Illinois News Joint

MARCH 27, 2025

Once a strain becomes recognizable by an acronym, it has garnered a following. The latest cut to join this illustrious group has been LCG, Lemon Cherry Gelato, and cultivators have started bringing the hyped strain to Illinois. ILNJ photo For more Illinois cannabis industry news, subscribe to Illinois News Joints newsletter here.

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Terpenes Strains Concentrates Packaging 69

Illinois News Joint

MARCH 13, 2025

Im a sucker for a great strain name. This strong sense of clarity pulled me into the moment, boosting my productivity without pushing my energy levels higher. ILNJ photo For more Illinois cannabis industry news, subscribe to Illinois News Joints newsletter here. For Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here.

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Trichome Hybrid Terpenes Strains 72

Illinois News Joint

APRIL 17, 2025

I became tired of doughy strains when cookie and pie strains were first making their mark on menus. ILNJ pjhoto For more Illinois cannabis industry news, subscribe to Illinois News Joints newsletter here. For Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here. For more information on News Joint Bar Service, visit here.

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Trichome Strains Indica Hybrid 69

Illinois News Joint

OCTOBER 11, 2024

Realeaf Botanicals has joined the fray, releasing infused prerolls as one of the brand’s debut products. The Fyre Hybrid Infused Preroll is made from a blend of strains and infused with distillate. ILNJ photo For more Illinois cannabis industry news, subscribe to Illinois News Joint’s newsletter here.

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Hybrid Strains Events Oil 59

Cannabis Cheri

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

In contrast to the marijuana industry — one of the most highly regulated in the world — the CBD industry can be compared to the Wild West with too few rules and regulations on its production and not enough manpower to enforce the ones that do exist. It’s not easy for consumers to weed out the bad products. Actually, no, they are not.

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Hemp CBD Oil Terpenes 189

Illinois News Joint

DECEMBER 3, 2024

While I love sampling the never-ending list of new genetics hitting shelves, I also love revisiting strains I’ve sampled before, especially when it’s a different format. Cannabis is wildly variant, and different characteristics are revealed by each product category. For Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here.

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Vaping Hybrid Sativa Strains 111

Illinois News Joint

DECEMBER 31, 2023

While I’ve been reviewing cannabis products on and off for more than 3 years, 2023 was the true Year One for me, the first year I took my reviewing “full time.” Favorite Flower Flower dominated my reviews, representing almost a third of all the products I sampled this year. For more Illinois cannabis industry news, visit here.

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Concentrates Vaping Strains Edibles 111

Illinois News Joint

MARCH 4, 2024

After a short break, I’m back with News Joint Grow Journal 7.0. For my 50 th entry, I grew four more Work Sativa strains, including Maracuya by Homegrown Cannabis Co. The aroma fit the strains namesake with a similar passion-fruit aroma throughout, switching from tart citrus, tangy lemon, grapefruit, and other sour tropical fruit.

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Sativa Strains Cannabis Events 105

Illinois News Joint

MAY 1, 2025

The energy and clarity were exactly what I look for when defining work sativa strains. ILNJ photo For more Illinois cannabis industry news, subscribe to Illinois News Joints newsletter here. For Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here. For more information on News Joint Bar Service, visit here.

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Edibles Sativa Cannabinoids Sleep 64

Illinois News Joint

MARCH 18, 2024

Back with another strain from News Joint Grow Journal 7.0. For entry 51, I grew Super Lemon Pupil by Mass Medical Strains. As with many haze strains, the mental focus was there at low doses, but at high doses, my thoughts wandered, and at times I became distracted. For more Illinois cannabis industry news, visit here.

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Strains Sativa Banking Events 111

Illinois News Joint

MAY 16, 2024

One of my least favorite strains is Purple Punch. Ironically, though, I usually enjoy purple punch crosses, so for this News Joint Grow Journal 7.0 cycle, I decided to pop Black Cherry Punch by 34 Mongrels as my one nighttime strain. Stay tuned for more entries from News Joint Grow Journal.

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Illinois News Joint

APRIL 29, 2025

Old standby strains always grab my attention when spotted on a menu. Kaviar GMO Rootbeer instantly stood out by blending the old with something new. ILNJ photos For more Illinois cannabis industry news, subscribe to Illinois News Joints newsletter here. For Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here.

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Trichome Hash Hybrid Strains 60

Illinois News Joint

JUNE 13, 2024

One nice aspect about the Dabstract partnership with Bedford Grow is that Illinois consumers are already familiar with the strains. I’ve sampled Chunk Dawg in just about every format and was pleased to see Dabstract release the strain as part of its first batch of vape carts. For more Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here.

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Vaping Indica Hybrid Terpenes 105

Illinois News Joint

JULY 20, 2024

One of the easiest ways to prevent other growers from jumping on to your brand’s custom-crossed strains is to literally brand the cultivar with your name. I recently found the strain as a liquid live resin cart at Sunnyside Champaign. For more Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here. Individual experiences can be varied.

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Vaping Indica Strains Hybrid 105

Illinois News Joint

APRIL 23, 2025

We talk a lot about the ever-increasing variety of strains on the market, but one unexpected aspect consumers face is the long list of options for vape hardware. I recently crossed paths with a new-to-me format when I picked up a Crystal Clear Marmas Bar Watermelon Disposable Vape to review. For Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here.

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Vaping Terpenes Strains Events 63

Illinois News Joint

MARCH 14, 2023

“This project has been a long time coming, and we look forward to offering our customers a safe space where they can purchase the highest-quality Illinois cannabis strains and products.” Terrabis has five existing dispensary locations and a product manufacturing facility headquartered in Missouri.

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Dispensary Retail Consumption Strains 119

Illinois News Joint

JANUARY 7, 2023

I’ve said before that classic strains are classic for a reason, and when multiple legendary strains are crossed, I have to explore the results. For more Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here. For more Illinois cannabis industry news, visit here. Sometimes, genetics are what grab me. Individual experiences can be varied.

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Indica Hybrid Terpenes Strains 119

Illinois News Joint

SEPTEMBER 3, 2024

London Pound Cake has been a personal favorite since I first sampled the strain years ago. News Joint Events is set to host BLOOM as one of the more than two-dozen craft brands offering samples at the Illinois Craft Showcase from 12-7 p.m. For more Illinois cannabis industry news, subscribe to Illinois News Joint’s newsletter here.

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Vaping Terpenes Indica Strains 105

Illinois News Joint

JANUARY 29, 2024

I’ve sampled a few “standard bearer” strains across multiple producers, states, and markets. Lumpy’s Apple Fritter is one of those strains. I recently spotted the strain on the menu at nuEra Urbana from Interstate 420 , so I picked up an eighth to review. For more Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here.

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Hybrid Strains Terpenes Events 111

Illinois News Joint

SEPTEMBER 10, 2023

As a reviewer, I want to sample as many Illinois products and brands as possible, and this year’s High Times Sativa Flower Cannabis Cup Kit included 16 labels, a few of which I had not yet tried. Seed & Strain from Columbia Care had been one of those brands that had eluded me, until now. Individual experiences can be varied.

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Illinois News Joint

MARCH 12, 2024

The team behind the label has recently expanded on the idea by collaborating with bands to bring custom strains to market. The second release from this Rythm Artist Series , the strain Outta My Head, is in collaboration with pop punk group State Champs. For more Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here.

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Indica Strains Hybrid Events 105

Veriheal

MAY 16, 2025

consumers and businesses, inflation dominates current news headlines because of how much it affects every one of our wallets. For many consumers, if it means cheaper weed, then they dont mind meeting up with the plug in the Pizza Hut parking lot or grabbing some type of legal D8 or THCA product at a local smoke shop or online.

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Supply Chain Compliance Compliance Dispensary 83

Illinois News Joint

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Galaxy Labs has been continuously adding strains to the brand’s profile since it came to market. Recently, at the Illinois Craft Showcase, the label had more than five new strains fresh out of R&D testing. I picked up one of those new strains, Guava Bars, to review. For Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here.

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Hybrid Strains Trichome Sativa 97

Illinois News Joint

JANUARY 3, 2025

a unique opportunity to taste and explore new products from a variety of local craft growers. In addition to sampling exquisite strains, attendees can meet and support local vendors and businesses that are passionate about the craft cannabis community. For Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here.

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Events Edibles Collective Vaping 111

Illinois News Joint

JUNE 18, 2023

Pistil Data recently releases its market reports on the covering the top cannabis brands, products, and trends in every major cannabis category including vape, flower, edibles, and more. Every day, Pistil analyzes more than 95% of retail store menus—tracking every product, price, and promotion across every legal state.

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Illinois News Joint

SEPTEMBER 2, 2023

While it’s great to develop a list of tried and true strains that work for you, the real adventure of modern cannabis is constantly sampling new genetics that may provide new flavors and experiences. I’m always looking for new strain names when I’m at the dispensary. Individual experiences can be varied.

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Strains Research and Development Trichome Hybrid 105

Illinois News Joint

JANUARY 16, 2024

While Super Boof has been around for a while now, 2023 was the real breakout year for the funny-named strain. Northern Heights by Oregonix included the cut as part of the labels first strain drops, and it immediately grabbed my attention. For more Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here.

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Indica Strains Trichome Hybrid 116

Illinois News Joint

JULY 27, 2024

During my last Grow Journal entry for News Joint Grow Journal , I delved into my recent run of the original cut of Bruce Banner (a cross of OG Kush and Strawberry Diesel) by Dark Horse Genetics. ILNJ photo For more Illinois cannabis industry news, subscribe to Illinois News Joint’s newsletter here.

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Trichome Hash Strains Hybrid 98

Illinois News Joint

MAY 15, 2024

Despite reviewing more than 500 products, a great strain name still catches my eye. Cresco’s Blu Bomb Pop strain recently grabbed my attention when I spotted it on Sunnyside Champaign’s menu. For more Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here. For more Illinois cannabis industry news, visit here.

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Hybrid Indica Trichome Strains 105

Illinois News Joint

JUNE 3, 2024

Paul Bunyan is appealing to these customers with the label’s new one-gram Hybrid Kief offering. Paul Bunyan Hybrid Kief is a one-gram blended strain kief that tested at 1.3%THC, Mixed into a bowl or joint though, the kief flavor receded into the background, matting the other product as the star.

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Illinois News Joint

FEBRUARY 8, 2024

Thompson to David Foster Wallace, Acapulco Gold is undoubtedly a legendary well-known strain. Acapulco Gold is a sativa-leaning hybrid strain. Overall, this was a flavorful run and a solid picture of old school sativa genetics that hit the mark and left me looking forward to sampling more of this strain across the nuEra catalog.

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Sativa Strains Trichome Concentrates 105

Illinois News Joint

SEPTEMBER 12, 2023

I wanted to see how this switch had changed one of nuEra’s flagship products, so I headed over to nuEra Champaign and picked up an Oh Snap! I enjoyed the strain most at the end of the day where the heavy body release worked to help me let go of the day’s accumulated pain. For more Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here.

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Hash Strains Hybrid Terpenes 111

Illinois News Joint

MAY 15, 2023

In the ever-evolving world of cannabis, it’s hard to ignore the magnetic pull of hype strains. One strain commanding attention across the industry is Jealousy, crowned as Strain of the Year in 2022. For more Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here. For more Illinois cannabis industry news, visit here.

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Illinois News Joint

OCTOBER 15, 2023

In the pre-legalization days, the High Times Cannabis Cup was a way for breeders to highlight their newest, most exciting strains. While the Cup has changed dramatically from those days, a tiny bit of that spirit lives on as some cultivators submit their new “headline cultivars” for consideration.

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Strains Hybrid Sativa Terpenes 105

Illinois News Joint

MAY 13, 2023

A family-owned and operated cannabis company and one of the original licensed operators in Illinois, nuEra’s acquisition coincides with the re-launch of the nuEra premium-product line featuring new flower strains, such as Cobra Milk, Fire Berries, and The Glove, as well as improved versions of popular strains such as Don Shula and Jungle Cake.

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Cultivation Strains Retail Packaging 98

Illinois News Joint

APRIL 19, 2023

After reviewing hundreds of strains in the last 40 months, I’d like to think I have a pretty good sense of how a strain’s flavor and effects will turn out if I have previously sampled its parent strains. Cap N’ Kush by Rythm was one of those strains. Cap N’ Kush by Rythm was one of those strains.

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Hybrid Strains Terpenes Indica 98

Illinois News Joint

JUNE 22, 2023

I’m obsessed with strain names and have asked several breeders about their process for naming strains , so when I notice new and interesting names, my first instinct is to ask, “Does the name fit the strain?”. In the case of Manzano, one of Revolutions Cannabis’ many new drops, the name was a perfect match.

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