Personally I think Cali and Dutch herb is better than UK weed and I’ve smoked a shit tonne of Dutch weed living there in the mid 00’s... why? Simply because it’s legal... you don’t have to rush, hide away, worry constantly, they’re doing it on a legal industrial scale so the equipment is better, they can invest in the newest and best equipment without fear of losing it all in a raid, purely and simply it’s investment that makes legal weed better.

Also a big factor is in the U.K. we have to buy what’s available if it’s shit it’s shit, wait and hope the next lot from your dealer is better, in legal countries it’s competition there is recourse for the product.... I had XXX weed from XXX grower and it was the bomb goes far and makes money, rather than I bought some banging weed off Gary in the dog and duck in Grimsby means fuck all unless you know Gary and live in Grimsby... accountability is the difference imo.

Can weed be grown as well in the UK as Cali or Dam... 100% it’s a seed it grows, no rocket science behind it or a special formula just freedom, time and equipment and experience.

100% mate, I DO believe there is some grade around that just couldn't be produced to that quality and volume in some cloak and dagger growhouse operation here.

I see a lot more coming from Canada, and there's been routes from Dam, Poland and elsewhere for green in as long as it's been here. However with the right genetics, knowledge and conditions I believe you can grow truly A*** green anywhere, just not sure you can do it on an industrial scale in a country that continues to throw so much of the law's resources to shutting them down.

As others have said the equipment used, testing, level of quality control, the manicured buds, the density, the quality, the taste...there is definitely something..different around, that never was before the "Cali" phase. Hype or otherwise.

Where it comes from I have no idea but there has been a huge change in the strength and amount that's around.

The problem I have is the grey area between what is genuine Top Shelf and what isn't. The marketing has muddied the waters and pushed up the price and cache of average weed that sparkles a bit.

Fact is no matter what, I draw the line somewhere. When we were kids it was 3.5 for 25 quid, last time I went to Dam it was €20 on the gram. I just will never reach to some of those levels and even on here you will see up to £70-80 a henry. Doesn't matter where it's grown, flown....budget dictates for me.

There has always been a top level, and as long as that reflects in the product we can all be happy.

The fact that theres power sellers on eBay getting rich off selling thousands of shitty tins/tubes and stickers advertising exotic cali strains says it all. Theres no telling the "connoisseurs" who pay £400+ an ounce, that their "cali" more than likely originates from someones bedroom tent in the same town :)

The fact that it's even possible to get "Cali" grown outside of California says it all really, it's become a type of brand name. If some one grows a bit of Amnesia I've never heard them call it UK grown Amsterdam.... it makes no sense.

"Cali" is the kind of thing we have to worry about if we ever go legal or whatever, it's just big American companies trying to steamroller over everyone else. Same old shit, different market.

We definitely need to make sure we look after our UK growers going forward, we do DANK better on this side of the pond anyway. Let's get a whole range of Cheese's going I say :P

Nothing wrong with Cali mind I might be being a bit harsh but we do have to be careful though.

There are good reasons why someone might choose Cali or Dutch over UK bud, but I think the rationale behind it has been somewhat drowned up by hype/fashion. But ultimately, Cali or Dutch bud should - in theory - come from more accountable growers. 'Real Cali' is tested, and it's quality verified - that will be appealing to people whose 'street' purchases might be questionable. Same goes for Dutch, to a degree. In as much as if this is sold in a coffee shop, it has to compete with all bud in all coffee shops, and is therefore expected to be of higher quality.

There are also legacy reasons, possibly. Pre-legalisation, I used to get bud in from Cali - I've long believed the best outdoor grows come from that region, and I like outdoor grows! But the geography of the 'Golden Triangle' in Cali does offer the ideal growing environment - but with modern genetics close to hand (unlike more traditional growing regions). The sheer number of smokers/growers there also led to the early(ish) medical legalisation there, which also helped the scene. California deserves its reputation as the home of amazing cannabis - but certainly not everything from there is great these days (I suspect the black market here is largely their rejects!). Similarly, Amsterdam's been the home of modern genetics on this side of the ocean, with the coffeeshop scene encouraging at least a base level of quality.

UK bud doesn't have that same provenance. There are some famous cuts, sure - Exodus, Blues etc. But nothing else that implies any guarantee of quality. But, of course, with the same seeds and equipment, there's no reason UK bud couldn't theoretically compete with the best. Indeed, nearly all the best buds I've ever had have been UK grown. I'd never specifically choose Dutch over UK and I actively avoid marketed Cali in the UK (it's either fake, reject or over-priced!).

The one origin label that does prick my ears up is Canada. I believe their gear has a lot of the same advantages, but isn't exploited in the same way. If I want cheap, reliable quality, Canadian vendors top the charts. But for pristine high end, I stick with good growers of nice genetics in the UK.

Cali is Cali, you know when its from Cali, its got that certain... thing.
UK Cali, is just a cali strain grown here in the UK.
I know many people who will only smoke Real Cali. And many who say its not worth the extra price tag.

Personally, smoke/price the UK Grown hold their own just as well, if the growers done a good job.

The UK Cali strains just switch the flavours up a little bit so your not smoking the same thing all the time, and you can rely on the strain being a decent one.

^^ Personal opinion.

Stay High

GF

I had alsorts of cali an tbf the only thing that's real good is how much they trim their leaves. but ive had just as good uk grown or in dam coffee shops so i think cali quality can be grown anywhere if you know how

facts

Theres a few facts about cali weed.

I agree 100%. And if it is Cali weed, surely traveling and packaging would have caused some damage from compression and heat changes and sitting in plastic bags for possibly days on end. If u get from a grower direct and they grow well, other than it being tested and having label saying how much THC etc it should be as good or better. BUT as legal they have more chance to hunt phenos and share genetics so they do have that in their side. But most Cali is probably Albanian weed in a nice baggy lol

If you have the right seeds and know what you're doing then there shouldn't be much difference, that said a lot of uk weed is rushed without the proper flushing and drying due to the risk of loosing it all when you could sell it.

Couldn't agree more on that, but there a few excellent stealth setups in the UK bagging out great weed

I made my own cross back in 2003 with a pure haze (m) and a bubbleberry (f) to this day its the finest weed ive ever smoked! I only grew out two seeds and it went 14 weeks both phenos were almost identical.

Ive also grown other cuts of various strains in hydro, soil and outside in the uk, all methods produced different results in the plants appearance, smell, taste and effect.

For example the cuts grown outside were so different you would have thought it was a completely different strain! The high was very uplifting and mild compared with the hydro which was a heavy couchlock effect.

I put this down to the difference in light spectrum from the sun (full spectrum inc uv) I believe this changes the terpene and cannabinoid profile in the plant.

Ive also run metal halide exclusively and noted a difference compared with hps ie it is more similar to sunlight at midday you will definitely see way less stretch and the flowers are more dense and flavoursome but will lose a little yeild. I finally settled on mh for the first 3 weeks afer switch then hps for the remainder of flowering. Next time i grow i will be using diy led cobs with the aim of getting 1.8g /w

My point here really is to agree with the op a good pheno grown well, flushed properly and dried cured properly ( MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN FINAL PRODUCT) will always compare to cali/dutch etc imo.

If you really want something special do what they do but on a smaller scale they will grow out 100's of seeds from an unstable f1 cross and find a phenotype that is rather special! Good luck stabilising it and preserving the desirable traits in seed form though!
In fact this is what happened with cheese it was a freak pheno that was only available as a clone for a long time. I suspect the seed form now is not nearly as nice as the original cutting? Sorry for going off on one i just wanted to share my experiences experiments.

On another note some of the oldschool strains will put modern cali strains to shame for example bubbleberry from sagmartha seeds, super silver haze to name a few people always want the latest thing it doesnt mean its the best!

Big up Ukgrower2

Great thread. I’ve enjoyed reading all the replies but what sticks with me is that same doubt... I don't think much genuine Cali grown weed makes it over here... as you've said, there are loads of UK producers making very convincing ‘counterfeit’ Cali packaging. Its crap.

In my very limited experience of what I have had/seen that has been sold as Cali is that it is always rock hard, dense bud that has been very decently trimmed and there is never any sugar leaf. Other than that...isn't it just really strong weed???

I have always asked myself what is it that Cali growers can do that UK growers supposedly can't?? It's all indoors so we should be able to replicate the exact same conditions anywhere in the world no? Admittedly it must be a lot easier to create/maintain a professional grow in a place where it is legal to do so but technique and equipment wise, aren't we all on a level playing field now?

Also, I still have the whole 'how long does it take to physically transport wholesale weed from California to here'...and how the hell could it possibly get to us in tip top condition??? Surely if it is legit from Cali, it is past it's best by the time it's taken weeks to get here getting battered about the whole time?...

I can't personally see why UK weed couldn't in theory be as good as anything grown anywhere in the world...unless I have missed something?

Yes, you raise some good points... smuggle cail weed to the UK by the ton in tins... or smuggle coke.
Theres a guy on Insta from London ( ish ) called "Slapsta designs " I think and the guy is churning out thousands of 3.5g bags, tins, glass pots etc. Not weed, just bag etc and it's getting bought and filled by UK guys with...... Cali weed, pull the other one, maybe its just good UK weed, or not so good

Exactly! Makes no sense to me that any serious smuggler would choose to move weed from California to the UK! Talk about hassle... Coke, meth, anything else moves easier with bigger profit... boggles my mind that people can import wholesale Cali weed in this day and age...

Also, yeah... just go to Calipacks UK on the net and you really do start to question a lot of things....

I'm feeling the biggy love at last... my posts are getting replies... we need a smiley emoji

Ps... let's get this little biggy sexy women thread packed with pics ( see my other posts )

I agree, I've seen plenty for sale on here in the same packaging that's on ebay. If it was from the US it would be compressed into bricks, not loose in tins of 3.5g.

As you say what is being sold in the uk is very unlikely to be Cali weed just tins and hype.. But I lived in Netherlands for a while and visited there over the years, tried stuff all over.. Definitely in Amsterdam theres some not so good not properly cured weed for tourists but then at the same time I tried Barneys g13 haze the year it won the cup and it was soooo strong beautifully cured etc.. Never smoked anything like it in the uk or elsewhere in europe weed wise.. The thing about a dutch setup is that they have been growing and keeping mothers since the late 70s if I m correct.. From my experience with seeds it s very dependent on a variety of factors for example i ve never come across good seeds from greenhouse seeds.. Also it really is in the genes so the dutch and the calis can keep the best clones for years.. The amazing thing about Cali and the uk to a certain extent was that they shared the clones whereas in the netherlands there was little sharing as far as I m aware.. re the setups in cali now they can spend huge money on systems without fear of everything being taken away (indoors) whereas in the Netherlands it was never legal only tolerated... In the uk its definitely harder to get away with the growing than netherlands and youll have bigger probs with the law.. In theory with the right mama, the know how and the right equipment you could grow equally as good pot as cali indoors.. But outdoors obviously some if not nearly all strains grow better in Cali.. The thing about Cali also is that so many strains originate from there, there has been such a big grow culture there since the 70s with the back to landers in n cali.. strains like the Haze strains are from 2 brothers (the Haze brothers) and skunk from skunkman sam etc etc the list goes on and on..Nice to see a good ol civilised chat on here.. I just came across this site as I ve been looking for some nice to quality hash.. I used to use dreammarket then nightmare and they exit scammed .. I found a few vendors on dream that sold excellent quality hash very reasonable top grade for approx 280 euro an oz.. when nightmare exited new sites popped up n I went to top rated vendors and bought numerous very nice looking smelling tasting stuff with unoticeable amount of thc so i stopped for last 9 months r year .. I thought i d try again and I found this site .. Has anyone any recommendations for any vendors here for hq hash ? only interested in potent to very potent , long time smoker here.. Thanks peace out

There is a website think it's called calipacks.co.uk got all the bags tins and tubs on there with customizable labels ect!

I have never trusted the bags or tins in the uk they just never seemed legit just another gimmick to double the price of decent bud

UK and Euro are just as good if grown and cured properly. Cali is all hype.

*** I'm looking at doing a run of RSO, Canna capsules and some rosin Dabs if the demand is there. For anyone interested please see my other post.

Cheers

I might be into some RSO

Maybe it's just that if someones done a truly excellent job of growing they will label it as Cali.

The Cali characteristics seem to be a really clean burn and very compact buds - which is amazing, but who knows where it was grown? All I know is, I've never come across harsh, unflushed or nutrient burned "Cali".

Another thing I've noticed is, I think the effort put into growing is way more important than what the strain is.

"Maybe it's just that if someones done a truly excellent job of growing they will label it as Cali."

Yes, unfortunately far too much of that.

there's a lot more science and consistancy in cali weed.. they've been able to study and learn the plant legally for last 20 odd years within the medical era with the correct resources therefore they have a lot more knowledge of what the plant requires and needs

any top shelf cali that has been packaged properly and licensed wouldve gone through testing too before hitting the shelves, to make sure there are no pesticides etc.

I'm not convinced, yes they have been at it for ages, but so have the Dutch... and they still grow in the same manner as most.
Lights / good feed and a bit of TLC. Theres a case for using reverse osmosis water but it's not proven as it strips essential minerals out of the water, so they need to be re added.
The clue is in the name "weed" theres no magic science that only the guys in cali know of.
I get your point of consistency of environment but with the right resources, that isn't out of reach.

Have you seen large scale cali grows, they are similar to large scale grows all over the world.

Thanks for your input Hootan, always good to hear other peoples views

its still illegal to grow weed in holland. they have to learn the plant in secret making it so much harder. also they grow recreational weed.. which is really just for the average consumer who doesnt care what they smoke aslong as they get their high. their tech in cali is far more advanced than any other place on the planet, and thats why their weed is the best.

What tech make it far more advanced than any other place on the planet? You know the UK grow tons of medical weed, and they grow just like the cali labs.
And you think the stuff that supposedly comes from these super advanced labs is the stuff we get in the UK... eventhough its illegal to ship it to the UK. Or is it at best, opportunist from cali growing in a warehouse in standard conditions and smuggling it into the UK.... or maybe it's not from cali.

Not trying to rub you up the wrong way, just chatting, but claiming it's the best because it's more advanced or that they've been doing it longer is marketing speil without substance.

Anyway Hootan, it's good chatting with you, your products look ace.

Buy one get one half price
Cheapest item will be half price
Message me with what items you want and I’ll put up a custom order for you to purchase.
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The Cali strain thing, to me, is just hype. It just means the strain genetic was produced in California...highly doubt any of it is "flown here not grown here". Having raised this topic in coffeeshops in Amsterdam, they say its flown in....yet their Twitter accounts show them growing it, stage by stage hahaha. When asking in a cannabis social club in Spain, they told me they grow it themselves. Other coffeeshops in the Dam have also told me the cali flown in thing is bollocks. As you say, tins are available on ebay in bulk. That says it all. Ive also had friends give me nugs out of "cali tins" that cost £50 for 3.5g and its been standard commercial weed.

I think the deal with dutch weed is their experience on a commercial basis. Spain are winning the game in my eyes though! If you get a genuine spanish import you are in luck!! It will be lovely! As with Dutch imports....its not too hard to shift weed around Europe. But the risk to import from the U.S just wouldnt be worth it IMO.

I find TheGentlemenDealers to be v consistent in quality and variety, although they tend to be strains with higher thc. I reckon if you message them explaining the situation they could set you up with an off menu item :)

LilMac00
Thanks
Hope your well 🙏

try dis for cbd , good stuff

Cbd/thc cheese strain above if you are still hunting

Have asked the same question and names that regularly pop up as reliable include TalkToFrank, Super Hans and DIUK. Has your other half tried RSO ? Have not purchased it on here (yet) but highly recommend it, nothing has come even close to the effect this has on anxiety. Happy hunting.

Hi bro. As someone who has personal experience of this. Don’t smoke weed all day and night it makes it worse after a few weeks.

When I fall in the “hole”, weed can be so beneficial, the insomnia is taken out straight away. I don’t dream when I smoke weed too, so the nightmares fuck right off too. The aggression goes away as well.

But.... (and I appreciate you other half isn’t me)... if I keep going at it day and night, my tolerance goes through the roof and I don’t get stoned really. It costs £ and the worse part... when I run out... well... I’m a cunt. I can’t put it another way. An absolutely horrible cunt.

amnesia is a strain that I find effective or blue cheese, for insomnia and anxiety.

Wish you and your other half all the best brother

Again good advice there also Gen.

Sativa in the day and indica at night is a straight vector to dependency. You will have zero energy without weed. Exercise and nutrition form a good core regimen for the conditions you described. Forgive me if you are already there.

When that doesn't work hit the sativa for an anti depression boost - start super small or the anxiety will take over. For natural anxiety hit the cbd with a little bit of indica. Have a powerful indica as your ace in the hole.

50% cbd and 50% thc mix should work for depression well.
In my experience weed and excercise combo works well for beating depression. I would sugest start with excercising every day. Only doing weed will work only when high, rest of the time will be the same or worse. You can get hooked on weed very quickly when you have depression and that can be expensive. Don t jump from one pithole to onother.
Magic mushrooms can help alot but that should be done by someone experienced in the field.
In essence, I would recomend research as much as possible about it and only then use substances.
Good luck with getting better.

Hey! I self-medicate for PTSD, specifically the crippling insomnia aspect.

Wouldn't personally recommend weed with depression, not daytime use anyway - but if she absolutely can't get through the day at the moment, then investing in a dry herb vape is probably a good idea (she can save the vaped bud (AVB) in a little pot, take a tiny pinch in the morning, and it will hopefully keep her fairly mellow without fogging her brain too much). THC can be a nightmare with anxiety (as you've probably gathered from your research), so take it really really slowly for the first few days/ weeks. As for which strain - with my PTSD, I just go for any strong indica and vape small amounts at night. If, 2-3 hours after going to bed, I'm still wide awake and flooded with adrenaline, I go vape a little more, and the second time normally allows me to drift off.

Hope the therapy goes well. Some therapists are awful, some are amazing - hope your other half gets the latter.

Might be worth trying some CBD flower (high cbd and THC under 1%), can buy it legally online in a lot of countries. It's a bit odd because if you smoke or vape it you don't feel like you expect but you might notice that you are just relaxed and calm. You can also mix it with higher THC weed to get whatever balance of CBD/THC you want.

I'd also recommend speaking to a doctor and seeking therapy if your other half hasn't already, weed is good but it doesn't solve everything, I find that the benefits are often short term and it's not normally realistic to be stoned 24/7.

I use Hemphash (UK) and they are reliable and sell well priced cbd flowers. I haven't tried cbd vape juice, I buy flowers because I have a herbal vapouriser so it's easier to use, also because I can mix it up with THC bud.

Hope your other half gets into therapy soon, the waiting lists are all too often ridiculously long and governments should put a lot more emphasis on mental health in my opinion.

Hi, as already mentioned CBD flower from hemphash in UK is very good. The super tooty fruity strain being my favourite. Being a chronic anxiety sufferer i can provide a little anecdotal experience and suggestions:

If your other half doesnt smoke i recommend either dry herb vaping or making edibles. I generally use home made cannabis oil to treat my anxiety by microdosing so taking a teaspoon which doesnt get me so noticebaly high but lasts a long time. I then vape a mix of CBD flower and some decent bud from here:) this has nothing to do with self medicating i do this as i enjoy the ritual of grinding flower, loading the vape and even better adapting it to a water pipe for even more smoothness.

I think buying some assorted bud shakes on here and infusing into olive oil after decarbing would be the most cost effective way but of course i am certainly no doctor. Best of luck:)

Convection vapes will be generally more pricey than conduction models. Also be sure something advertised as being convection isn't a hybrid as often the case. I personally use a CFC Tera which is 100% convection. I paid a little over 100 pounds which is good for full convection. My friend has a firefly 2.0 which is a great portable convection model but its 230 notes. I additionally have the CFC boundless 2.0 at 60 pounds (conduction) which i use with the pipe adaptor in my bong for smoother hits.

If you want a desktop convection vape the volcano is the holy grail in terms of quality but also in terms of price.

Agreed with greencigar below, don’t discount thc just yet, plays a very important role also, it’s down to dose and strain.... weed isn’t just weed anymore, you hit her with a heady sativa in a decent dose and she’ll likely be a wreck and put her off for good, research strains like Northern Lights, Grandaddy Purp, my current fave Slimer OG, all I find help hugely with my PTSD, anxiety and depression, it’s no cure but a band aid is enough sometimes.

Micro doses of THC can work wonders for depression. Also, a daily dose of whole plant extract CBD really brings things down to earth. It can be very difficult to manage, but strain research will always be beneficial. Getting the balance between calming and depression beating effects is not easy. Initially focus on lower doses of THC and combining this with exercise as someone else mentioned. I find that moderate doses of CBD and THC, combined with walks and time in nature bring the best results. I have also found that decarbed bud in capsules can offer a rather balanced and not too heavy effect throughout the day. The best of luck to you and yours. GC

Could check out MJ concentrates. They’ve got full spectrum cbd/thc tinctures that you drop under your tongue.

As someone suggested, MJ Concentrates do a thc / cbd oil which has been a game changer for me. Can get Indica, sativa or hybrid.

Hash is usually a better all round balanced blend of cannabinoids where the effects I find are more relaxing for ptsd, more of a tranquil chilled out mellow vibe

Some weed wires you up I think

Whats the budget? Volcano?

I have the Arizer Solo which is a couple years which and never had any complaints about it. There is a newer updated version (Arizer Solo II) which I've good things about.