Review: Vertical Cannabis' Wild OG Packs a Punch

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GRAHAM TOKER

Vertical Cannabis' Wild OG.

Full recreational adult-use cannabis is finally legal in the Show-Me State. I'm sure there are lots of excited people who didn't get a medical marijuana card who can now visit all the dispensaries that have popped up in the metro area over the last two years.

I honestly forgot it was a thing happening in early February. But when I was picking up the weed to review for you, Jay Q. Public, the staff at Feel State (444 Howdershell Road, Florissant) let me know about the specifics for medical patients after recreational folks begin coming through the doors. Medical patients will still be able to purchase online; there will be special medical discounts for veterans, seniors and low-income folks; and there will be a dedicated check-out lane.

After making the trip up I-270 further than you knew was possible into Florissant, I found Feel State tucked neatly in the corner of a nondescript strip mall. To really maximize your dispensary trip, there's a meat shop next door if a nice big steak is your idea of satisfying the "munchies."

I got buzzed inside swiftly when approaching the entrance. The front-desk attendant confirmed my IDs before I was whisked back onto the sales floor. The space is much cozier and more intimate than most dispensaries I've visited. While other dispensaries have a large sprawling sales floor making it hard to know what's available, at Feel State it was easy to discern what brands were for sale in the cases within arms length of the register. The back-room attendant, who passes product to the sales rep before ringing patients out, remarked that I had 20 percent off as a first-time customer.

When I perused the menu online before visiting, Wild OG from Vertical Cannabis caught my eye. Even though candy-tasting terpenes are in vogue now, I'm a big fan of the funky, kushy, heavy-handed OGs. It seems like a safe bet and old standby, like that one dish that's been on the restaurant menu for so long that everyone knows it's worth ordering.

I told the budtender that I had never had Vertical before, and he boasted that it was his favorite cultivator in Missouri. Suddenly, there were six or seven jars of Vertical's flower sitting in front of me. The budtender wafted their scents at my nostrils and commented on the THC levels. The Wild OG was one of the higher (pun intended) options based on total cannabinoids (which includes THC and terpenes) at 25.9 percent. I also purchased Vertical's Apple Fritter, which piqued my nose's interest and had a stronger total cannabinoid test result at 29.4 percent. With the 20 percent first-time discount, I got the two-eighths of Vertical for $51.88.

As a first timer with Vertical, I thought the packaging was nice: a white-and-orange branded box containing a small jar with the flower. I could see the strains getting mixed up once outside the box, though, since each jar is unlabeled.

The genetic origins of Wild OG were difficult to trace online, but one source claimed it is a cross between OG Kush and San Fernando Valley OG. The collection of medium-sized buds in the jar were lighter in color, taking on a greenish-grey hue. Loading the grinder, I could tell that this flower was past its prime, as an abrasive crunch akin to Rice Krispies filled the room upon the grinder's first turn. But let's not get carried away here before we see how it smokes, I thought. The medley of prime OG terpene smells was subdued, but my first small joint had a great relaxing body-high effect.

The second smoke, I went bigger. I filled up an Elements King-sized paper with the Wild OG before an evening relaxing on the couch. While the strain had a nice balanced effect with the smaller joint, this larger joint compounded the effects, and it was an early night for me as I became one with the couch. After waking up to my dog's concern, I made my way to bed and woke up with a bit of a weed hangover the next morning.

My final joint, a happy compromise between the small and large joints previously rolled with Wild OG, kept me from faceplanting on the couch within 30 minutes, but I did notice that weed-hangover feeling when I got up in the morning.

If you got through all of that and were like, "Yikes, that's not for me," then try the Apple Fritter instead. It is classified as a hybrid, a cross between Sour Apple and Animal Cookies, and was a great contrast to the heavier effects of the Wild OG. Compared to its comrade, the Apple Fritter was a much deeper hue of green and had much more invigorating head effects while still maintaining a nice body high sans couchlock. I found myself most enjoying the Apple Fritter on an afternoon walk or when I was gaming.

The effects of the Wild OG and Apple Fritter strains were great, but I wish I'd gotten it fresher, so there wasn't as much of a crunch when grinding the flower and I'd got more of the entourage effect with terpenes. This caused the flower to grind much finer than I'd prefer for a joint. I felt like a fresher batch would've made more of those terpenes sing more, so I'll be on the lookout for the next batch drop. With the recreational era upon us, I'm optimistic for fresher flower being available with the higher turnover of product. Now it's time for Missouri's dispensaries to Show-Me the weed!