Frank’s Gift is a strain primarily intended for medical use. It is high in CBD, a cannabis compound (or “cannabinoid”) with anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic effects that helps users feel relaxed and pain-free. Similar to the high-CBD strain Charlotte’s Web (which was developed and named for for a young epilepsy patient), Frank’s Gift was created by the Oregon Microgrowers Guild for the breeder’s brother Frank, a chemotherapy patient. After much trial and error, the Guild’s growers succeeded in fostering a phenotype of Skunk Haze to maturity and found the plant to have seemingly unprecedented levels of 24% CBD -- with 9% THC. Subsequent lab tests have corroborated the high CBD levels in Frank’s Gift’s genetics.

Unlike its cousin cannabinoid THC, CBD doesn’t act directly on the body’s endocannabinoid receptors. Instead, it is thought to work indirectly by increasing the availability of the body’s own endocannabinoid compounds to stimulate those receptors. Essentially, CBD may act as a booster to help out many of the body’s naturally functioning processes.

Since their success in growing Frank’s Gift, the Oregon Microgrowers Guild has founded a new organization, CBD Oregon, in order to disseminate clones of Frank’s Gift and other high-CBD strains to patients throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Frank’s Gift is available in the form of concentrated oils and tinctures for easy medical ingestion, but flowers of the strain are also available for adults who prefer more traditional consumption. As with Skunk Haze, from which it is derived, Frank’s Gift is marked by medium-sized flowers that have a tapered, almost spade-like shape. The leaves are thin and wispy and cling loosely to their central stems. These ragged, fluffy-looking buds are a pale shade of yellowish green and are only sparsely dotted with cloudy white trichomes.

The strain’s aroma is notable for its total absence of fruity or tangy notes. Instead, dank and earthy odors predominate. The woodsy scent of pine can also be detected. Meanwhile, grinding or breaking open the buds yields some spice -- evidence of this flower’s Haze lineage. Smokers almost universally describe a harsh, acrid smoke when combusting Frank’s Gift. On the exhale, its taste has been compared to the citric and ammonia tang of Pine Sol.

As noted, Frank’s Gift is bred specifically for a high CBD to THC ratio. That said, this strain has significantly higher levels of THC than other CBD-focused strains like Charlotte’s Web and Cannatonic. As a result, smokers may still pick up on some trippy, psychoactive effects, making Frank’s Gift unsuitable for juvenile patients.

When it’s smoked, Frank’s Gift takes effect almost immediately, shrouding users in a heavy and comforting blanket of physical sedation. Smokers may find that their discomfort -- whether it’s a mild ache or a more severe type of pain related to nerve damage -- is numbed or eliminated altogether. The CBD in this strain can also regulate inflammation, body temperature, and perception of pain, making it a powerful treatment for those suffering from anything from a fever to chronic conditions like fibromyalgia and Parkinson’s Disease. In certain cases, CBD can even stimulate serotonin-related receptors, conferring benefits for psychological conditions like anxiety, addiction, and sleep disturbance. Finally, recent studies of CBD have shown that it may work against cancer by destroying existing cancerous cells and halting the spread of new ones.

Seeds of Frank’s Gift are not available for commercial sale. However, the Oregon Microgrower’s Guild has begun to distribute clones of the strain for free to qualified patients. Those who are able to obtain clones of this rare plant can grow it both indoors and out, although successful outdoor growing calls for consistent daytime sunlight and temperatures between 72 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Frank’s Gift flowers within 7 weeks when grown indoors and is ready for harvest in late October when grown outdoors.

Despite its many benefits, Frank’s Gift faces some legal challenges before it can gain nationwide status as a legitimate medical treatment. Unlike other high-CBD strains, it is not descended from cannabis’ non-psychoactive cousin hemp and therefore cannot exploit legal loopholes that would allow it to find wider production and distribution. Until then, patients seeking potent alternative treatments should find their way to Oregon for a dose of this natural gift.