Pennywise

Topping once is as much shaping as TGA Subcool plans for Pennywise: the breeder describes little stretch in flowering and advises topping the plants only once. The indica-dominant cross of a Harlequin mother and a Jack the Ripper father comes from TGA Genetics in California and is designed for a balanced ratio of THC and CBD.

Cultivation:

The breeder lists four main phenotypes. Smell and taste are similar; the differences show in the flowers: some plants form elongated, finger-shaped buds, others round ones, and alongside light green specimens some turn a strong purple. TGA rates plant height as low to medium, yield as medium, and the buds as dense and medium-sized. A high resistance to powdery mildew is emphasized. According to the breeder, the variety is suitable for indoors and outdoors, and regular seed is offered.

On flowering time, the figures attributed to TGA diverge: the breeder's strain description gives 60 to 67 days, another account of its statements 56 to 63 days.

One documented indoor grow came in well below that. Harvest took place after 45 days of flowering; the plants had grown from about 50 to around 110 cm, were fir-tree shaped and fast, with many medium-long to long side shoots. The grower reported very hard, compact flowers and high yield. The plants did not need much fertilizer, tolerated over- and underfeeding, and no mold appeared; they did need space between one another, however. Another grower described the flowers as dense but not rock-hard. Two further strain descriptions rate cultivation as easy, one as moderately difficult.

Genetics and Origin:

Harlequin is a clone-only variety whose lineage is traced back to Colombian Gold from the 1970s as well as lines from Thailand, Switzerland and Nepal. Jack the Ripper comes from TGA's own breeding and goes back to Jacks Cleaner and Space Queen. One strain description links the name to the horror clown from Stephen King's work, another explains it through the names of the parent varieties. The descriptions put the indica share at 70 or 80 %, while a grow report from 2013 classed the variety as sativa-dominant.

The breeder behind TGA was Montgomery “Subcool” Ball. After a wildfire in Santa Rosa destroyed his breeding facility in 2017, he rebuilt under the name The Dank. As a parent, Pennywise is found, among others, in Deadlights from Subcool's The Dank, in Curaga and Django from AlpinStash, in Heaven's Gate CBD from Tropical Seeds Company and in Penny Weed from Primordial Beanz.

THC and CBD Content:

According to TGA, more than 70 % of the tested samples reached 12 to 15 % CBD with approximately equal THC content. Other strain descriptions put both values lower, each between 8 and 10 %, and give 0.3 to 1 % for CBG.

Aroma and Flavor:

TGA describes a range from freshly ground coffee and pepper to lemon and bubblegum. Other strain descriptions add woody and herbal notes, sour citrus hints and an earthy, heavy base tone. In user reports, lemon and sweetness recur; one grower found the harvest spicy with a funky lemon note. The same grower and one strain description found the smoke harsh.

Myrcene appears in all listed terpene profiles; depending on the description, the other places are taken by terpinolene and pinene, caryophyllene and humulene, or limonene and linalool. One producer lists myrcene, guaiol and bisabolol.

Effects:

The common denominator of the user reports is relaxation with a largely clear head, along with good mood, euphoria and focus. The reports disagree on whether the variety is stimulating or tiring: some describe an uplifting start, others drowsiness. One grower felt the effect only after a delay, first as warmth and tingling in the body, later as a dreamy, sedating heaviness. One strain description points out that larger amounts can lead to pronounced lethargy.

As side effects, the reports mention dizziness and headaches, and strain descriptions additionally dry mouth, dry eyes and nervousness. In isolated cases the high was perceived as unpleasantly head-heavy.

Versions from Different Breeders:

Under Subcool's The Dank, a Pennywise F2 is listed alongside the original, described with medium height, strong lateral branching and medium to high yield with training; flowering time is given as 8 to 9 weeks. New420Guy Seeds also sells an F2 of the TGA genetics, regular and with a flowering time of 60 to 67 days. Because the parent plants tested at 1:1, this generation segregates according to the breeder: about 25 % of the seeds are said to produce CBD-dominant plants, 50 % balanced ones and 25 % THC-dominant ones. For the F1, New420Guy Seeds gives up to 12 % CBD at 12 % THC.