Why are Gelatos (and Runtz) so popular? The high is flat.

After growing >30 strains in 4 years (none auto), including 3 different gelatos (purple, green (both 33), and Runthz (Runtz x again with Zkittles x OZ Kush x Kosher Kush), I generally categorize the highs as either flat/level, up/lifting, or down/sloppy. So far, all gelatos have hit flat. An example of down/sloppy high is what strawberry diesel hybrids do to me. I much prefer the lift/clear headedness of, for example, gorilla cookies.

Up/lift + complex pleasant flavor + pungent smell is what I like.

Yes, gelato hybrids yield pretty well, and you might find a simple lemon terpene profile in runtz, but the high is flat. What's up with that? Is it just pretty to look at?

Apostatize said:

After growing >30 strains in 4 years (none auto), including 3 different gelatos (purple, green (both 33), and Runthz (Runtz x again with Zkittles x OZ Kush x Kosher Kush), I generally categorize the highs as either flat/level, up/lifting, or down/sloppy. So far, all gelatos have hit flat. An example of down/sloppy high is what strawberry diesel hybrids do to me. I much prefer the lift/clear headedness of, for example, gorilla cookies.

Up/lift + complex pleasant flavor + pungent smell is what I like.

Yes, gelato hybrids yield pretty well, and you might find a simple lemon terpene profile in runtz, but the high is flat. What's up with that? Is it just pretty to look at?

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thank the mainstream rappers for making the "cookies" brand popular along with them selling clothing in stores therefore making anything they sell popular.

Example: if say wiz khalifa etc is smoking it then so should i.

same marketing as anything else.

Modelo and Bug Light are beers. But they are watered down (the gelato & Runtz) of beer.
I on the other hand don’t care for that.
I prefer a nice craft beer (like a home grower) from a local brewery which taste better and hits harder than those main stream beers (modelo/bug light).
I laugh every time I see a “cookies” logo on someone’s T-shirt like they think it’s cool.
All that tells me is you don’t grow your own and you have no idea what good weed is.
And you probably still live with mommy and daddy with no bills to afford the over priced dispo “cookies” weed.

Some cookies I like, it's specifically Gelato and Runtz that don't do it for me.

GG4 x Thin Mint GSC is actually very good. It's more peppery than citrus, and it delivers the uplifting high I like. I'm hoping Apple Fritter x Tangerine Cookies (Apples n' Oranges) is also a keeper.

Most cookie hybrids have that boring flat high. It’s what turned me off of those strains, sucks too because they’re super dense and frosty and have cool flavors. Just really boring non inspiring buzz. Mac and dosido are better examples but still not that interesting

skuba said:

Most cookie hybrids have that boring flat high. It’s what turned me off of those strains, sucks too because they’re super dense and frosty and have cool flavors. Just really boring non inspiring buzz. Mac and dosido are better examples but still not that interesting

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I've reduced strains down to ~8: 4 main strains (most cloned), and 4 that generally have a longer flowering time (sativa-leaning). If the high is flat and/or the strain lacks flavor or has an unpleasant flavor, I exclude it. Taste and effects are my highest priority. But looks are fairly important.

I've enjoyed seeds from elev8 (Gorilla Cookies, now trying Apples 'N Oranges) (among the main 4); and I received freebies from Bred by 42 (Cherry Pound Cake and Orange Fruity Pebbles x Golden Lemons (OFPGL)) (among the second group of 4). Cool because I blew a lot of money on Dark Horse seeds and only kept one, maybe two of their strains.

Cherry Pound Cake is purple, but more potent than other purples I've had. If I replace it, it would be for another purple that has a more pronounced effervescent terpene profile (and, if possible, a shorter flowering time and higher yield).

Bred by 42's OFPGL is still in veg, but I'm really looking forward to it because its genetics include, but are not limited to, Lambsbread/breath, Jack Herer, and Agent Orange. Should be fun. All from Bred by 42 are regular seeds. Although I'll probably eventually replace it for a shorter flowering time (13.5 weeks is not very practical), I'm hoping the flavor AND effects set the bar pretty high.

Alot of people like getting a little high. They like smoking alot of weed and being able to get higher and higher, but never too high. Some people, like myself, like getting so high that they need to crawl under some blankets and convince themselves that they arent going to die.

A buddy of mine has a cut of real deal holyfield gsc. He loves it. I gave him clones of the first two pineapple fields females I grew, he loves those too. One he loves because its neat and the high is good, the other he loves because the high is really good. One is a cultural phenomena that people who dont smoke weed are aware of, the other is just another 12 dollar per seed cultivar in a sea of seed banks and breeders.

I cannot imagine a world where everyone is into 16 week sativas in the same way I cant imagine a world where everyone listens to Hiatus Kaiyote. Which is fine, more for me.

Marketing, marketing, marketing. People buy what they are told to buy, particularly if they are not well educated about the product and have to rely on other people’s expertise. Also, I think there is a placebo effect, particularly if the person does not have a good frame of reference. For instance, good weed is relative and although what is “good” can be objectively quantified, it is still subjective (I am not high while writing this).

Think about it, there was a time when we all thought we had good weed, but then we tried more strains and our frame of reference broadened. What was once thought was good weed, may now be “meh” weed. The weed likely didn’t change, but our frame of reference did.

To each his or her own. I grew gelato strains 1x, but smoked many gelato strains. I think that the high is meh, but then again I think the same of other strains that people really like.

AScrilla said:

Marketing, marketing, marketing. People buy what they are told to buy, particularly if they are not well educated about the product and have to rely on other people’s expertise. Also, I think there is a placebo effect, particularly if the person does not have a good frame of reference. For instance, good weed is relative and although what is “good” can be objectively quantified, it is still subjective (I am not high while writing this).

Think about it, there was a time when we all thought we had good weed, but then we tried more strains and our frame of reference broadened. What was once thought was good weed, may now be “meh” weed. The weed likely didn’t change, but our frame of reference did.

To each his or her own. I grew gelato strains 1x, but smoked many gelato strains. I think that the high is meh, but then again I think the same of other strains that people really like.

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I generally agree, however, I think timing is just as important. I think the explosion of cookies lines up damn near perfectly with the first recreational bills passing in washington and colorado. I dont think thats a coincidence.

Tolerance Break said:

I generally agree, however, I think timing is just as important. I think the explosion of cookies lines up damn near perfectly with the first recreational bills passing in washington and colorado. I dont think thats a coincidence.

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Yeah I'd agree with that. It definitely seems like a strain on the ground floor of rec. I personally feel like it was better before somehow. Like the first couple times I tried a cookie strain it was pretty good but for a few years now it's code for pretty but not that strong.

Tolerance Break said:

I generally agree, however, I think timing is just as important. I think the explosion of cookies lines up damn near perfectly with the first recreational bills passing in washington and colorado. I dont think thats a coincidence.

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Which could fall right back on the marketing. As it is legalized recreationally and generally more accepted by the public, the marketing can become more and more broad getting to more people that weren't previously engulfed in the culture.

Killaki said:

Yeah I'd agree with that. It definitely seems like a strain on the ground floor of rec. I personally feel like it was better before somehow. Like the first couple times I tried a cookie strain it was pretty good but for a few years now it's code for pretty but not that strong.

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As it became more and more in demand, I'd imagine that it started getting rushed and grown for commercial applications so the quality drops to make room for quantity. All speculation of course, but it makes sense to me.

TCH said:

Which could fall right back on the marketing. As it is legalized recreationally and generally more accepted by the public, the marketing can become more and more broad getting to more people that weren't previously engulfed in the culture.

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I'm in agreement. I think the two go hand in hand.

If blue dream or what have you was the strain of the day at the time, I imagine that's what we would see.

Most people don't know shit about weed until they grow it.

Killaki said:

Yeah I'd agree with that. It definitely seems like a strain on the ground floor of rec. I personally feel like it was better before somehow. Like the first couple times I tried a cookie strain it was pretty good but for a few years now it's code for pretty but not that strong.

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Most people don't know when to harvest. People will spend thousands on a set up along with genetics and harvest several weeks early.

I think hybrid vigor falls off dramatically when weed is inbred, and people have been crossing cookie hybrids with other cookie hybrids for years now. Its as if cousins had kids and those kids had kids with their cousins, so on and so forth. Not all strains can be successful IBLs

Aside from the obvious marketing strength. . ..

Runtz and Gelato are GREAT smelling herbs with FANTASTIC bag appeal. Aroma & "looks" are more important to more smokers than will admit it, especially as far as the legal/dispensary market is concerned.

I agree about the "flat" high, I get the same thing from Purple Punch, but it's still a great strain that crosses VERY nicely with other things. Same thing with the great aroma and bag appeal too, Purp Punch is a "looker" but never really packed a punch for me.

Tolerance Break said:

Most people don't know when to harvest. People will spend thousands on a set up along with genetics and harvest several weeks early.

I think hybrid vigor falls off dramatically when weed is inbred, and people have been crossing cookie hybrids with other cookie hybrids for years now. Its as if cousins had kids and those kids had kids with their cousins, so on and so forth. Not all strains can be successful IBLs

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So, would you agree that there are benefits to selfing (e.g., stability, promoting specific phenos)? Is it specifically yield that's lost? Since standards are higher than in the 90s/early 2000s, does yield matter so much if seeds are more likely to produce the pheno you want?

I've got two currently that I'm aware of that have either been back-crossed multiple times or are otherwise at least an S1.

Tolerance Break said:

Most people don't know when to harvest. People will spend thousands on a set up along with genetics and harvest several weeks early.

I think hybrid vigor falls off dramatically when weed is inbred, and people have been crossing cookie hybrids with other cookie hybrids for years now. Its as if cousins had kids and those kids had kids with their cousins, so on and so forth. Not all strains can be successful IBLs

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It's like "Idiocracy" with plants

I love that movie. But i hate that it's basically a "documentary".

PopAndSonGrows said:

It's like "Idiocracy" with plants

I love that movie. But i hate that it's basically a "documentary".

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You just read my mind!

BTW my current favorite dab is a Cherry Gelato, something I don't have to hide under the bed after dabbing LOL my SSH is closet material but sweet, you just have to allocate some spare time to 'enjoy' her.

curious2garden said:

You just read my mind!

BTW my current favorite dab is a Cherry Gelato, something I don't have to hide under the bed after dabbing LOL my SSH is closet material but sweet, you just have to allocate some spare time to 'enjoy' her.

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oooooo that sounds nice. me personally, I like the dank "GMO" type concentrates, they seem to hit me harder than the sweet stuff.

Hype marketing and bs is how cookies gelato etc all got big i dont find them very appealing or very potent the odd cookie hybrid can be ok but for the most part i find it all way too weak for me and i aint talking just thc content i just mean when i smoke it it dont get me very high compared to so many other things

PopAndSonGrows said:

It's like "Idiocracy" with plants

I love that movie. But i hate that it's basically a "documentary".





Sad but true tis a great film but it is sadly becoming more like a documentary as time goes on it feels like i agree

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