Big Sur Holy Weed

Accounts of Big Sur Holy Weed repeatedly describe an alert, uplifting high; at the same time, consumers doubt that all buds sold under this name come from the same plant. The predominantly sativa-leaning line is linked to the coastal cliffs of Big Sur in California, and no source names an original breeder. It also circulates as BSHW, Big Sur Holy Bud, Big Sur Holy or Trip, and several breeders maintain their own lines.

Community Experiences:

Consumers describe the effects with terms such as energetic and euphoric, creative and focused, along with good mood, talkativeness and a cerebral high that some find psychedelic. In one report it set in about 20 minutes after smoking. Several authors describe physical relaxation with a clear head.

There are dissenting voices. One consumer found the strain unusually sedating and sleep-inducing for a sativa, while another noticed a heavy body effect that only turned into drive once they were moving. Dry mouth is mentioned several times as a side effect, along with dry eyes; individual reports mention harsh smoke and an urge to cough.

Impressions differ on appearance as well: one report highlights large, resin-glossy buds with dark pink pistils, while another criticizes weak trichome coverage on dense buds. Some authors note that today's product is hybridized and has little in common with the outdoor weed of earlier decades. In one case, according to the author, the same buds were also offered as Humboldt Holy Weed.

Genetics and Origin:

The most widespread version of the story was told by the Mercury News: a reclusive monk named Perry is said to have sown seeds of a rare Mexican variety on the Big Sur coast in 1965. Old World Organics picks up on this. According to the breeder, one of its founders received the seeds in the 1970s on a surfing trip; the breeder names Zacatecas Purple and Mazar-i-Sharif as parents. Other strain descriptions list Mexican Haze in place of Zacatecas Purple. Bodhi Seeds classifies the plant generally as an Afghan-Mexican cross whose effect leans toward sativa and whose growth leans toward indica.

Journalist Lester Black followed the trail for SFGATE and found no evidence of a stable line under this name. The New Camaldoli Hermitage denies any involvement; whether Perry existed remains open. Mojave Richmond, a breeder born in Big Sur, considers a uniform variety from that period impossible; in Richmond's account, there is no single Big Sur Holy Weed. According to the research, growers at the time crossed seeds from Mexico, Afghanistan and Thailand, the plants pollinated freely and changed with every generation. According to the Mercury News, the old line is considered lost, and local growers today cultivate varieties such as Khyber Afghani, Haze and Blue Dream.

That different plants are passed on under the name is shown by the offspring breeding. For Big Sur HolyDiesel, Riot Seeds crossed a phenotype labeled Purple Z with Original Diesel. For Big Sur Blessings, Strayfox Gardenz combined an F2 of Doc D's Big Sur Holy Bud with a line called Lem's Big Sur Holy Weed, and Coastal Seed Co used BSHW together with Hazy Kush for Coastal Haze.

Aroma and Flavor:

Bodhi Seeds describes a wide range for its line, from the smell of soggy bread to blueberry with a menthol note. Consumer reports mention earth, pine and citrus, as well as spicy, sweet and woody tones, berries and a minty sweetness. Another strain description names a sweet, herbal melon scent and, in flavor, licorice and hot peppers. Occasionally a smell reminiscent of damp stains is mentioned, although no mold was present; one consumer did not find the sweetness of the scent again in the smoke.

Versions from Different Breeders:

Bodhi Seeds lists Big Sur Holy Bud, derived from the line of a Big Sur grower, and also Doc D's Big Sur Holy Bud. The breeder describes a wide spread: genetically purple plants, phenotypes with pink pistils, a less common sativa type and numerous hybrid forms.

For Big Sur Holy, Old World Organics states a sativa share of 70 %, a flowering time of 10 weeks indoors and, outdoors, a harvest in late October at 45 degrees north latitude. The breeder rates the yield as high, as well as the resistance to mold, mildew and pests. Reeferman, Danbo and HHF are also named as earlier sources of the genetics. The line is described for indoor and outdoor cultivation and exclusively as regular seed.

THC and CBD Content:

One strain description gives 18 % THC and 0 % CBD and names myrcene, pinene and limonene as the dominant terpenes.