My review of Minerva (1/12/2014)

(As posted on nmcannabisreview.)

Minerva Canna Group has a nice set-up in an older part of town, and it appears they are expanding their space within the same office park. The bud smell welcomes you when you enter, as do all the nice people who work there. There is a large chalkboard with a menu of available strains, which I reviewed after I registered, awaiting my name to be called.

Minerva’s website indicates that it grows “100% organic weed, indoors under ideal conditions.” I have heard other patients mention Minerva, and one of the frequent comments was that this dispensary always has a wide variety of bud, with lots of different strains, and this seems to be the case. I was interested in the two strains with the highest THC content:

1. Blue Dream, Sativa dominant, THC 20.6% ($14/gr); and

2. Blue Widow, 80% Sativa/40% Indica, THC 18.95% and CBD 0.81% ($14/gr) (Label indicates produced by Red Barn Growers.)

Trish took me into the back room, where you can see and smell the individual strains. The bud comes prepackaged in vacuum-sealed heavy plastic bags with Minerva’s logo, in quantities of 3.5 and 7 grams. We discussed edibles and I mentioned my problem with the cannabis taste, and she showed me a milk chocolate/peppermint bar and a dark chocolate bar, both with labeling that included milligram dosage. Trish also mentioned the Patient Frequency Program (a free joint after three visits) and gave me a free grinder (my first!) and a Patient Strain Handbook.

The Blue Dream Smells like diesel to me, with hardly any resin (if at all), no seeds and a few sticks. I didn’t need scissors to clean up the bud — it crumbled easily within my hands. It resembles more of a powdery form than I am used to, and it didn’t appear very fresh to me. This strain is nothing special, and I give it a strength rating of 3.

The Blue Widow was pretty much the same as the Blue Dream, perhaps with a hint of citrus in the smell. This bud seemed a little fresher than the Blue Dream and not quite as powdery. I rate it a 2 for strength.

I can understand why patients like this dispensary, but according to other online reviews, I am not the only one who thinks this medicine is below average in strength. Considering the $14/gram cost, my opinion is that this medicine is overpriced, even for this market. Since all other strains are listed as lower in THC than the two I tried, I don’t see any reason to return to this dispensary.

And another one bites the dust…