(Edited: Lawrence Lam)

Disclaimer: Under Colorado law, the use of marijuana is restricted to those aged 21 and older or those with a valid medical marijuana license. Colorado State University does not allow the possession or consumption of marijuana, recreational or medical, anywhere on campus. The Collegian does not condone underage consumption of marijuana.

For the Collegian‘s first-ever marijuana review, I went out and picked up some of the dankest cannabis Indica that I could find.

Cannabis Indica has more of an effect on the body, where cannabis Sativa is more mind oriented. With Indica strains, one is more likely to feel the body high, and it is best suited for consumption during the night before bed. Sativas are more uplifting, create a more energetic high and are better for use during the day.

Anyway, Saturday afternoon I stopped by Choice Organics, located at 813 Smithfield Dr., off of East Mulberry Street and Interstate-25, to see what they had to offer. The store clerk was probably one of the friendliest dudes in the world, and I could tell he and I were going to really hit it off.

I asked for some of the better Indica strains that they were holding, and the clerk brought out this huge jar of beautiful Afghani Indica bud. I plucked a bud or two out for observational purposes — it was a light green hue with blasts of purple here and there. Every part of it’s surface looked bedazzled with tiny crystalized particles of THC. The smell? Unexplainably amazing.

“I’ll take a gram of this s***, por favor,” I said.

After the clerk weighed out and bagged the Afghani bud, I stood in line and decided to get some Classic Raw rolling papers before checking out. A small tip for all of you new, of-age smokers: keep some rolling papers in the trunk of your car. Many people love joints, and you can never underestimate the power of rolling up a fatty when a pipe isn’t within arm’s reach.

Anyways, the total was $22 even — $20 for the gram of marijuana and $2 for the papers — and I walked out seeing a line of people building up inside the waiting room (a typical sight to see at Choice Organics, especially on 4/20 weekend).

The marijuana was a little expensive, yes. Scratch that — super expensive. But, this is Colorado and even if you have to pay a little extra at the store than in a parking lot, it’s still pretty worth it. You know exactly what you’re getting and the marijuana is tested for THC levels so they’ll have the exact THC percentage. There’s no harm and absolutely no foul.

With my purchase in hand, I got in my car, called the homies and started the journey back to my house to get down, boogie and enjoy the Afghani Indica.

When I got to my place, I opened the bag of this delicious-looking bud and I decided to use a bong with a triple-honeycomb percolator purchased from Smokey Monkey on West Elizabeth Street. The honeycomb percolator makes for an incredibly smooth hit and purifies the smoke immensely so that only the true flavors of the bud come through.

I loaded the bowl and took a nice, full hit from the bong. The inhale was smooth with only a little irritation on the back of my throat and in my chest. I held in the hit for roughly two and a half seconds before slowly exhaling out of both my nose and my mouth to ensure I experienced the entire flavor profile.

Honestly, this was the most generic flavored strain of marijuana that I have ever smoked in my entire life. There was no element of citrus, no fruity aftertaste and no earthy undertones. It wasn’t sweet and it wasn’t bitter, but there was a slight salty flavor on the back of my tongue during the exhale. Although the purple coloring and the sweet aroma made me think there would be a fruity tang, there was no sign of either.

I was let down by the flavor profile, but the high was on point and exactly what I was looking for in my search for a good Indica. I was couch locked to the extreme, and although my body wasn’t moving, my mind was all over the place. My inactive body was in a state of ultra relaxation and ease while my mind was in a state of exploration and adventure. Some friends and I ended up playing a game of Settlers of Catan, and even though I lost miserably, I couldn’t help but strategize the entire time.

In conclusion, the Afghani Indica receives seven out of 10 leafs from me. The high was perfect, and I can’t complain about it, but the flavor was disappointing. The high wasn’t too harsh or intense, and I was still able to operate within a public setting. On the other hand, the taste had no unique qualities and wasn’t anything to call home about.

That’s it for this first installment of Roastin’ with Rick. I’ll be back in two weeks — Monday, May 4 — to try out a nice cannabis Sativa.

Collegian Marijuana Reviewer Rick Cookson can be reached at rcookson@collegian.com.