#420OHIO
Ohio Medical Marijuana Strain Review:
Orange 43 by Song
Calyx Peak Hits The Max THC Level With This Excellent Strain!
Review & Photos by: Randy Shaffer
Packaging: First Impressions
Both Josh D and Song brands are cultivated by Calyx Peak out of Akron, Ohio. Previously, their cannabis was sold in white glass bottles. Unfortunately, this made it impossible for patients to see the cannabis they were buying. But that’s all changed! The new and improved glass bottles are now clear which makes it much easier to see your cannabis.
Labels and logos are still generally the same as before. Test results are easy to read on the back of the bottle, and the twist-off cap shouldn’t be too much of a struggle for patients with pain in their hands or fingers. Calyx Peak’s cannabis strains have always been packaged very well, but this new bottle is a solid step forward for them.
Cannabis Look: Out of the Bottle
My 2.83 gram bottle largely consisted of two large buds. In fact, these were the two largest nugs I’ve purchased at an Ohio dispensary thus far. Both nugs were quite dense, well cured, and around the size of a thumb.
Appearance is a bit frosty as cannabis trichomes bath every inch of the bud colas. It’s almost as if these two buds were each made of smaller pieces, constructed and painstakingly glued back together by the sticky trichomes.
As a result, the appearance, though somewhat classic in look, is also almost clunky, with sporadic pistils every now and then, and no real dominating shade of green. That’s not to say this strain won’t be fire once vaped. After all, there are A LOT of trichomes here, and the buds are nice and sticky on the fingers.
How Does It Grind?
As noted above, bud colas in my bottle were rather dense, and ground down to a nice consistency for vaping in just a half-dozen turns with my grinder. I actually took about half a nug to get the results you see in the accompanying image. This amount of dry flower yielded about 2-2.5 bowls.
These buds grind a tad sticky, so patients with pain in their hands may want to ask a caretaker for help, or break down the buds into smaller pieces.
Smell Before Vaping
Orange 43 lives up to its reputation! This strain will hit you as soon as you open the bottle, and that initial burst of aromas will lean heavily on citrus, specifically oranges.
The orange aroma is likely so strong because of the terpene, Terpinolene, which adds a strong pine note to the existing Limonene terpenes. These terps combine both pine and lemon accents to create an aroma that perfectly captures the essence of orange zest, or an orange peel.
Be aware, this scent is very strong, almost like a solvent or surface cleaner. Leave this bottle open for just a few minutes and expect that space to smell like a summer orange grove in mere minutes.
The Taste Test
I vaped this medical cannabis with an Arizer ExtremeQ vaporizer. I like to start my first bag at a lower temperature to open the terpenes, and work up to a higher temp to vaporize the cannabinoids.
Orange 43 continues the strong orange through-thread when vaped, though the intense aroma isn’t quite as strong in terms of taste, but that’s not a bad thing. Orange peel is a great scent, but not really the best flavor. Here, the terpenes mix in some rather unique ways, providing a gentle, relaxing vape with a refreshing, almost minty taste, and a lovely current of sweetness.
This strain tastes like a rustic barrel-aged orange juice cocktail. The first rush of flavors lean a bit earthy, with pine notes and a just a hint of ginger and mint. This is followed by a refreshing zing of citrus zest, and a smooth aftertaste, like orange sherbet or a creamsicle. The bouquet was absolutely delightful, from start to finish.
There is a little bite about mid-way through vaping, so expect a mild cough or two. But it’s nothing to fret over. This strain generally vapes very smoothly, providing thick clouds of tasty vapor without exhausting the lungs.
To add more orange notes to this strain, I’d recommend drinking a refreshing mimosa, or simply a glass of orange juice, or a tea with dried orange peel.
Medicinal Benefits and Side Effects I Noted
Note: The medicinal benefits noted in this strain profile are for educational purposes only, and are not a substitute for the advice of a medical practitioner or licensed budtender.
Orange 43 by Song (Calyx Peak) is a cross of White Fire OG and Orange, and a Tier 2 higher THC strain. The bottle I purchased contained cannabis with 35% THC and 0.01% CBD.
Generally, this strain is listed as an indica-leaning hybrid, but my dispensary listed Orange 43 as a sativa. I’m not sure if this is a misprint, or simply how this strain ultimately shaped up when cultivated and tested, or if this cross is slightly different than other Orange 43 strains out there. For what it’s worth, the buds are more sativa-like in appearance, and also seemed to function like a sativa when vaped.
My medical marijuana patient consultant suggested that I give this strain a try to help with anxiety relief and to provide increased pain tolerance.
Admittedly, I didn’t note any substantial pain relief. I did, however, note a significant increase in energy and creativity, as well as a soothing headband effect that eased anxiety and overall tension.
Euphoria with this strain is pretty significant due to the higher THC percentage in combination with the two dominating terpenes, Limonene and Terpinolene. If you are sensitive to higher concentrations of THC, you may want to take it slow, or try a lower THC strain. For those who find that euphoria helps with their headspace or mental health, this strain delivers in spades, with ample doses of creativity, mental ease and energy.
Because Orange 43 does a great job delivering euphoria, this strain isn’t exactly the best for rest or sleep. Rather, Orange 43 would be best used in the mornings or mid-day, and complemented by an indica like Ghost OG at night.
Final Thoughts on Orange 43
Orange 43 is one fascinating strain, featuring a dazzling orange zest aroma, a refreshingly minty sweet taste, and a wonderful sense of euphoria, energy and mental relief. Check this one out if you see it at your dispensary.
What is your favorite strain from Josh D or Song (Calyx Peak)? Let us know in the comments below.
Please be aware: Percentages of THC, CBD and terpene profiles can vary greatly between cannabis harvests. This means that some strains profiled at 420oh.io will contain higher, exact or lower percentages of active chemical compounds when purchased at Ohio medical marijuana dispensaries during different harvest seasons.
A solid late afternoon strain. It’s got a great aroma, a robust flavor, and enough light and energy within to get you through the end of your day, relaxed and recharged.
It’s a no-brainer to legalize cannabis on the federal level. We’ve written about legalization a few times already. And it’s very easy to get excited when the House even remotely touches a cannabis legalization bill. It’s even more extraordinary when one makes it to a committee for review.
But that legalization bill has a long way to travel. And that road … it’s gonna have a dead end.
This strain is a creeper. I felt very little after vaping my first bag, but that slowly transformed as a relaxing headband effect rolled over my temples, soothing tension and easing my anxiety.
[…] in this strain’s aroma. The scent is pronounced, though not as potent as something like Orange 43, which hit the nostrils very […]
[…] Cannabis Strain Review: Orange 43 […]
This stuff is bangin. Love the euphoria and clean energy they describe..its true…wonderful for anxiety and just general good feeling all over. A few good hits and I’m good for many hours.
[…] tasting strain overall, with a sweetness vastly different from other well-known sweet strains, like Orange 43 from Calyx […]
[…] Orange 43 Ohio Medical Marijuana Strain Review […]