‘-Budget Buds- Dirty Girl

The provocatively-named Dirty Girl is a cross between Cinderella 99 and Lemon Wreck, a Trainwreck-derived hybrid. Grown outdoors in Washington state’s sunny and fertile Okanogan Valley, it represents the best of what sativas have to offer. It has a complex flavor profile and a long-lasting cerebral high that can be potent even for more experienced cannabis users. Cannabis testing lab Analytical 360 has found flowers of Dirty Girl to have between 17% and a whopping 28% THC.

Dirty Girl’s flowers are visually unremarkable, with small to medium buds that have both elongated and spherical shapes depending on the phenotype. The leaves are yellow-green and are threaded through with honey-colored hairs (which are actually pistils, meant to catch pollen from fertilizing male plants). One visual highlight, however, is the high concentration of sticky trichomes that coat the surfaces and inner crevices of these flowers. When properly cured, the flowers give off a hashy, incense like aroma, evidence of grandparent strain Afghani. A tropical citrus tang lurks underneath this musk, and when buds are ground or broken open, they may give off a faint sting of ammonia. When combusted, Dirty Girl yields a smooth smoke that tastes simultaneously sweet and lemony on the exhale.

Dirty Girl has a high that takes hold quickly, making itself known with an initial headrush and a tingling pressure around the eyes and temples. As time progresses, smokers may notice a rapid increase in associative thinking, a pattern that sometimes leads to mindrace. This uptick in cerebral activity can be accompanied by glowing euphoria, making users feeling more chatty and friendly than they ordinarily might. These energized effects can provide all the motivation needed to plow through a long to-do list or to clean up around the house. Eventually, a slight body high creeps up to ground out any disorienting mindrace; this combination of mental stimulation and physical ease may facilitate deeply creative or analytical thinking. In the right conditions, Dirty Girl can also live up to her name by acting as a powerful aphrodisiac. Because its onset can cause smokers to feel more wired than relaxed, this strain may not be the best choice before bedtime.

Dirty Girl’s strong action on the brain makes it a good option for medical cannabis patients. Because it allows users to feel simultaneously focused and relaxed, it may improve concentration for those with attention deficit disorders. Those struggling with stress or depression may find that Dirty Girl’s thoughtful mindset allows them to find fulfillment by living “in the moment.” The slight physical effects made ease mild to moderate aches and pains, but as noted, this may not be the best way to crush stubborn cases of insomnia. Because of its early tendency towards recursive thinking, Dirty Girl is not recommended for those who are prone to anxiety or paranoia.

Seeds of Dirty Girl do not seem to be available for purchase online. Instead, prospective growers should obtain clippings from mature plants that can be grown as genetically identical “clones.” This strain can thrive when grown outdoors — as its success in central Washington has shown — but such cultivation requires warm and semi-humid temperatures with consistent daytime temperatures in the 70 degree Fahrenheit range. It can be conveniently grown indoors, as its plants are short and bushy with strong lateral branches. Growers should regularly ‘top’ plants of Dirty Girl by trimming any broad fan leaves in order to let light and air reach low-growing flowering nodes. Dirty Girl flowers within 8 to 9 weeks when grown indoors. It offers growers a typically high yield for their efforts. In order to preserve the precious trichomes on newly-harvested flowers, growers should be sure to properly cure their buds — this is a two-stage process that involves first drying the flowers upside down in ambient conditions of 50% humidity and then sealing them in airtight jars in ambient conditions of 60-65% humidity.

This fast and buzzy sativa is a great example of locally-conscious cannabis breeding. Its tasty citrus flavor and long-lasting high are valuable to cannabis veterans and novices alike. Dirty Girl can be a great way to boost daytime energy — and might even come in handy as a caffeine alternative.