Grape God is an indica-dominant hybrid that redefines bag appeal with its striking visuals and bold flavor profile. It’s a cross between tasty Grapefruit and High Times Indica Cup winner God Bud. Grape God comes to us from Next Generation Seed Company, innovative breeders based in beautiful British Columbia. This strain’s flashy bells and whistles don’t come at the expense of its potency: cannabis testing lab Analytical 360 has found flowers of God Bud to have between 15% and 25% THC content. Its heavy, peaceful body stone is best savored around bedtime.

Grape God boasts tapered flowers that adhere in large single pieces. The buds have a dense indica-like structure, with tightly curled leaves. The leaves themselves are a spring green and, more often than not, are streaked with hues ranging from pale lavender to deep violet; these latter colors come about when high concentrations of pigments called anthocyanins (inherited from colorful God Bud) are agitated by cold weather during the growing process. A blanket of icy trichomes covers the eye-catching flowers, making them sticky and difficult to break up without the help of a grinder. As might be expected from its lofty name, Grape God packs the unmistakable scent of grape -- although an underlying sweetness makes the flowers smell more like grape gummy candy than actual grapes. On second inspection, there are also some funky notes of damp earth. The absence of skunky or acrid flavors in this strain makes for a smooth, easy smoke that tastes dank on the exhale. Notably, there is no correspondence between Grape God’s purple color and its grape-like taste: while the color is dictated by pigments, different compounds called terpenes determine the taste.

Grape God may take several minutes -- or a second bowl -- to take hold of smokers. Effects start in the head, with a gradual heaviness that moves down through the neck to the shoulders and limbs. This “stoney” feeling is soon accompanied by a wave of relaxation that helps put users at ease. Provided that they feel safe and are planted in the right set and setting, users may then feel tensions and worries evaporating under Grape God’s indica influence. This strain does not impair cognition as heavily as some more pure indicas, but users may not feel motivated to work on detailed tasks, even if they can maintain focus. Medically speaking, Grape God’s relaxing properties make it very useful to a variety of patients. It can soothe pain resulting from injuries or from chronic conditions like arthritis or fibromyalgia. Its pleasant emotional buzz can blunt the harsh symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, and even PTSD. This strain can also be a powerful appetite stimulant. Because of the relative lack of intense cerebral effects, Grape God also comes with a lessened risk of paranoia. The high can last longer than average, even for more experienced consumers.

Seeds of Grape God are available from several online retailers. It can also be obtained the old fashioned way, as cuttings from mature plants of the same variety that can then be grown as genetically identical “clones.” This strain can thrive indoors or outdoors, although outdoor growing requires a warm, humid climate with consistent temperatures between 72 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Its short and bushy plants can easily be maintained indoors, but growers should be sure to “top” their crops, trimming away any large, light-blocking fan leaves. Growers should also be sure to bring out Grape God’s signature purple color by “shocking” the plant, or exposing it to cold temperatures late in the vegetative stage. Grape God has a short flowering period of 7 to 8 weeks when grown indoors and is ready for harvest in early October when grown outdoors. Growers are rewarded for their labor with typically high yields.

More of an evening or nighttime strain than a wake and bake booster, Grape God is a go-to for relaxation and relief. This strain’s memorable smell and taste practically beg to be taken out in public, though. Grape God’s aroma will turn heads in social settings and, if shared, is sure to gain the gratitude of a few people.