Isla OG

Today’s legal cannabis market is constantly evolving, bit by bit taking on the quirks of similar consumer goods industries. It was maybe only a matter of time before weed — once maligned as a dangerous substance used only by the lower classes — became a luxury product. Isla OG is one such conspicuously expensive new strain, brought to us by L.A. Island, Inc.

Isla OG made a splash after it was featured in rapper 2 Chainz’s web series Most Expensivest Shit (he smokes the stuff out in a joint rolled with 24-karat gold papers). It sells for $100 an eighth, which is more than three times as expensive as a similar quantity of cannabis at your average dispensary. This price tag nets you some novel packaging: once it’s trimmed, Isla OG apparently goes straight into aluminum canisters to cure; those canisters are then sold directly to the consumer. A few notches above plastic bags or pill bottles, this storage method has the advantage of freshness and a bit of supply chain transparency. That said, we’re a little skeptical about the producers’ choice of aluminum for Isla OG’s packaging — as we’ve pointed out in our guide to weed storage, cannabis is best preserved in cool conditions. Metallic substances like aluminum can conduct heat, especially during shipment.

There is very little information available about Isla OG’s genetic makeup. Producers LA Island (and their associated company Top Shelf THC) are no help; in fact, the manufacturer has no web presence whatsoever and no apparent products other than Isla’s sister strain Isla Hybrid and something called “Original OG.” The strain’s packaging doesn’t offer any clues either, simply stating that Isla is high quality and “air sealed.” The OG in the strain’s name seem to imply descent from classic indica OG Kush — although “OG” is tossed around in cannabis marketing fairly often, and isn’t a definitive assurance of plant genetics. There are also rumors floating around digital cannabis forums that Isla OG has some Hawaiian landrace roots. Ultimately, we won’t be able to solve this mystery without a deep analysis of the strain’s terpene profile or some sort of documentation from its point or origin.

Buds of Isla OG are medium sized and a have a tapered, spade-like shape. The flowers appear more wispy than densely-packed, suggesting a sativa background; the leaves stick straight out in pointy segments, reminiscent of cannabis’ cousin plant hops, instead of coiling tightly as they do in indica varieties. The flowers are a bright shade of spring green and have relatively few hairy pistils. Presumably because Isla OG is so well-preserved, packaged at its source, its trichomes are plentiful and give the strain a dewy appearance and a sticky texture. Its aroma has a musky character, not dissimilar to that of OG Kush; some notes of skunk and citrus are present as well.

While Isla OG’s name and musky odor imply some indica genes, the uniquely wispy appearance of its buds hints at a dash of sativa as well. The few reviews available for Isla OG don’t dwell much on this expensive strain’s high. If you’ve been lucky enough to get your hands on an eighth, leave a review and let us know what you think.

Some bad news for prospective growers: there are no seeds of Isla OG available for sale and, with such closely-guarded stock, it’s unlikely that many clones of Isla OG plants are circulating.

A legitimately luxurious and rewarding strain? Or a hyped-up novelty, aimed at cannabis newcomers? For now, at least, the jury is out on Isla OG.