A child of the 90’s, Ice was originally developed in the Netherlands and went on to become a firm favourite at coffeeshops around the country. Its success was largely down to its fantastic genetic heritage, being the hybrid result of crossing Afghani and Northern Lights amongst other strains to form a 50/50 indica/sativa mix. The result became a favourite among connoisseurs who returned to it time and time again for its complex taste and fantastic high. These qualities were ultimately what led to the strain winning the 1998 High Times Cannabis Cup.

This white wonder could not simply be left alone, however, and 420 Seeds have gone on to develop an autoflowering version of the modern classic. This newer strain, aptly named Auto Ice, seeks to take the brilliance of the original Ice and marry it with the kind of ruderalis genetics that will see you stocking up on plenty of your new favourite strain.

Strength

Being a nearly even distributed indica/sativa mix (excluding the non-psychoactive ruderalis component), the effects of Auto Ice were always going to be something of a balancing act. Thankfully Auto Ice pulls this off well to create an effect that is the best of both worlds, and with its 15-20% THC content you’re sure to feel it too.
It begins with the mental effect, granting a mood-enhancing mild euphoria to the consumer that sets the stage for the bodily side to come. While the strain is mainly known for its physical component, its energy-granting and creativity inducing sativa part should not be ignored.

Content and refreshed, the stone begins to make itself known as you gradually become couchlocked in a growing haze of relaxation. These long-lasting effects are potent and will even make veteran smokers watch their consumption. Some also report certain visual effects occurring alongside the usual sensations.

With the rich and satisfying journey Auto Ice will take you on it makes for a fantastic recreational smoke, but these qualities also translate well to medicinal use. A common effect that is tied to its recreational benefits is its tendency to make smokers more sociable and open when consumed, which is a rare quality among medicinally used strains. This trait of the strain may assist with clinical therapy and accompanies the usual benefits that help with pain relief, appetite stimulation, lifting off stress and anxiety, and banishing insomnia.

Yield

Being such a useful medical strain, Auto Ice luckily provides enough in each harvest to keep even the keenest smoker happy. Yields are typically 400-500g per m2 depending on conditions, and those willing to wait an extra week or two before harvesting will be rewarded with heavier volumes of stronger bud.

Speed

Auto Ice will not pose too much of a challenge to experienced growers but those new to the business may need to pay close attention. The plant prefers to grow inside where its auto genetics can take advantage of an indoor lighting system. Indoor growth can also let the plant benefit from a hydro setup alongside the Sea of Green (SoG) growing method which will see Auto Ice reach its full potential. Contrary to its frigid name, the plant enjoys a steady stream of warm fresh air circulating around it.

Balancing its indica, sativa and ruderalis genetics, Auto Ice will reach a relatively short to medium height. Flowering time is around ten weeks, though as mentioned previously growers will have their patience rewarded with higher quality bud that carries a greater resin content if they wait an extra week or two before harvesting.
Outdoor growth is possible, though with its demands for a Mediterranean climate and substantially smaller yields you may find this modest sized plant more practical to raise indoors. Those who do decide to keep the plant outside will see their harvest come in October, however.

Regardless of where it is grown, Auto Ice will exhibit the beautiful white colouring that earned the strain its name as it flowers to make this one of the most visually stunning plants around.

Taste

Auto Ice possesses the kind of love/hate taste that has inspired countless extended internet-forum arguments. It is flavoured similarly to Nepali black hash, a cough-inducing rich pungent taste that contrasts with the plant’s icy white colouring. Beneath this, however are a handful of sweet notes that reward the attentive smoker with an unusual and quite pleasant flavour.

Bag Appeal

The scent of Auto Ice is likewise at odds with its appearance, giving off a diesel-like and almost acrid smell. There are also the Nepali black hash notes found so prominently in the taste, giving this strain quite the impression before it is even smoked.

Some have claimed this scent is akin to raw THC, which is unsurprising when the trichome-laden white buds are seen glowing with their pale brightness. This is combined with a resinous sticky feel that makes Auto Ice irresistible the moment it rests in your hand.

For all the talk of the medical benefits of cannabis and the various ways it can lead to a healthier, happier life, it can often feel like this takes a major back seat to the recreational properties most strains offer. This is not necessarily always the case, however, as there are certain strains that are developed and made available specifically for medicinal purposes.

They may be relatively rare but they do exist, and Nebula CBD is one such strain. While it didn’t escape the obligatory colourful naming that most strains receive, its function is rather different to most out there. Possessing an equal CDB to THC ratio, Nebula CBD was developed with medicinal use in mind and takes its job seriously.

Created by crossing the popular Nebula with an unknown high-THC strain, Nebula THC has helped turn around non-smoker’s perceptions of cannabis, helping them recognise the medical benefits it can bring.

Strength

The previously mentioned equal CBD and THC ratio is worth bearing in mind, as such a quality is a good indicator that the strain is ideal for medical use. Yet whilst Nebula CBD may have been bred with medicinal use in mind, its creators did not entirely neglect its ‘fun’ side either.
Holding a very modest THC level of 5-10% and an equivalent CBD level of around 7-8%, the strain will not take you to the places some other powerhouse psychoactive strains will, yet it offers a gentle and highly enjoyable experience that is all the richer for its modesty.

Nebula CBD is a hybrid plant with a 60/40 sativa-indica split, being enjoyed primarily for its medical and pleasant yet highly-functional effects. Some find this a great strain to start the day with, enjoying a mellow wake n’ bake that makes sure you start off on the right foot.

Being 60% sativa, Nebula CBD offers an uplifting high that will see you in a good mood for hours. Its relaxing properties mean that a chilled contentment will accompany this improvement of mood, relaxing both mind and body. Its light THC level also means that the strain can be utilised throughout the day as a small but effective boost in your mood to keep you productive, focused and happy. These qualities make Nebula CBD effective for keeping you performing well in the face of various distractions that may otherwise interfere with your work.

This strain will principally be sought by those who wish to make use of its medicinal applications, however, and those who do so will not be disappointed. If other strains leave you feeling paranoid or anxious then Nebula CBD may be the one for you. Its balanced THC to CBD ratio banishes such unwanted thoughts and emotional states, allowing you to enjoy the strain fully. It is also very effective at treating cramps, joint pains, chronic pain, and even Crohn’s Disease. On top of this many users report it helps them effectively reign in periodic bouts of stress and depression.

These are not the only health benefits of Nebula CBD, and it may be worth trying the strain to see if it can deal with any particular ailment you may have even if it has not been outlined here. Those looking to make use of cannabis for medical reasons without feeling the psychoactive effects may also find Nebula CBD’s subtle effects tolerable or even helpful.

Yield

It may not pack much THC but each plant will offer a sizeable yield come harvest time, rewarding careful growers with 450-500g per m2 of soothing CBD-laden bud.

Speed

Nebula CBD is not a demanding strain when it comes to growing. It will fare well both indoors and outdoors and will not cause too many headaches regardless of your growing experience.

If growing indoors the plant will do especially well in a Sea of Green (SoG) setup, taking only 60 days from seed to flower. Unusually for a sativa-dominant strain, the plant will keep to a short to medium height and will ward off mould and mildew with ease as it develops. It does tend to grow heavily towards its light source though, so do bear this in mind as the weeks pass.

Frequent growers of Nebula CBD, however, will often claim it is the outdoors where the strain really shines. It may have a typically sativa-like preference for a hot climate with plenty of bright sunshine, but overall it is remarkably easy-going. The plant generally does fine even in cooler northern European climates, offering up its harvest in the middle of October.

Taste

Nebula CBD has a softly sweet flavour that is reminiscent of honey and vanilla yogurt, but with an unexpected yet pleasant pungent aftertaste. Some even detect a fruitiness in the mix too, but the one thing all can agree on is the strain’s delicate sweetness that makes consumption of this strain an absolute pleasure.

Bag Appeal

This hint of fruitiness is far more pronounced in the scent than in the taste, mixing among bits of earthiness and spice to make the underlying sweetness all the more satisfying.

The buds of the plant are medium sized, cone shaped, and a red-brown shade that is accompanied by autumnal-hued amber hairs. Sitting atop this is a layer of sandy trichomes and thick sticky resin that will delight recreational and medical smokers alike.

A juxtaposing name if ever there was one, the star strain by Nirvana Seeds known as Raspberry Cough promises sweet flavour and lung-rattling power in equal measure. Whether it lives up to its name is something that will be expanded on below, but it is clear from its genetic lineage that Nirvana Seeds were planning something big when developing this strain.

Raspberry Cough was created by crossing a powerful indigenous Cambodian strain with Ice, which is itself a hybrid of Northern Lights and an Afghani indica. This gives Raspberry Cough the kind of heritage that puts lesser strains to shame, offering the kind of quality smoking experience that exceeds expectations with ease.

Strength

There are few things finer than a great sativa high and Raspberry Cough offers this in abundance. With a genetic makeup that grants the strain a 70% sativa and 30% indica ratio, Raspberry Cough offers a clear-headed and uplifting high that all but guarantees a good start to the day or a fine evening.
With a THC content that can be as moderate as 18% or as strong as 24% (depending on growing conditions), the strain can push your day along smoothly or send you into the stratosphere. We advise you take care when toking on Raspberry Cough, as those innocent last few drags can easily lift you off the ground if caught unprepared. This is unlikely to be an issue, however, as most plants will produce bud in the medium to fairly-high strength range, leaving you to enjoy the stellar high Raspberry Cough has to offer.

The sublime effects of Raspberry Cough are far from the foggy immobilising haze found in certain other strains. Certainly, while there is a time and place for a good indica stone, Raspberry Cough is not shy about taking you in the opposite direction.

Those lacking in patience will not be disappointed, as the strain begins with a near-instant cerebral high that will see you motivated and focused. It is this quality that makes it a popular smoke of choice in the morning to see you through those long early hours while boosting your productivity.

This is accompanied by an uplift in your mood and a sudden inability to feel stressed about anything whatsoever, both of which contribute to a rich sense of relaxation. Especially useful is that all these effects do not compromise your ability to function, giving you all the benefits with few to no downsides.
This energising wonder-strain also has certain medicinal applications, often being used to help with muscular pains, fatigue, depression, and anxiety. All these and more can be treated, completely free of the couchlock that prevents many other strains from being both functional and medicinally useful.

Yield

Raspberry Cough is no miser when it comes to its yields, offering healthy sized harvests that in good conditions run at 400-500g per m2.

Speed

Raspberry Cough does not make you work too hard for her fantastic bounty, offering a fairly easy growing experience that even beginners are likely to manage without difficulty. It can grow both indoors and outdoors, with some growers reporting greater yields from their outdoor plants.

Indoors you will find Raspberry Cough flowering around 9-11 weeks after planting, growing to a towering 10ft tall but barely branching at all. This means that multiple plants can be grown close to one another should you wish. The strain will thrive in a Sea of Green (SoG), hydro or soil setup, with a pungency that you may need to keep in check.

Growing Raspberry Cough outdoors presents a new set of challenges due to its height and demand for a warm climate. Outdoors growers will need to provide the plant with a Mediterranean-style environment to grow optimally, and also ensure that it does not attract unwanted attention as it begins its swift journey upwards. Those who are able to sidestep these potential difficulties will see Raspberry Cough do just fine in the outdoors and will have their harvest ready in late October. Outdoor growers may even see their plant take on those appealing blue and purple shades if exposed to the cooler night time temperatures.

Taste

Raspberry Cough can’t be accused of false advertising in the taste department, with the strain exhibiting a strong and sweet berry-like fruitiness. This is joined by a real mix of disparate and enticing flavours such as earthiness, nuttiness, herbs, spice, and even mint.

Bag Appeal

Being a strain with such a curiously mixed taste profile it is fortunate that it possesses a scent that is equally as intriguing. While more refined noses will be able to identify the same notes in the scent as in the taste, most will simply appreciate the sweet and skunky odour that Raspberry Cough emits.
The buds are small and pebble-shaped, coloured bright green with speckles of orange hair that decorate the surface. These are joined by a layer of sandy-shaded trichomes that finish the strain’s visual presentation off nicely.

Barney’s Farm has produced a number of very popular (and effective) strains and Tangerine Dream is one of their top creations thanks to its ease of growth, taste and medical benefits.

Strength

Even though Tangerine Dream is an Indica dominant, it offers an impressive 25% THC, which puts it on a par with a number of the best Sativas. It will provide capable treatment for serious pain and emotional issues such as anxiety. This is definitely a strain for daytime use. In fact, it was created for people who wanted medication, which would act quickly and effectively, but still leave them capable of carrying on with their work for the rest of the day and basically that is exactly what this strain does. The cerebral high is close to instant and is both relaxing and refreshing so that when it wears off, you’re ready to get up and go and can manage most activities. Obviously, you want to wait a while before doing anything complex such as driving.

Yield

Given the right care and attention, Tangerine Dream can produce up to 600 gr/m², which is all the more impressive given that plants tend to top out at about one metre. These heavy yields mean that although Tangerine Dream does have the compact bushiness typical of Indicas, it still does tend to need some support as flowers develop and literally start to weigh down its branches. Other than that, however, it’s impressively easy to grow, particularly since it has a touch of Haze genetics (G13 x Afghan x Neville’s A5 Haze) and is therefore a feasible choice for committed beginners. In principle, it can be grown out of doors, although in practice, that’s only likely to be an option for growers in the warmest European countries. Regardless of whether you’re growing indoors or outdoors, remember that not everyone is in love with the strong citrus scent Tangerine Dream is going to develop during the flowering stage, so be a good neighbour and use respectful odour control.

Speed

One of the benefits of most compact plants, is that they tend to finish their growth cycle quite quickly and Tangerine Dream needs a mere 8 to 9 weeks to finish indoors. Outdoors it will be ready around the start or middle of October, hence the fact that growers in more northern parts of Europe will need to look at indoor growing.

Taste

If we’re honest, we’d say this was more standard orange than tangerine, but we’re guessing that if you like tangerines, you like oranges and vice versa. In any case, this is citrus fresh, while still being nicely sweet.

Bag Appeal

Tangerine Dream looks good in the grow room and good in the bag. There isn’t all that much in the way of trichomes (at least not compared to the likes of Northern Lights and White Widow) but there are enough and there are copious amounts of red and orange pistils to add plenty of vivid colour. Once harvested, the nugs are reassuringly dense and solid and once you break them open you release that lovely, citrus aroma. Safe to say, any bag labelled Tangerine Dream is going to get plenty of enthusiastic attention.

In spite of the Haze genetics and exotic name, Tangerine Dream is actually a robust and rewarding strain, which should be within the capabilities of committed beginners, who are prepared to tackle sexing plants and managing light cycles. Those who want the taste and effects of Tangerine Dream in a format which makes growing even easier, might be interested in the autoflowering version, although the yields are nowhere near as good.