.

I've rarely been knocked out immediately after a session with Dante's Inferno, but the strain's effects, mostly above the shoulders, will make moderate tasks harder, if not insurmountable. Keep it for after work, though, and you'll be pleasantly surprised by how heavenly the high is. Even with a head in the clouds, you'll still be able to get off the couch for the better part of two hours.

Looks: Taking full advantage of its Oreoz background, Dante's Inferno looks like a mini pine tree coated in snow, but with regular dark-purple spots. The spiky, oblong buds are dense and segmented, and the thick resin coating makes it tough to know where the pot ends and the stems begin.

Smell: The majority of Dante's Inferno offerings have a candy-like aroma, with grape overtones and an earthy, spicy back end reminiscent of black pepper. I've also smelled versions with sharp notes of tart cherries or chemical cleaner, but with similar sugary, powdered-drink-mix characteristics.

Flavor: Dante's Inferno can be guilty of having a bland flavor that doesn't reach expectations, but the good cuts will successfully cross over those Kool-Aid and Gatorade characteristics, with the fruitiness ranging from cherries to grapes to mixed berries. Even then, the zesty, earthy aspects of the smoke can be tough to comb through.

Effects: Dante's Inferno sends my brain to purgatory, where it sits blissfully ignorant of the world's problems before sinking into naptime quicksand. The munchies and anxious side effects are relatively light given the high's potency, and all of that relaxation is largely mental. Don't mix this with caffeine, or you'll become a headless body with restless legs.

Where to find it: We've spotted Dante's Inferno at Canna City, Colorado Harvest Co., DenCo, Silver Stem Fine Cannabis, Solace Meds, Lightshade, Little Brown House, Police & Thieves, SoHi Dispensary (formerly Doctor's Orders), Social Cannabis, Spark Dispensary and Unity Road, but it's likely that more dispensaries  carry it, given how many growers and extractors have taken on the strain.

Antero Sciences, Clearwater Genetics, Harvest and Iion all have cuts of Dante's Inferno out there, while Colorado Harvest Co. has an in-house version, as well. We've also seen Dante's Inferno concentrates from AO Extracts, Egozi, Next One, Nokhu Labs, Soiku Bano and Solace Meds. Dialed In makes liquid gummies (syrup) from Soiku Bano's Dante's Inferno rosin, too.

Antero and Clearwater's cuts are both solid, but I recommend searching for the Mile High Dave cut of Dante's Inferno, which is provided to growers via Klone Colorado. This is the type of weed that leaves a bowl of kief in the jar when all the flower's gone, and it smells like a packet of freshly opened cherry Kool-Aid.

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