Illinois News Joint

APRIL 1, 2024

Every time I pull up dispensary menus, another craft producer seems to finally come online. The entire bud was highlighted with a dense trichome frost. LNJ photos FDA Disclaimer: The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Indica

Veriheal

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

Trichome Coverage. When giving cannabis a visual, be sure to look for trichome presence before you buy it. Heavy trichome production is almost always a good sign of quality cannabis. If you have good trichome coverage and the bud is sticky, chances are you have found a good strain. How to Spot Good Cannabis Concentrates

Trichome

Illinois News Joint

NOVEMBER 11, 2023

I recently spotted WEPA at the label’s flagship Star Buds Burbank dispensary and stopped in to pick up a sample. FDA Disclaimer: The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Take Kaviar for example. Every time I check the menu, I see new Kaviar strains.

Indica

Illinois News Joint

APRIL 23, 2023

I enjoy going to different cannabis dispensaries, seeing the layouts, and talking (more like gossiping) to my fellow Budtenders. At first look the buds had an army green, with the trichomes and pistils giving it that “camouflage look.” I headed up to EarthMed Addison to pick up my Influencer Box.

Hybrid

The Cannigma

OCTOBER 20, 2022

If your local dispensary doesn’t carry any products that include the terpene profile, request the testing results. Notice the aromas in your foods. What foods smell enticing, and which ones don’t? The Trichome Institute , Golden Apple , and Abstrax Tech all sell terpene tasting kits. Keep a consumption journal.

Terpenes

Illinois News Joint

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

Gas Station Sushi by Cresco has already made a name for itself on dispensary menus, but now it’s time to put it head-to-head with the rest of the competitors. The trim was close and left a rounded bud and an exposed milky and sparkling trichome layer. ILNJ photo To learn more about cannabis-friendly events in Illinois, visit here.

Sativa

Illinois News Joint

AUGUST 13, 2023

While I may complain about a lack of infused baked goods at Illinois dispensaries, there’s no shortage of strains named after baked goods. ILNJ photo Small rounded olive-green popcorn-sized buds were covered with a milky trichome frost. I recently stopped in at Star Buds Burbank where Kaviar had recently added Biscotti to its lineup.

Indica

Illinois News Joint

AUGUST 26, 2023

When Cookies finally brought its label to Illinois dispensaries, the brand obviously chose some of its most popular strains for the job. Bright-lime green with large-dense patches of rust-colored hairs, these flowers carried a trichome frost that was solidly milky throughout. 2090 is a hybrid cross of The Snowman and Y Life.

Trichome

Illinois News Joint

MAY 27, 2023

Not too long ago, cake-dominant strains flooded dispensary menus, and I actually complained about the abundance of doughy varieties. While some remnants of sugar leaf were present, the entire bud was covered in a light, milky-colored trichome frost. To learn more about cannabis-friendly events in Illinois, visit here.

Trichome

Illinois News Joint

APRIL 21, 2023

Sunnyside dispensaries are continuing their 420 Collection deals until April 30, so I picked up from Sunnyside Champaign an eighth of Face Mints. Multiple shades of green hid beneath bunches of fire orange hairs and a milky sparkling trichome frost. Though 4/20 may have passed, some holiday-inspired deals are still available.

Indica

Illinois News Joint

JUNE 15, 2023

Bright green with an abundance of fire orange hairs crisscrossing the buds, there were some sugar leaf remnants near the base and a sparkling trichome frost that was just turning milky. The combination of open headspace and tingling euphoria made for a true sativa experience, something I often have difficulty finding in dispensaries.

Sativa

Illinois News Joint

MAY 4, 2024

I recently picked up an eighth to review at Stash Dispensary in Orland Hills. ILNJ photos Fluffy with a delicate hand trim that preserved some of the delicate sugar leaf, these four large-popcorn buds carried pink and purple tones over a bright turf green and a dense milky trichome frost brightening the entire appearance.

Hybrid

Illinois News Joint

SEPTEMBER 2, 2023

I’m always looking for new strain names when I’m at the dispensary. ILNJ photos Two sharply trimmed Christmas-tree-shaped cola tops and a few popcorn-style buds, with the same tight trim work, carried a bright-milky trichome layer and fiery-orange hairs on top of a turf-green base. For more Illinois cannabis industry news, visit here.

Strains

Illinois News Joint

APRIL 26, 2023

One of the things I miss most about working behind the counter at a dispensary is the opportunity to find out what others enjoy. Clumps of rust colored hairs mingled with the creamy amber trichome frost that brought some additional color to the flowers. Recently, I had the chance to try a sample of this strain from Rythm.

Indica

Illinois News Joint

MARCH 19, 2023

ILNJ photo Presenting as a few large cola tips, alongside a couple less than popcorn-sized flowers making up the weight difference, White Cherry Wedding Cake treated me to some of the largest flowers I’ve gotten out of an Illinois dispensary eighth in quite some time. To learn more about cannabis-friendly events in Illinois, visit here.

Strains

Illinois News Joint

AUGUST 2, 2023

I still get excited when I spot new cultivars on dispensary menus. Deep-royal purple and varying shades of bright green shone under a thick visibly milky trichome frost. FDA Disclaimer: The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Strains

Illinois News Joint

MARCH 21, 2023

It is the nature of the dispensary menu. The larger flowers were nicely trimmed with a sparkling trichome frost, but the smaller buds had a bit more sugar leaf left over. FDA Disclaimer: The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Strains come, strains go.

Trichome

Illinois News Joint

MARCH 8, 2023

As it becomes easier to find fruity, doughy, and candied flavors on dispensary menus, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find skunky, cheesy, or “chemy” strains. ILNJ photos FDA Disclaimer: The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Hybrid

Illinois News Joint

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Unlike most people who live in central and southern Illinois, I have access to nearly a dozen dispensaries within an 80-mile radius. Powdered in creamy trichomes, the buds were forest and dark green with thin rusty pistils blended in. This review is for the strain Jupiter. Jupiter is a hybrid cross of Chem 4 and Goliath.

Hybrid

Illinois News Joint

APRIL 16, 2023

As part of the 420 celebrations, Sunnyside dispensaries in Illinois are offering for a limited time discounted Cresco products via The 420 Collection. ILNJ photos Slurricrasher definitely had bag appeal with dark purple buds highlighting the green and heavily cream-color trichomes. For more Illinois cannabis industry news, visit here.

Hybrid

Illinois News Joint

MARCH 21, 2023

In the second year, several half ounces and eventually ounces of popcorn buds appeared on dispensary menus. Chunky and turf green with a smattering of orange hairs, these flowers had some left over sugar leaves shrouding the glittering trichomes below. ILNJ photo These were the biggest buds I’ve seen in a container since legalization.

Sativa

Illinois News Joint

APRIL 29, 2023

But despite my extensive exposure to all things unicorn poop, I was still surprised when I saw the term on a dispensary menu. The trichomes were milky white and concentrated at the places where sugar leaves once grew. It seems to be everywhere these days, from toys and candy to video games and YouTube videos.

Strains

Kind Meds (Cannabis Education Blog)

FEBRUARY 28, 2020

It’s possible you may encounter a more Indica-dominant phenotype, but the Sativa-dominant is the one most often found in dispensaries. Blue Dream has bright amber/orange hairs surrounding the loose bud and sticky, white trichomes covering the leaves. Are you looking for a reliable dispensary in Mesa, Arizona?

Indica

Illinois News Joint

JUNE 12, 2024

While I complain about dispensary-menu strain names looking more like bakeries than weed shops, I still enjoy a few dessert-moniker strains. The trichome frost glittered in the light, having just started to transition from clear to milky. Flan is an indica-leaning hybrid cross of Dosidos and Mochi. This batch of flower tested at 0.7%

Indica

Illinois News Joint

JULY 12, 2025

16, we’ve published a Know Your Brand feature on Sol Canna and a reviewed one of three strains, Wedding Fritter , I picked up from The Dispensary Champaign. ILNJ photo This eighth came as a one large cola and several thumb-sized buds covered in milky trichomes. For the second strain, I reviewed Triangle Irene.

Hybrid

Illinois News Joint

JUNE 9, 2025

I recently stopped at Emerald Dispensary and picked up the new-to-me Washington Apple from Island. The trichome layer was easily visible with the naked eye. Right at the transition point from clear to milky, the trichomes sparkled when held to the light. Washington Apple is an indica-leaning hybrid cross of Pez and Ortega.

Trichome

Illinois News Joint

JANUARY 8, 2025

Id been searching for the strain at Illinois dispensaries ever since. Luckily for me, Oregonix label, Northern Heights , recently dropped Bacio Belts, a descendant of the aforementioned Gelato, so I picked up an eighth from Emerald Dispensary and Lounge to review. The trichomes were all solidly milky.

Trichome

Illinois News Joint

SEPTEMBER 13, 2023

That’s why I take a particular interest anytime I find his namesake strain on a dispensary menu. A bright, uniform turf-green undertone was dotted with thick fire-orange hairs and a sparkling trichome presence that was fully milky without any visible amber trichomes. ILNJ photos This gram was a single, large-pointed cola tip.

Sativa

The Cannigma

JUNE 16, 2021

Tennessee Harvester stated that the process entails using USDA-certified organic food-grade processing aids, as opposed to the industry standard that centers on the use of alkanes in the production of CBD isolates. It should be noted that other companies do make CBD products that use organic oil as their base.

CBD

Illinois News Joint

DECEMBER 14, 2024

While the list of savory strains available at Illinois dispensaries has continued to grow, candy and fruit heavy options still outnumber them by a heavy margin. I recently stopped at Emerald Dispensary and Lounge in Island Lake and picked up an eighth of Garlic Breath 2.0 to satisfy consumers looking for heavier options.

Trichome

Illinois News Joint

JANUARY 24, 2025

One of the newest labels in dispensaries is Flora Arbor flagship label, Flora. A dense coat of outreaching milky trichomes gave the flowers a silvery appearance in direct light. ILNJ photo FDA Disclaimer: The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Hybrid

Illinois News Joint

JANUARY 1, 2025

I recently stopped at Emerald Lounge and Dispensary in Island Lake where the staff introduced me to Animal Style, a new sativa-leaning release from Northern Heights. Each bud was brightened by a thick, solidly milky-trichome frost. As a fan of energetic strains, I always get excited when I see brands dropping sativas.

Sativa

Illinois News Joint

JANUARY 20, 2025

I recently picked up a few strains from the label at Emerald Dispensary and Lounge , including XXX. ILNJ photo Four turf-green buds with dark-purple sugar-leaf lowlights carried tucked-in bunches of thick fire-orange hairs and a milky trichome presence that served to lighten the entire color profile.

Strains

Illinois News Joint

SEPTEMBER 8, 2024

I recently picked up to review an eighth of Tropicana Punch from Parkway Dispensary in Tilton. The trichomes were all a solid milky white, brightening the entire flower when held to light. ILNJ photo FDA Disclaimer: The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Hybrid

Illinois News Joint

JANUARY 6, 2025

Cannect recently announced a huge list of upcoming releases, so I stopped into Emerald Dispensary and Lounge and picked up a popcorn quarter of Pink Runtz to review. Small bunched-orange hairs and a trichome layer that was right in the middle of the milky to amber transition added some highlights.

Trichome

Illinois News Joint

DECEMBER 12, 2024

I recently stopped at Emerald Lounge and Dispensary to pick up several strains from the labels latest grow, starting with Garlic Crasher. The trichomes were visible to the naked eye and had just started to transition from milky to amber, darkening the entire buds appearance. For more information on News Joint Bar Service, visit here.

Trichome

Illinois News Joint

SEPTEMBER 27, 2024

I recently stopped at Parkway Dispensary in Tilton and picked up an eighth to review. A dotting of solidly milky trichome heads was supported by the bases of trimmed sugar leaves and a network of thick fire orange hairs wrapping around each bud. NF-1 is an indica-leaning hybrid cross of Northern Lights and Chemdawg.

Trichome