Going to a new place where cannabis is permitted always comes along with exploring an unknown dispensary menu. There’s no point in knowing local names of strains, as budtenders can explain them up to a certain point when everything becomes confusing.
The majority of people use the same approach to cope with an unknown strain menu – they relate it to what they know. It’s no surprise that every traveler starts every conversation at a dispensary counter with the same question – how does this compare to Runtz?
It’s not accidental at all. Runtz has become an obvious benchmark for travelers who want to get used to unknown regional strains. Here are five reasons to do that.
Runtz weed originated in the Bay Area of California through the Cookies Family and achieved recognition worldwide in cannabis markets. That history gives travelers something rare when navigating an unfamiliar destination: a name they already know and trust.
More people than not underestimate the importance of familiarity when traveling and buying in unknown markets. The traveler who is unaware of the regional strains has no point of comparison for the quality and characteristics of any potential purchase. Runtz acts as a point of familiarity in almost every dispensary staff member’s knowledge.
Runtz goes from being a strain to being the point of reference for a traveler to judge an unknown strain without having to start a search for a completely new breed.
Runtz is the result of a well-documented hybridization between the Zkittlez and the Gelato varieties, both of which are widely recognized and well-known parent strains themselves. With such genetic transparency, travelers gain a solid base for comparison from the get-go.
In contrast, local strains, especially in emerging markets, will lack that kind of documentation. While a budtender might be able to give an overall description of the strain, travelers would lack that solid base for comparison since there is no genetic documentation to help out.
By comparing the genetics of a local strain to the well-known Zkittlez x Gelato genetics of Runtz, travelers are provided with an easy way to figure out the similarities of the local strain.
The Runtz variety possesses a unique, candy smell, with fruity and subtle citrus tones in addition to its thick and colorful buds, which may be colored anything from dark green to violet. It is precisely the scent and looks of this variety that have been well-recognized by the cannabis market.
Due to the popularity of the variety, travelers usually refer to it as a sensory guide for identifying another strain. Describing the local strain as “smelling like Runtz” or possessing “buds similar to those of Runtz” instantly creates an image for travelers, who may not have experienced the strain themselves yet.
This is made possible due to the uniqueness of the variety in terms of its appearance and smell.
Runtz has been diversified into many different variations such as Pink Runtz, Banana Runtz, Watermelon Runtz, and Space Runtz, amongst others. This is while keeping the genetic link of the original intact, but giving something unique to each variant.
The variant concept has prepared many travelers to be aware of such strain groups even when moving to a new market. The new market would provide its own versions of strains based on similarities of flavors, colors, or genetic background.
This expectation will influence the way travelers browse the menu of any new dispensary. If the new market provides its own versions of the strain in a manner similar to Runtz’s diversification, it would be easier for travelers to navigate through the menu.
After the first sniffing and comparison of genetics, the true challenge of the choice lies in testing and source verification. The fact is that Runtz products, which have documentation and information about how they were cultivated, provide visitors with some standards regarding good sources.
But local strains, which lack the same transparency, will face additional difficulty, even if the aroma and appearance are very attractive. More and more visitors tend to consider the laboratory tests rather than the marketing description, especially with regard to trying something new on the local market.
That is what makes the difference at the end of the day. Visitors may first of all compare the local strain with Runtz by aroma or genetics, but the final choice always depends on transparency and source information.
Travelers make comparisons based on Runtz because the strain provides a benchmark that is not readily available in many other markets: something familiar. The genetics, smell, variety, and testing of the strain allow travelers to have a useful benchmark when trying out new things.
As cannabis tourism keeps growing into different areas, this practice is bound to keep going on. For travelers trying out their luck in a completely new area, it makes sense to use a reliable benchmark such as Runtz to make the right decision.
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