East Coast Sour Diesel is a sativa-leaning hybrid that rivals some of the U.S. West Coast’s best cannabis strains. This bud is derived from the uber-popular Sour Diesel and has a pungent aroma to match high-flying mental effects. East Coast Sour Diesel has a THC content that has been measured at between 15% and 25%.

East Coast Sour Diesel (or ECSD for short) expresses large and well-formed flowers. These buds maintain a conical shape, tapering down from a broad base into a pointed tip. They also have the dense internal structure mostly associated with indicas, with a core composed of tightly-coiled leaves. The leaves themselves are a dark shade of forest green and are set off by yellow and orange pistils as well as a thick covering of sticky, crystalline trichomes.

Flowers of ECSD carry the strong, stinging aroma of gasoline, passed on their famous parent strain Sour Diesel. A deeper whiff, meanwhile, might pick up on some sharp citrus and berry scents mixed in. Grinding up these buds gives off an earthy scent, redolent of dried wood and leaves; combusting them gives off a thick and intense smoke that can cause coughing or watery eyes. On the exhale, this smoke tastes both fruity and sour.

ECSD begins to unleash its strong head buzz just minutes after its heavy smoke is ingested. Fairly quickly, users may experience some slight throbbing around the temples and lower forehead. Strange sensations like flushing in the cheeks or an increase in salivation may also happen. Once these initial tics subside, smokers tend to find themselves immersed in an elevated mental state, with thoughts moving more quickly and seeming to take on new importance or intensity; some may even be struck by a kind of spontaneous free association that causes their ideas to bounce around in unexpected ways. This sort of cerebral stimulation can help the user accomplish work on complicated analytical tasks. It can also lift the usual inhibitions on creativity, facilitating freewheeling projects like brainstorming.

Even as ECSD’s high wears on, its mental energy stays strong. Although some might experienced increased physical relaxation, these bodily effects are typically enough to slow smokers down or cause them to lose mental focus. Consumers who are feeling energetic and productive may even be compelled to burn off its buzzy effects with exercise -- or, with the right mood and company, with sex. Because of its thoughtfulness and upbeat vibes, ECSD can even spark giddy conversation and camaraderie when shared in social situations. Because of its mostly activated, tuned-in effects, this hybrid is recommended for consumption during the daytime (or even morning, for those with a high enough THC tolerance). If toked before bed, ECSD is likely to keep users awake and wired.

ECSD’s titillating properties can have several uses for medical cannabis patients as well. Its cerebral mood may encourage long-term focus for those with attention deficit disorders. The strain’s euphoria may also temporarily counteract symptoms of mild to moderate stress and depression. Physically speaking, ECSD’s anti-inflammatory effects can relieve minor pains like headaches and cramps. Its tendency to induce the munchies may even work as an appetite enhancement for patients who have lost their hunger due to digestive problems or to treatments like chemotherapy. Because it can bring about paranoid, obsessive thinking in the wrong set and setting, ECSD is not recommended for those who are inexperienced with THC or who are prone to panic.

Luckily for home growers, a few online retailers have made seeds of ECSD available for sale online. Once obtained, plants can be cultivated indoors or out, although outdoor success depends on a semi-humid climate with temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Crops can grow rather tall and branchy and indoor gardeners may need to occasionally contain their height with regular trimming. ECSD flowers within a relatively long 10 to 11 weeks but rewards patient growers with a high yield of product.