Pheno numbers. Lab testing. Research and development. For every batch of prime products, we release to market, patients can trust that there is a wealth of care and attention behind every strain to ensure quality and consistency. Through our “Behind the Strains” newsletter series, patients can take an in-depth look at the expert combination of passion and science that drives our in-house breeding program for creating new cultivars. Each installment walks you through the conception and execution of our most innovative breeding projects— outlining descriptive traits, terpenes, and lineage in the featured strains’ profiles.
Today, we’re giving you the backstory behind the breeding process for one of the most legendary cultivars in our library that made its dispensary debut in time for 420 of last year— Urban Legend.
Planting the Seed: Urban Legend is a cross between the long-time patient favorite Legend of 91 #9, commonly known as the “dutch fire pheno” for its sweet flavors and purple hues and the garlicky indica Marie Laveau (now no longer available in our library of product offerings). Like all strains offered by the prime brand, Urban Legend was started in our grow rooms from seed.
Our seed-to-sale commitment is an integral part of keeping our grow environment healthy and prioritizing the patient’s well-being. By germinating seeds for each of our prime cultivars, we naturally mitigate opportunities for pests and pathogens to harm our plants. This seed-based foundation for our genetic library also gives our cultivators a unique opportunity to create prime-exclusive strains like Urban Legend— designed with the medical needs of Commonwealth patients in mind.
Taking Root:
As soon as the Urban Legend seedlings emerged from soil, our team of expert cultivators began closely monitoring and logging the unique development of all individual plants from this cross. Ultimately, they narrowed down the Urban Legend grown to focus on two unique plant expressions that embodied the most desirable traits of their Marie Laveau and Legend of 91 parents— the new car and bubba kush phenos. Displaying a tight bud structure reminiscent of its Afghan heritage, the #48 bubba kush pheno boasts distinct flavors of incense, gas, and cream. Its counterpart, the #24 new car pheno, features sweet and mellow aromas with distinctive notes of potpourri and tennis balls.
Budding Medical Potential:
The Urban Legend cultivar is designated as an “indica,” based on its characteristic broad leaves and tight buds that grow on its squat plant structure. While terms like “indica” and “sativa” were once believed to accurately describe the potential effects of a strain, our experts now look at these terms as a means of simply describing the anatomy and growth structure of a plant. Instead of these horticultural terms, we encourage patients to explore terpenes— aromatic compounds that make up the essential oils of the medical marijuana plant— to understand the potential medical benefits offered by a particular strain.
Urban Legend’s terpene profile, for example, largely comprises myrcene, limonene, and caryophyllene. Its notable myrcene percentages may potentially enable this strain to provide sedative and muscle relaxing effects. This potential may be further aided by the bisabolol in this strain’s makeup. Also found in the well-known herbal calming agent chamomile, bisabolol may potentially provide relief for patients seeking anxiety relief.
This month, patients can look forward to seeing a number of Urban Legend products on dispensary shelves— including bubba kush pheno live resin cartridges and pods that boast over 12.6% terpenes. Both the new car and bubba kush phenos will be available in flower form as well, with such impressive test results as over 2% total terpenes in this batch of #48 flower. Patients should check with their dispensary pharmacist on whether this prime product might work for their unique medical needs.
