Fluent Cannabis Flower Review: “Atlas” (Durban Poison – Sativa)

Mid-November 2019 marked the first time in quite a while that Fluent released a new flower strain, with their “Atlas”, which is their name for the classic Durban Poison sativa.

Durban Poison is what is known as a “landrace strain”, meaning that it is a variety of cannabis that is native to a certain geographical area, and is one of many strains that have led to the hundreds of hybrid strains available today.

Durban Poison hails from South Africa and was selectively bred and finalized in Amsterdam. It is one of the few pure 100% sativa strains that is available on the market today, and brings on very potent cerebral effects that can border on the edge of being psychedelic in nature.

Quick Facts:

Durban Poison (Sativa)

Price at time of review: $50/eighth 

Lineage: Landrace Sativa from Africa (No Parent Strains)

Batch/Harvest Number: 4413949215644209

Cannabinoids

THC: 23.150%

CBD: 0.051%

Total Cannabinoids: 23.201%

Terpenes

Unfortunately, Fluent doesn’t make their lab reports available, so I have no terpene percentages to provide for this strain. Whenever this information becomes available, I will update this section with the terpenes and their percentages.

Appearance/Cure

This eighth of Durban Poison features mostly medium green buds, with a few darker green patches. Very noticeably covering this flower is a thick blanket of golden-amber trichomes, and a generous coating of medium-dark orange pistils. The crystals are so noticeable on my buds that they sparkle without a flashlight being held directly on them – this is some of the most resinous/kiefy flower I’ve seen from Fluent, and you can see it in the images above.

The moisture content and cure were done very well. The bud is, very, very, slightly on the dry side of the moisture spectrum; however, the buds are dense and do not crumble apart when broken down, so this does not really detract from the overall score in this section.

One thing consistent with Fluent’s flower is that it is always cured and trimmed well, and this batch of their “Atlas” flower is another fine example of that high quality.

Appearance/Cure Rating: 6.80/10.00

Smell/Taste

Of all the various strains of flower that have been available from Fluent, this is the most “loud” and pungent strain that I’ve gotten there. Opening the jar reveals a pungent odor that is equal parts skunky and sweet, with earthy and spicy terpenes in the background.

One thing I’ve noticed about most of Fluent’s flower is that the terpenes seem to be subtle; until I tried this “Atlas” flower, their “Odra” (OG Kush) flower was really the only strain that had a strong, immediately noticeable smell. However, this flower definitely takes it a step further, with that classic funky, somewhat sour smell that many people associate with their first experiences with quality cannabis.

The taste when smoked is earthy, spicy, and sweet. If Fluent could figure out how to get all of their strains’ terpene profiles to develop and “pop” like this, it would take their flower to the next level of high quality.

Smell/Taste Rating: 7.60/10.00

Effects/Medical Use

Due to being a landrace strain, Durban poison is a rare example of a 100% sativa. This certainly comes through in its effects, and it is one of the most powerful and racy sativas that I have tried to this point.

My first time trying Durban Poison, I took one fairly large hit early in the morning (I have a somewhat low tolerance currently.) Cerebral effects immediately began to set in, my vision seemed to become enhanced, and my mind began engaging my surroundings and examining everything in great detail. After about 30 minutes in, the experience turned borderline psychedelic – almost like a very low dose of LSD – as my visual and mental perception seemed to completely shift to another angle. I felt a bit socially awkward due to being heavily medicated, so I took some time to let the effects fade a bit before really engaging with the tasks I had at the time.

I did not continue to have this experience after the first time; it is almost as if this strain seemed to shock my cannabinoid system a bit the first time I tried it. Every other time, the effects are as one would expect from a pure sativa: energetic, motivating, racy, etc. Some have referred to this as the “espresso of cannabis strains”; that is a fairly accurate description.

If you need energy and motivation, this is an excellent strain. I’d recommend it for early morning use – a great strain if you like to medicate soon after waking. I would not recommend this strain at night, as the energetic qualities may make it hard to fall asleep.

New patients or patients with a low tolerance should use caution and “start low and go slow” with Durban Poison; it is the type of sativa strain that has potential to induce anxiety and paranoia if the patient is not prepared for the powerful effects.

Possibly good for treating:

• Depression
• ADD/ADHD or focus-related issues
• Lack of motivation
• Improves concentration and memory recall
• Increases energy/alertness, in a way almost similar to caffeine 
• Good for “stepping out of the box” with current mindset; good for changing mental perspective.
• High doses may be similar to a very low dose of psychedelic drugs such as LSD

I’m definitely no medical doctor, so please take the preceding conditions only as my own personal observations from using this strain and having experience with a multitude of different cannabis strains. Every body is different, and every body reacts different to various medications. 

Effects Rating: 8.00/10.00

Overall Rating: 7.46/10.00

Overall, I would best describe “Atlas” as a “good powerful” sativa strain from Fluent Cannabis.

Though I feel $50 is too expensive for eighths of non-exotic strains in the current Florida cannabis market, I didn’t feel too terrible about what I paid for the quality of this eighth. It is the best overall flower I’ve gotten from Fluent as of the time this review was written.

If you’re looking for a powerful sativa to get you moving, and for a strain to change your current state of mind or way of perceiving life, I recommend this strain to you. This strain works particularly well for treating my depression and resultant motivation issues, so I will most likely be purchasing it again in the future.

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