Critical Mass

According to Mr. Nice Seedbank, the family tree of Critical Mass consists of a strikingly heavy Afghani and the original Skunk #1. The breeder regards the cross as a reworked version of an older strain that was once sold under the name Big Bud. Shantibaba, born Scott Blakey, is credited as the breeder. The name alludes to the weight of the flowers, under which unsupported branches can snap.

Genetics and Origin:

Blakey had previously co-founded Greenhouse Seed Co. and then built up Mr. Nice Seedbank together with Howard Marks. The breeder offers Critical Mass only as regular seed; strain profiles classify it as an indica, and the short name Critical also appears.

Descriptions of the Mr. Nice version cite 1st place in the Hydro category at the Spannabis Cannabis Champions Cup 2009. The cup's winners list, however, names THC Skunk Seeds as the entrant of the awarded Critical Mass.

Barney's Farm crossed Critical Mass with its own OG Kush to make Critical Kush, and Hempbrothers used it for Afghan Mass. Dinafem combined it with a male from CBD Crew to create Critical Mass CBD.

Cultivation:

For the original, Mr. Nice states 45 to 55 days of flowering, 650 to 750 g/m² indoors and 500 to 600 g per plant outdoors, with harvest in September in the Northern Hemisphere. The breeder warns that the heavy flowers are prone to mold at high humidity.

Grow reports describe the dried flowers as rock-hard and compact, with little leaf mass. Growers consider supports necessary during flowering. One report documents, at 55 days of flowering, a stretch from about 30 to around 90 cm and a good response to topping the main stem, another a harvest after 65 days. Both report a high fertilizer demand.

Reports disagree on mold. Indoor grows of the Mr. Nice and Bulk Seed Bank versions showed susceptibility, an outdoor grow of The Plant's version did not. With the Bulk Seed Bank version, one grower harvested 28 g per plant after 55 days from 10-liter pots under 400 W and criticized uneven plants.

Versions from Different Breeders:

Feminized versions of the same lineage are offered by Zoo Seeds, among others, with the figures of Mr. Nice, and by Bulk Seed Bank with 6 to 8 weeks of flowering and 650 to 750 g/m² indoors. Zamnesia Seeds gives 60 % indica, 7 to 8 weeks, up to 600 g/m² indoors, 100 cm height indoors and 220 cm outdoors, and 18 % THC for its version. By its own account, The Plant has kept a cutting for over 10 years and states 7 to 8 weeks, 450 to 500 g/m² indoors and a height of 100 to 120 cm. Premium Cultivars refers to genetics from Mr. Nice, gives 18 % THC and lists an autoflower variant.

Critical Mass CBD from Dinafem has a different lineage; the breeder states 5 % THC and 5 % CBD at 55 days of flowering. Producers sometimes list flowers of this line simply as Critical Mass, one of them with a 2:1 ratio of CBD to THC.

THC and CBD Content:

For the original line, 3 tests from 2012 are documented, determined by thin-layer chromatography: 17 to 21 % THC, 0 to 0.2 % CBD and 0.3 to 0.9 % CBG. Such values vary by batch, cultivation and phenotype.

A producer growing the Dinafem line published a certificate of analysis in 2021 showing 8.39 % THC and 15.40 % CBD, a single measurement with no lab named. User reports from 2017 with label values of 11.9 % THC and 11.3 % CBD likewise point to CBD-rich flowers under the name.

Aroma and Flavor:

Grow reports on the Mr. Nice version list apple, sandalwood and diesel on the nose and lemongrass and hashish in the flavor. The Plant describes its version similarly, with apple, citrus and sandalwood. Other strain profiles emphasize earth, wood and skunk. Consumers sometimes describe a pungent phenotype reminiscent of gasoline, sometimes an earthy-floral scent with a lemon note. Myrcene, caryophyllene and limonene are considered the dominant terpenes.

Effects:

A relaxing effect is described that can turn into drowsiness and couch-lock in larger amounts and tends to be creative and calm in small amounts. Consumers also mention euphoria and an uplifted mood, and some emphasize a clear head. Others found the flowers weak, and an outdoor report on The Plant's version found them rather mild. Reported side effects include dry mouth and, in one case, a headache the next morning; other profiles list dry eyes, dizziness and nervousness.