Episode 22

Citibudz, Flower, “Gushers n Crème” strain

One eighth, $40

Purchased: 7/13/2025 (Piffcon Brooklyn)

Packaged: ????

Tasting/Testing Ep. 22: A dank bud from a dank show.

While I was at Piffcon, the epic Brooklyn trap show hosted by Piff Coast Farms, I did some shopping. As I walked the floor, one enterprising salesman called me over. The clever logo on the banner draped from his table had caught my eye, and this sharp gentleman had noticed.

The brand was Citibudz, and the art was two pimped Hasidic jews with the slogan “Let’s Get Chai.” The rest of the branding played off CitiBank. Everything about it screamed “NEW YORK!!!” The sales patter, though delivered at modest volume, was also evocative of place.

I went with the “Gushers n Crème” strain based on the smell, which I could test by opening the pouch and sniffing before choosing my purchase. This flower reminded me a bit of the ‘Sundae Punch’ grown by my friend Cranberry. Dark in color, and a flavor so complex that you notice something different each time you have it.

The whole bag was one dense, sticky bud that was slightly compacted from its journeys and light of 3.5 grams by 0.15 g. It left my fingers pungent of smelly candy.

When I examined the bud and started breaking it apart, I was reminded of Vermont 20 years ago. Back then, I recall getting eighths that started out as one, slightly wet bud. You could pick it apart readily into “budlets,” small bundles of bracts that popped readily off the stem with sugar leaves at their margins. In the old days, I stretched my weed to the limit by smoking bits at a time out of glass, and by the time I got to the base of the bud it was crispy and dried out.

This Citibudz bud was exactly the same, but it didn’t last as long because I smoked it in joints. This was definitely a wet cure, no English word applies better than “dank.” I caught some great images that show off golden masses of trichomes and sugar leaves that are almost black.

Sometimes it was hard to light, it was so moist, but this bud was delicious. The smoke had some umami and spice to it, and some puffs tasted more fruity, while others carried notes of garlic. Occasionally, I caught a note that reminded me of cherry cough drop. I got a rich and stoney high that I felt right between my eyes. Dank indeed!!!!

When I tested this with the LightLab 3 HS Cannabis Analyzer from Orange Photonics, there was no label to compare with. Measuring cannabinoids hasn’t reached the street dealers yet, although a number of those at Piffcon expressed interest in the LightLab.

My findings were interesting, because measuring 4% D9THC in flower is a little unusual. It makes sense, though. These wares are getting trucked around NYC and Long Island, they aren’t sealed up tightly, and it was sweltering in Piffcon when I saw them. I believe that the wetter the bud, the more susceptible to decarboxylation. Note, however, that this “degradation” didn’t result in a big drop in total cannabinoids, this stuff isn’t filled to brimming with CBN(A), it was delicious, and it baked out an expert consumer.

There are a lot of barriers to entering the legal cannabis market, and I’m not here to judge those who are sitting it out. In Piffcon, I heard a lot of words from growers about the merits of organic farming in living soil without pesticides, but I have no assurance of who was sincere. I would like to see society move toward integrating these folks into more regulated systems, one way or another.