Aliens on Moonshine is an indica-heavy hybrid that offers soothing and medically useful effects thanks to high levels of CBD. Created by Las Vegas-based Sin City Seeds, this strain is a cross between Sour Alien and resinous White Moonshine. What results is a thorough body high alongside a rich, multidimensional flavor profile. Aliens on Moonshine typically has low, single-digit levels of THC but much higher concentrations of CBD.

Flowers of Aliens on Moonshine are out of this world -- they tend to be larger than average and have an elongated, almost cylindrical shape. The internal structure of these buds hews more indica, with a solid core and small, broad leaves. These leaves themselves are a mottled mix of spring green and pale lavender, with the latter hues emerging thanks to pigments called anthocyanins. Finally, curly orange pistils and snowy white trichomes add even more visual interest to these already-colorful flowers.

When properly cured, Aliens on Moonshine gives off a fruity tang with distinct notes of citrus. A closer whiff may also pick up on some musky, pine-like scents. Grinding up these thick buds, meanwhile, yields more of an astringent ammonia scent. When combusted in a pipe or a joint, Aliens on Moonshine burns with a smooth and refreshing smoke that’s easy to inhale. On the exhale, this smoke leaves behind a sweet and slightly chemical taste.

Because of its high concentrations of CBD, Aliens on Moonshine may not provide the same kind of high that frequent cannabis consumers have come to expect. Instead, after about 10 to 15 minutes, the strain may exert a subtle pressure around the cheekbones and temples as well some flushing in the cheeks. Once accustomed to these sensations, users might feel some palpable physical relaxation; tense muscles may begin to relax at the same time that airways open up for deep, restorative breathing. While smokers might not feel stoned or mentally altered in the traditional sense, this bud’s holistic relaxation can temporarily suspend anxieties and troubling thoughts, helping them to spend their time more consciously and intentionally. In certain circumstances, Aliens on Moonshine may even lift a consumer’s cognitive inhibitions, allowing for the kind of creative thinking that leads to brainstorming and artistic inspiration.

As time passes, the embodied effects of Aliens on Moonshine may become even more intense. The strain’s earlier tingle of relaxation can progress into a kind of numbing, disconnected sensation that renders any physical activity difficult, if not impossible. Thanks to this strain’s very limited psychoactivity, though, consumers can maintain a lucid, sober state of mind and execute all kinds of complicated, detailed tasks -- as long as they don’t require moving around too much. Because of its mostly sedative, downbeat properties, Aliens on Moonshine is recommended for evening or nighttime consumption, when it can be fully appreciated.

Thanks to its high CBD content, Aliens on Moonshine may be more useful as a medical strain than as a recreational one. For one, the hybrid’s evened-out mood can temporarily diminish the symptoms of stress, depression, anxiety, and even PTSD. Its deep body stone can also relieve aches and pains, whether they’re temporary, as due to injury, or chronic, as due to conditions like arthritis or fibromyalgia. Anti-inflammatory properties, meanwhile, may soothe irritations like cramps and headaches. Thanks to its lower THC levels, Aliens on Moonshine can be an especially good choice for patients who don’t want to (or can’t) get “high”; the strain’s low risk of paranoia may also appeal to those who are prone to panic.

Unfortunately for home growers, Sin City has not made seeds of Aliens on Moonshine available for sale online. Instead, those looking to cultivate their own should seek out mature plants of the strain and take clippings; these clippings can be fostered as “clones.” Aliens on Moonshine can be grown either indoors or out, with outdoor success depending on a semi-humid, Mediterranean-like climate. Judging by this strain’s indica-inflected flowers, its plants grow short and bushy with strong, sideways-growing branches. Gardeners looking to bring out this variety’s purple hues should activate its anthocyanins by exposing their crops to cold nighttime temperatures, right before flowering begins. Aliens on Moonshine reaches its flowering stage within about 8 to 9 weeks.

Although somewhat difficult to come by, Aliens on Moonshine is a godsend for those seeking stress relief and pain killing effects.