Botany Farms Delta 8 Hemp Flower : Next Generation Hemp Flower
As I’ve iterated in previous flower reviews, the Midwest is still in its pioneer days when it comes to cannabis legalization. The Western deserts and Eastern seaboard both have solid cannabis availability, where the Midwest is a crazy quilt of states taking every position possible. Bottom line, we’re grateful for what little hemp comes our way in the Midwest, and have tended to give it a passing grade based less on merit and more on the fact of its existence at all.
As of today, that policy is stopping. We’re going to start paying attention to quality when it comes to Midwest hemp, because Botany Farms of Bloomington, Minnesota, has set a new bar for delta 8 hemp standards.
Pros:
- Good value
- Breakthrough taste in delta 8 hemp
- CBG flower line
- Available throughout the eastern US
Cons:
- None
Recommendations: Maybe check that THC potency?
Botany Farms flower has a higher quality standard than average delta 8 hemp flower
I obtained 2 jars of their delta 8 hemp flower: 1 Bubba Kush, and 1 White CBG, 1 gram each. The first thing to note is the packaging. The jars have child-proof caps and freshness seals. Opening them was momentous, because you get that first whiff of farm-fresh flower.
Botany Farms has a new method of producing flower. When it comes to producing delta 8 hemp flower, most producers spray a delta-8 concentrate onto the hemp flower, resulting in a sticky confection that’s somewhere between a moonrock and pressed floret of broccoli, very harsh to smoke with an artificial taste.
Botany Farms uses a proprietary “cold-press” method to combine the base hemp plant with delta 8 THC distillate. One toke will make you a believer, and you’ll never want to settle for spray-on delta 8 again. This is delta 8 hemp that actually tastes like weed, not artificially flavored grass.
Bubba Kush : Dank, Potent, and Stony!
I’m more familiar with the Indica wonders of Bubba Kush from other strains, including other delta 8 strains as well as THC-9 marijuana proper, so I opted to try that first. The first whiff hit me with a skunky, pungent aroma, earthy with a hint of pepper. This comes from the caryophyllene, the most prominent terpene in Bubba Kush. The flavor was deep and rich, with a classic, heavy plume of smoke that will do its best to imitate its delta-9 classic THC cousin.
Bubba Kush smoke hanging dankly in the air will trigger your old memories of flying into a panic to spray air freshener when you hear mom roll up in the driveway. I’d recommend it as a starting point for those moving from classic weed to trying out delta 8.
The effects of Botany Farms’ Bubba Kush were unexpectedly strong for delta 8. It gives a “true Indica” experience: My butt was nailed to the couch, intellectually fit for nothing more than a video game marathon with a goofy grin on my face. It has a full entourage effect of deep relaxation. My cap says 8.9% delta 8 and 14.8% CBD, but Bubba Kush terpenes alone have a knock-out effect beside the cannabinoids.
Bottom line: Bubba Kush delta 8 flower will smoke and feel almost exactly like the classic skunky bud you smoked in high school, but of course less potent due to delta 8 THC over THC classic. Save it for nighty-night time. This is good stuff, I’m just not dwelling on this one because it was the least disruptive.
White CBG : Magical Mystery Trip?
Now for the adventurous part: Prior, I had yet to sample CBG. This is yet another in the hundreds of cannabinoids we have ahead of us to explore in isolation. Lately CBG has enjoyed its turn in the spotlight in the industry’s round robin game of cannabinoid-of-the-month. CBG, cannabigerol, is the precursor to other cannabinoids and is often called the “stem cell” of the cannbinoid family. It does bind to the CB1 and CB2 receptors, but thus far scientific research on it is spotty. I have heard some claim that CBG has no psychoactive effects, while others claim it does.
Well, I’m here to weigh in now that CBG does too have some psychoactive effects. My White CBG cap says 5.1% delta 8, 12.3% CBG. I have experienced everything else in White CBG many times over, and still feel something distinct every time I puff White CBG, hence by process of elimination it must be the CBG.
White CBG’s aroma is very mild, faintly botanical with a cheese-like aroma. Its taste is also mild, kind of like a veggie salad, but with a strong medicinal aftertaste. That medicine flavor is from the bisabolol, a terpene in common with chamomile flowers, with proven anti-inflammatory effects of its own. White CBG is listed as “hybrid,” but of course that doesn’t tell you much these days.
The effects of White CBG were far milder at the onset and yet gave me what can only be described as a “scholar’s high.” Clear-headed, inspiring, motivating, and energetic. Without feeling “stoned” at all, I was on my feet, ready to tackle business. This is unaccountable from either the delta 8 or the bisabolol, but Botany Farms’ own site does tout an “energy boost” from CBG. I felt ten years younger from the great entourage effects, which are accountable from the terpenes together with the delta 8 THC. Some more traditional sensations from typical cannabis effects did eventually kick in, but for the most part this is flower you should smoke on moving day. It also wears off sooner than your average cannabis session.
We’re flagging CBG for further exploration. This was an experience unique from other isolated cannabinoids we’ve tried so far.
Bottom line: If you want to get grandpa out of his rocking chair and dancing the Lindy Hop to Cab Calloway, slip him some White CBG! Use it for wake-and-bake and you’ll be sunny side up. One of the most intriguing strains I’ve smoked in months.
Botany Farms is recommended for delta 8 hemp fans
As a standard disclaimer, delta 8 THC is far less potent than regular (“delta 9”) THC. It has similar effects, but just cut in half. The upside is a clearer-headed high that has less of a tendency to trigger negative side effects such as anxiety, panic attacks, foggy concentration, or tiredness. It is often called “diet weed” or “weed lite.” But for daily THC users, especially on dabs and concentrate vaping, delta 8’s effects will be less potent all around, and may feel underwhelming.
Delta 8 hemp is still in its frontier days, but so far Botany Farms points the way forward. This way lies crafty, artisanal hemp with heartland farming standards and a spectrum of effects to suit just about anyone.
Botany Farms in-house pricing starts at $12 / gram, a very reasonable price, and scales up for larger quantities. Since this is delta 8 hemp, shipping is an option! They also distribute to multiple state dispensaries throughout the eastern US, so check the map.
Readers, share your feelings on delta 8 hemp in general, your explorations with CBG, or Botany Farms in particular here in the comments or in our no-frills forum.
