There are a couple major things to consider before writing a strain review.

The first and definitely most important is: "Will I get thrown in jail for doing this?" Realize that cannabis is a scheduled substance in most parts of the world and you might get in trouble for writing about smoking it. Unless you have a medicinal card or live in Holland (lucky bastards), please take steps to protect yourself. Note that we do discourage people from doing these unless they can do so legally.

The second question is, "Is what I'm smoking actually what I'm writing about smoking?" If you get your smokeables from other people, chances are that you're not smoking what you think you are. Try to ensure the validity of your source.

The third question is, "Is this strain really worth reviewing?" Everyone has smoked Kush at least once, it doesn't really need a review.

If you said "No" to the first and "Yes" to the other two, it's time to write your story! Take the following steps:

1. Photograph the materials before smoking it. If you haven't done any macro photography, email Andi, our photo editor ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) for some tips.
2. Note the piece from which you smoke and make sure it's clean. You can roll, but it's harder to provide accurate descriptions of the taste when you have an added paper flavour. If at all possible, vapourize. It's healthier, uses less, and you get a far more accurate idea of the flavour from it.
3. Note the texture, feel, colour, visible trichomes, and whether it's a sativa or indica. A sativa is more a euphoric head-high whereas an indica tends to give couch-lock and is good for relaxation. They look different; if you can't tell them apart, consult Google.
4. When smoking, note the taste and try to describe it as accurate as you can. How does it feel in your lungs? Does it make you cough really badly? What sort of taste does it leave in your mouth after exhaling?
5. Try to describe the sensation as well as you can. Did it make you energetic? Outward-feeling? Emotional? Calm? Describing it in relation to sativa and indica tendencies is a good start.

It helps to write this down as you smoke it and it helps even more to have a good scorecard you regularly use to have some sort of standardized system of comparison.

http://www.treatingyourself.com/dhtml/download.php?issue=/pdf/issue11part2.pdf -- This is Treating Yourself, an excellent Canadian medicinal cannabis magazine. Download the PDF (the link is below all the banner ads) and go to strain review section, starting on page 121. While you probably don't need the level of sophistication inherent in their reviews, strive for some of that level of technicality. Also realize while the information on the scorecards is useful, the skill in this endeavour lies in taking all that information and condensing it into a well-written review.

For strain reviews, aim for 300-400 words. Take a tone similar to what one would use when comparing scotch or fine wines. If you review hash, try to get as much information about it as possible so you're not just reviewing a brown lump.

I'm the section editor for the Cannabis section of Hotbox Magazine. If you have any questions whatsoever, feel free to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it them and I'll try to get back to you within a day.

-jj.

       

Written by :

Janus Jones