Episode 24

Rhelm Cannabis, Flower, “Tangerine” strain

Eighth, $65

Purchased: 8/16/2025 (Elevated Roots, Kingston)

Packaged: July 23^rd

I was born a cynic, and I’m skeptical of fancy packaging for weed, but Rhelm Cannabis just about lived up to the hype.

Tasting/Testing Episode 24: Rhelm Cannabis, Flower, “Tangerine” strain

When I saw a batch of Rhelm Cannabis on one of my local menus, I knew I had to try it. My good friend Trevor of @Good Times Broadcasting Group had texted me a month or two ago to inform me that Rhelm was the best he had bought in a Mass dispensary. That, plus the $65 price tag on an eighth advertised at 17.1% Total THC had my curiosity raised. And sure, I like tangerines, so Tangerine strain was fine by me.

This packaging isn’t just indulgent, a la emerging-market state, it’s also meticulously designed. The pink and black theme, the polka dots, and the cartoon skulls merge “cute” and “edgy” into a style that feels on point with the moment. The slightly odd, silhouetted depiction of an unremarkably-faced man with his contours unflatteringly smoothed into a bowling-pin shape is striking, memorable, but not pretentious.

This package is precision design at it’s finest. The printing of polka-dots on the box stops before the bottom with a curve carved out for the thumb-pulls of the lid – this makes it so the sides of the box are entirely white until you open it. The jar is positioned in the box on an embossed, black cardboard splint so that its lid is flush with top of the box when the boxtop is remove. The jar is crystal clear, showing off the buds which just fit inside. Note that, because there was no dead space in the packaging and the pliant buds were pressed in firmly but not tightly, they were completely unshaken and unbruised. Somebody spent a lot of time and thought on the details of this package – I could go on.

When I opened the jar, I smelled a tangie funk that brought me back in time. I grew up in Florida, with citrus trees everywhere. My uncle had a couple of tangerine tree in his yard that gave the most delicious fruit. This weed reminded me of the sweet, slightly sick smell under those trees, where fallen fruits have begun to ferment and rot. This enticing fruit essence has stuck on my fingers for hours since I rolled a joint, and brings my mind back so vividly that I remember the squish of a spoiling fruit under my bare foot.

The flower itself was gorgeous, sparkling under good light, and the trichomes were clear-headed and unbowed. The smoke was smooth and flavorful, and gradually mellowed me out in a high that developed over time. The last few puffs of my joint, where the resin got really concentrated, left my tongue feeling buzzy and my head full of tangerine funk. The perfect weather of the day felt even more perfect, that grouchy neighbor actually said “good morning” in a friendly-ish tone, and I began to feel my appetite after a little too much coffee.

I tested the flower with the LightLab 3 HS Cannabis Analyzer from Orange Photonics. I decided to perform only one test on this flower because I wanted more to smoke. While the amount of THCA I measured came in slightly lower than the label, the THC was a bit higher. So I measured a Total THC just 0.5% lower than the label, well within 10% of the claimed total. Considering my own error and the natural variability of cannabis buds, that’s pretty remarkable.

You could certainly argue that I was lucky to buy this weed just a few weeks after it was packaged, and that it was helped by its freshness. I might counterargue that weed like this doesn’t sit on the shelf long enough to get old, impressive Total THC or no.

I really was impressed by the total experience of this Rhelm Cannabis, and the commitment to excellence that must underlie it. If this is what they deliver every time, then they live up to the hype. At the same time, I can’t really imagine making this my every day weed. All the precise features and artistry of the package, and the novelty of the flavor, are meant to be shared rather than enjoyed alone. And when I want to roll a quick afternoon joint, I might not always care for all that packaging and the way this stuff sticks to the grinder. I recommend you get this for an occasion and share the appreciation of excellence!