The Review

The sweet flavors rippled over my tongue with a handful of fruity tastes – pineapple, melons… I think I taste strawberry flavors in there, I thought. I wasn’t even sure I could identify all the flavors – earthy, piney, a bit spicy but sweet…

I had just exhaled a big bong toke of Hawaiian Haze, the hemp flower we were filming a review of at the moment. I quickly lit a second hit and savored the flavors once more… this time I noticed more of the earthy, hemp flavor in the nice smooth smoke. Slowly the CBD feeling spread around my body… hmmm, Hawaiian Haze, I thought pleasantly, that’s a nice smoke!

Hawaiian Haze is a Sativa-dominant hybrid that is a cross of Hawaiian – a strong Sativa, and Haze – another Sativa that is a West Coast classic. Haze came out of Santa Cruz in the 1960s and spread around the world, being crossed with other strains many, many times over the years.

Because this variety I was trying from Hemp Living USA in Wisconsin was a hemp flower instead of the cannabis version of Hawaiian Haze, it had less than 0.1% THC and a nice level of CBD at 17%.

The Look and Smell

When I picked up the jar, one of the first things I noticed was that the rather small jar said it had 5 grams packed into it – not a 3.5 gram eighth, or a 7 gram quarter. I’ve noticed a few other brands recently that have switched to 5 gram jars, so maybe this is a growing trend.

Opening the jar I could see that it was filled to the brim with hemp flowers, but the herb only weighed in at 4.79 grams… seriously, I really don’t think any more would have fit in the small jar.

I tried to pour the nugs out on the tray but they were literally suck inside the jar. The mildly sticky buds had to be extracted from the jar one by one. The nugs ranged from dark green to purple and were somewhat leafy on the outside, and dense at the core. The aroma of the nugs was rather mellow and leaned towards a sweet, fruity smell that really increased once I cut up the first nug.

The cure of these nugs was nearly perfect, and I attribute that to the fact that Hemp Living USA puts a Boveda Humidity Pack in every jar. Not only was the herb packaged just a few months earlier, but the 62% humidity pack kept the herb in that sweet spot until I unsealed the jar. I wish more cannabis companies would package their herb with a humidity pack!

The Effects

It took a good ten minutes for the effects to creep in on me. The first thing I noticed was that familiar CBD body comfort. Then I noticed my eyes felt more alert. The few hits I’d had so far – I had taken about four hits by now – were adding a “spark”, a lift to both my spirits and my energy level, without causing that jittery rush that Sativas can sometimes hit me with.

Soon the marijuana body fuzzies crept in and my eyes got a bit lidded, but I’d taken a few more hits by this time. The body comfort had come in pretty strong by this point, and I rode the buzz for a good couple of hours.

The energetic but mild effects make this a perfect morning smoke in my opinion, and it could easily become an all-day smoker if I’m not careful!

The Entourage Effect

One of the things that I look for in a CBD bud is it’s ability to mix well with THC bud. I love to create a half and half blend so I can experience the benefits of the entourage effect. The entourage effect, as you may know, is when all the different components of the herb are blended together so they enhance and compliment each other. Many people experience the full-spectrum high of the entourage effect by blending cannabis flowers with hemp flowers.

I definitely want a full-spectrum high! I have ever since I had my first THC/CBD mix. The high seemed so much fuller… larger… more complex than just smoking THC bud by itself. I didn’t even know what I was missing before I made my first mix.

But I must note – I have noticed over the last few months that not all the CBD bud I’ve tried so far blends well with other strains. Hawaiian Haze though, I’m happy to report, is a strain that plays well with others! I tried it with several different THC strains with great results…

I mixed it with some Skywalker OG that had a heavy Indica stone, and created a well-balanced blend. I tried it also with some delicious Purple Punch, and created a sweet hybrid mix that left me feeling rather creative and ready to do some writing. I even mixed it with a strong Sativa I had on hand, some Mimosa that tested at 35% THC, and surprisingly the Hawaiian Haze smoothed out the caffeinated-feeling jitters the Mimosa had given me every time I smoked it.

The Wrap Up

What a pleasant, light smoke! If you want a mild high that is energetic and upbeat, with the added body comfort that CBD provides, then this one would probably work for you. I would definitely put this on my list of strains I would buy again. So far, this is the second strain I’ve tried from Hemp Living USA, and I’ve been very impressed by the freshness of their herb – I will be sure to try more of their herb in the future…

I picked up the jar we reviewed at Next Level Vaping & CBD in Yucca Valley. They are a really cool shop that is starting to bring hemp flowers to the hi-desert! If you’re in the area, and need vape or CBD supplies, check them out!

Thank you for joining me this week here at the Red Bench. We are wrapping up our first season of reviews next week, so join us then for another Red Bench Review!

Until later, best of health.

The Lowdown