GRADE: AAAA

CATEGORY: Flower / Hybrid

TYPE: Indica Dominant Hybrid – 70% Indica / 30% Sativa

THC CONTENT:  10% – 21%

CBD CONTENT: < 1%

EFFECTS: Creative, Euphoria, Happy, Hungry, Relaxing

FLAVORS: Berry, Blueberry, Cheesy, Fruity, Honey, Sweet

AROMAS: Berry, Blueberry, Fruity, Skunky, Sweet

RECOMMENDED USE: Afternoon

MEDICAL USES: ADD/ADHD, Anxiety, Chronic Pain, Depression, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, Loss of Appetite, Nausea, PTSD, Stress

DESCRIPTION: Cannabis breeding has produced plenty of novelty flavor pairings. Pacific Northwest-born strain Black Cherry Cheesecake is no exception. This fruity strain is said to be a cross between TGA Genetics’ Black Cherry Soda, sativa favorite Super Silver Haze, and pungent hybrid Cheese. The result is a bold, indica-dominant strain that boasts colorful flowers as well as a crowd-pleasing taste. This fruity bud’s psychoactivity has been measured at between 10% and 21% THC.

Flowers of Black Cherry Cheesecake are large and strikingly well-formed. The spade-shaped buds taper from a broad base into a pointed tip and adhere in the dense, solid structure typically associated with indicas. Leaves are a pale shade of green and are shot through with bright orange pistils. Frequently, the leaves also have patches of pink and pale lavender; these pastel hues are the result of pigments (called anthocyanins) in the plants’ genetics which become activated in cold weather during the growing process. Sticky, silvery trichomes — passed on from parent strain Super Silver Haze — dot the inner and outer surfaces of these already-colorful flowers.

When properly cured, these flowers indeed smell like black cherry — this unique blend is passed on from parent strain Black Cherry Soda. As this strain’s name implies, the faintly acrid tang of cheese also hangs out underneath, although the two odors exist side-by-side rather than melding in a pleasant cheesecake blend. When burnt in a pipe or a joint, Black Cherry Cheesecake burns with a smoke that can be harsh, tickling the palate and sinuses. This smoke can taste cheesy and slightly herbal on the exhale.

Black Cherry Cheesecake offers a creeper of a high that may take as many as 10 minutes before fully revealing its effects. Surprisingly, both mental and physical effects take hold at once: smokers may feel a tingle spreading down through the neck and core at the same time as they develop a newfound interest in otherwise mundane topics. Users should expect to become immobilized if they’re already lounging in comfortable surroundings; if out and about, they may want to seek refuge and isolation. Even when sedated, though, smokers of Black Cherry Cheesecake are able to remain lucid and engaged; although not overly cerebral, the bud’s head high helps conversation flow easily, and allows users to focus on any work in front of them. This strain can be giddy and social if consumed in the right setting with the right companions, facilitating mellow feelings of camaraderie and relaxation. As the high wears on or as dosage is increased, Black Cherry Cheesecake’s physical effects intensify. In its later stages, the bud can bring about some sensory distortions like changes in depth perception. Because of its slide into sedation, Black Cherry Cheesecake is best enjoyed at nighttime.

This fruity strain can have several benefits for medical cannabis patients as well. Its consistent and smooth feeling of focus can help those with attention deficit disorders to concentrate on a single task. Its pervasive physical relaxation may also soothe deep-seated aches and pains, whether they’re temporary, as due to injury, or chronic, as due to nerve damage or conditions like lupus. Meanwhile, anti-inflammatory effects can take care of minor irritations like nausea or headaches. Because it is unlikely to bring about intense cerebral thinking or paranoia, Black Cherry Cheesecake is a good choice for patients who are prone to panic or who have a low tolerance for THC.

No breeders have taken responsibility for creating this unique strain, and none have made seeds commercially available. As such, prospective growers must obtain clippings from mature, healthy plants in order to grow genetically identical “clones.” Although there is little information available on best practice for cultivating this specific strain, we know that, like many hybrids, it can be grown indoors or outdoors in a semi-humid, Mediterranean-like climate. We also know that growers intent on bringing out the flowers’ pink and purple hues should expose their plants to cold (but not freezing) nighttime temperatures just before flowering begins.

Black Cherry Cheesecake is an ideal strain for unwinding after a long day or week of work. Its novelty flavor is a bonus that may attract the attention of friends or passersby — if you’re breaking it out in social situations, be sure to bring enough to share.