Hello everyone – hope this message finds you well! This product review marks my return to working on this site and the Collective project after a 2-3 week hiatus from everything. Without going into too much detail that I’m sure none of you really care about, I will say that life in 2020 has been exhausting, with both the pandemic and the civil unrest in the country – on top of working my full-time, 50 hour per week career. Frankly, I had no energy left at the end of the day to contribute. But human beings are incredibly resilient creatures, and I simply can’t seem to spend prolonged time away from this community that I love so dearly.

Key Largo is one of many phenotypes of GrowHealthy’s Florida Keys strain. I really appreciate GrowHealthy for labeling the Florida Keys phenotypes as different strains, as I believe they are the first MMTC/dispensary in Florida to do this. For those who didn’t click the informative phenotype link, I’ll try to explain it in a simple/concise way:

Phenotypes are basically just different expressions of the same genetics. We can even think of them like human children: two parents can have several children; unless there are identical twins in the mix, chances are that each child will have their own unique looks and personality. While there may be (sometimes extremely close) similarities, the children are different; they are their own individuals, they have their own names, and they serve different purposes in the world as they live their lives.

Phenotypes are basically the same for cannabis strains: two parent strains have the potential to produce several different “children” (phenotyopes), depending on several factors such as the strain’s genetic predisposition to have a large variance between different batches. Many of us have already familiarized ourselves with phenotypes: If you’re aware of the Girl Scout Cookies strain, you may have heard of various Cookies strains such as Thin Mint, Platinum Cookies, etc. – these are all phenotypes of the Girl Scout Cookie strain.

GrowHealthy, by labeling and selling their Florida Keys phenotypes as different strains, is doing something I think everyone should be doing. Why not label the different phenotypes? It’s a mutual win for both the MMTC and the patients: the MMTCs have a larger product selection (more appealing to investors and others who fund the operation), and patients are more likely to dial in a strain that works for their unique morphology and conditions.

I can’t iterate this enough: every MMTC should label and sell their various strains’ phenotypes as completely different strains with unique names, because the variance between phenotypes can be just as much or greater than the variance between entirely different strains/genetics.

Quick Facts:

Key Largo (Indica)

Price at time of review: $50/eighth 

Lineage: Bubba Kush x Key Lime Mints

Batch Number: F-061720-KYLG-1

Cannabinoids

THC: 13.70%

CBD: 0.00%

Total Cannabinoids: 13.70%

Terpenes

R-Limonene: 0.690%

Trans-Carophyllene: 0.363%

Beta-Myrcene: 0.317%

Total Terpenes: 1.37%

Appearance/Cure

Key Largo really expressed itself beautifully in this batch, and proved to be a great example of my preceding discussion about how different phenotypes can be. You can look at the pictures in the Florida Keys review and see that it looks like an entirely different strain (other than similar bud structure). The color presentation with Key Largo is absolutely beautiful, with the deep purples really providing a contrast that shows just how caked in trichomes these buds are.

GrowHealthy seems to have an all-star grow team, as the overall cure and quality of their flower seems to be in a league in its own compared to anything else than I’ve tried, other than a few recent batches from Trulieve. This eighth of Key Largo was no exception, with dense buds that seemed to have a perfect moisture content – and a lot of stickiness.

If GrowHealthy continues to keep and improve this quality of flower, I don’t see anything stopping them from being the best in Florida. The entire business seems to be running well at this point.

Appearance/Cure Rating: 8.10/10.00

Smell/Taste

This phenotype, on paper, does not contain nearly the same variety of terpenes as the “main” Florida keys strain – and only half the total. But I’ve found that the percent of terpenes in the report doesn’t always accurately predict how “loud” or strong a flower’s smell will be, or even how pungent it will be. I attribute this to testing discrepancies between MMTCs and the fact that we still have a lot to learn about terpenes, flavonoids, and everything that contributes to what makes cannabis so wonderful.

With all that being said, the smell and taste of this strain reminds me a lot of another GrowHealthy favorite: Wookie Girl. There’s that really sweet, dessert/cookies-esque smell that I find difficult to fully describe. Anyone who’s had Wookie Girl will be able to recognize it immediately, though. I’ve never found two different strains that smelled so similar until I came across these two. A comparison of their terpene profiles shows a similar terpene makeup, with limonene being the dominant terpene in both. This explains the dominant sweetness of both strains.

It didn’t really smell like Florida Keys, which smelled more like a sweet lime citrus dessert pastry. Key Largo, though being limonene-dominant, doesn’t have much of a citrus smell to me. The herbal, earthy, sweet cookies smell and taste are what dominate this phenotype.

If you like the smell and taste of Wookie Girl, I estimate you’ll enjoy Key Largo as well.

Smell/Taste Rating: 8.40/10.00

Effects/Medical Use

Keeping with the theme of “this strain is a lot like Wookie Girl”, the effects follow suit. Key Largo is extremely relaxing and uplifting, but never sedating. The potency might be questioned due to the low THC content, but I found Key Largo to pack a punch, perfect for winding down immediately after a long day of work.

The one drawback I’ve discovered with some (not all) low THC strains is that the effects, while perhaps equally potent to higher THC strains, fail to achieve the same longevity. I found myself going for another hit of Key Largo every 30-45 minutes, when typically I wait closer to 2 hours between sessions.

This was a “lighter” indica that I found suitable for afternoon, evening, and night time usage. While it was great for relaxation, I found myself going to other strains for the sedation I need to treat my occasional insomnia.

I think of it as Wookie Girl, or even Florida Keys – without quite the same sedative punch. It’s a good “bridge” strain, but not one to end the day on – for me, at least.

Possibly good for treating:

• Depression
• Anxiety 
• Moderate aches and pains
• Moderate nausea/gastrointestinal issues
• General Relaxation 
• May be a good strain for being social/talkative

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. Everybody is different, and every body reacts differently to various medications. 

Effects Rating: 7.50/10.00

Overall Rating: 8.00/10.00

Overall, I would best describe Key Largo as an “excellent” indica strain from GrowHealthy.

Again, I’m really glad to see GrowHealthy leading the charge on labeling different phenotypes. It’s something that the entire industry needs to adopt as a standard practice, and I look forward to seeing others follow suit soon.

Key Largo itself is a good strain, but with the lower average THC content, I think it should be a $40 eighth. The lack of longevity of the effects, coupled with the enjoyable taste and smell, makes for a product that seemed to disappear quicker than most – not a great value at $50. But the strain itself? More than solid.

Be well, and stay healthy. I appreciate each one of you and all your support, and please know that all that positivity will come back to you.

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