Emerald Jack is a sativa-leaning hybrid. It was created by Emerald Triangle Seeds, a breeding company named for Northern California’s notoriously fertile and cannabis-friendly Humboldt County. Enduring favorite Jack Herer lends this strain not only its name but also its strong herbal and citrus flavor profile. Emerald Jack’s other parent strain is the sleepy Emerald OG. With a refreshing flavor and a long-lasting, buzzy high, this is a go-to daytime sativa. Its THC content ranges from 15% to 20%.

Emerald Jack’s flowers are small and round, with a shape reminiscent of popcorn. The buds adhere in a tight, dense structure more typical of indicas than sativas. True to the strain’s name, Emerald Jack’s leaves are a vibrant emerald green, with rust-colored pistils -- although a thick film of trichomes may lend some buds a dusty, muted color. This sticky strain may be difficult to break up without the use of a grinder. Sampling Emerald Jack’s scent puts it bag appeal front and center. When properly cured, the terpene-rich flowers give off the woodsy aroma of pine and cedar. Some hints of sharp lemon zest are present as well. Breaking open or grinding up the buds shows off some of this strain’s funkier odors, evidence of its Kush lineage. When combusted, Emerald Jack gives off a smooth smoke that tastes simultaneously herbal and skunky on the exhale.

Somewhat unusually for a sativa, Emerald Jack may take several minutes to show its full effects. Users will eventually detect a change in their patterns of thinking -- ideas may jump from one to the next in free association. Users may also feel that their thoughts or surroundings take on a new sense of intensity. These increased cerebral effects are often accompanied by feelings of emotional well-being and even euphoria. As such, Emerald Jack is a great strain to inspire work on creative projects. It can also provide the energy and motivation needed to take on a busy day’s tasks. The high comes with few discernible physical effects and will likely not trap users in a state of couchlock. Emerald Jack is the opposite of a bedtime strain, and may leave smokers feeling wired if they partake too late at night.

Emerald Jack’s acute mental effects have some benefit for medical cannabis patients. Because it allows users to maintain a clear sense of focus, it can help those with attention deficit disorders. Its inspiring and mood-altering character can also help users dealing with mild to moderate stress or depression. Physically speaking, Emerald Jack can be a powerful appetite stimulant. It may also ease the severity of headaches and migraines. Because of its the initial “mindrace” and recursive that come with this strain’s high, it is not recommended for those prone to anxiety or paranoia.

Seeds of Emerald Jack are available for purchase online. Alternatively, prospective growers can obtain small clippings from healthy, mature plants of the strain in order to grow genetically identical clones. Emerald Jack can be grown indoors or out. Its relatively lanky plants may thrive outdoors, but they require warm, semi-humid climates with consistent daytime temperatures between 72 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If nurturing this strain indoors, growers will want to bend or prune branches early on in order to train them to fit in limited growing spaces. Like many other sativas, Emerald Jack has a long flowering period of about 9 to 10 weeks when grown indoors. Outdoors, it is ready for harvest in mid October. It offers growers a high yield for their efforts -- in fact, the branches may need to be supported by artificial means like wooden dowels in order to keep from drooping under the weight of a newly-flowered crop.

Growers should also cure the harvested buds in order to preserve Emerald Jack’s taste and potency. This process involves first drying the buds by hanging them upside down for about a week in conditions of 50% humidity and about 70 degrees; and then sealing the dried buds in wide-mouthed jars in surroundings of 70 degrees Fahrenheit and between 60-65% humidity.

Well-suited for use in the morning or early afternoon, Emerald Jack is a great strain to accompany both social and solo activities. Experienced cannabis users may functionally coast along on its uplifting, energetic high -- but newcomers should be aware of this sativa’s potent effects of the brain.