Hey everyone – hope you are doing well! Islamorada (Spanish for “purple island”) is yet another Florida Keys phenotype; in fact, it’s the 4th phenotype from this line that we’ve tried and reviewed. (The others are Florida Keys, Key Largo, and Vaca Key.)

GrowHealthy recently changed the game in Florida cannabis by being the first MMTC to label different phenotypes, and sell them as entirely different strains with unique names. I really appreciate GrowHealthy for doing this. For those who didn’t click the informative phenotype link, or who may not be aware of what a phenotype is, 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:

Islamorada (Indica)

Price at time of review: $50/eighth 

Lineage: Bubba Kush x Key Lime Mints

Batch Number: F-082320-ISMD-1

Cannabinoids

THC: 17.743%

CBD: 0.00%

Total Cannabinoids: 17.743%

Terpenes

R-Limonene: 0.329%

Trans-Carophyllene: 0.208%

Beta-Myrcene: 0.151%

Linalool: 0.171%

Total Terpenes: 0.859%

Appearance/Cure

Of the 4 Florida Keys phenotypes I’ve tried to date, Islamorada seems to have the brightest coloring, with a golden-green color resulting from the abundant trichome coverage.

Like all GrowHealthy flower I’ve tried this year, this eighth has been grown and cured to near perfection. The buds are dense, sticky, and break down well – they check all the boxes I look for in high quality cannabis flower.

As I’ve stated numerous times in the past, GrowHealthy’s main driving force lies within its grow team. They are top tier, and their flower is proof of it.

Appearance/Cure Rating: 8.50/10.00

Smell/Taste

Each Florida Keys phenotype has a slightly unique terpene profile, with some varying from the “main” cross more than others. The Key Lime Mints parent seems to dominate most terpene profiles, with the Bubba Kush terpenes filling in to create the various unique smells that we get out of this line.

To recap:

Florida Keys: had a very “lime citrus dessert” smell, slight hints of coffee/diesel

Key Largo: smelled a lot like Wookie girl – dessert, licorice, coffee, sugary

Vaca Key: smelled more like the Bubba Kush parent – coffee, chocolate, hash, hints of diesel and citrus

Islamorada most closely resembles Florida Keys with its smell, albeit without quite as “full” of a smell due to the lower amount and variety of terpenes. The smell in the jar is very sweet, and unmistakably lime citrus. What seems to be lacking in Islamorada vs. Florida keys are the dessert, candy, and diesel notes. However, I find Islamorada’s smell to be especially enjoyable and refreshing, so don’t let the numbers fool you here.

The taste also comes through exceptionally well when smoked, with the taste being almost identical to the smell (something I find to be a rare occurrence when smoking flower.) Despite having less than 1% terpenes on the lab report, I absolutely love the smell of Islamorada.

Smell/Taste Rating: 8.10/10.00

Effects/Medical Use

Again, Islamorada is really close to the original Florida Keys cross with its effects: I found Florida Keys (and Islamorada) to be heavier indica strains, and have previously described the former as being similar to Wookie Girl in its effects, but heavier. The same holds true for Islamorada.

I mainly use this strain in the late evening, when I’m in the last hour or two before bedtime. The effects are body-focused immediately from the onset (with only a slight cerebral effect in my experience), and progressively become more sedating. I believe higher doses of Islamorada would make most consumers at least a little bit sleepy, but as always, your mileage may vary.

In lighter doses, this is a great strain for releasing tension and negative thoughts, and enjoying relaxing activities that don’t require too much thought.

Possibly good for treating:

• Depression
• Anxiety 
• Moderate aches and pains
• Moderate nausea/gastrointestinal issues
• General Relaxation 
• Insomnia (especially in higher doses)
• 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: 8.00/10.00

Overall Rating: 8.20/10.00

Overall, I would best describe Islamorada 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.

The entire Florida Keys line has proven to be enjoyable so far, with desirable medicinal effects that have subtle variances between the different phenotypes. I look forward to trying the other members of the Florida Keys family soon. I’ve seen at least one other phenotype that I have yet to try, which is Big Pine Key. That would make for 5 total Florida Keys phenotypes – isn’t it amazing how much variance one strain cross can have? This is one of many reasons I truly enjoy what I do with reviewing all these different strains, crosses, phenotypes, etc. – and I hope you equally enjoy reading about it!

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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