Some strains you just never forget. The feeling, the taste, the high; these are things you reminisce about when you see the strain in an article or see it at a dispensary. For many consumers, one of those acclaimed strains is the humble yet mighty Pineapple Express. Despite its popularity in culture, it’s still rather elusive to much of the country, however. That doesn’t take away from its impressive cultural influence on the society that ushered in different kind of ‘stoner humor’. In August of 2008, the film was released with surprisingly positive reviews. As the end of the month comes upon us, let’s take this Throwback Thursday to appreciate the film, the myth, the legend…Pineapple Express.
The movie holds much regard as a stoner classic as even the cast were amongst our tribe. Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg as well as starring James Franco along with Rogen, the film was nearly a revisiting of Cheech and Chong with a whole lot more action. Pineapple Express was actually released on the 8th of August 10 years ago but, it helped reignite a region’s love for the strain. How could it not? It was about a guy and his dealer on a crazy adventure together. The overall ridiculousness and simplicity of the plot make it all the more fascinating.
The film’s inspiration, according to producer Judd Apatow, “was Brad Pitt’s character in True Romance, a stoner named Floyd…thought it would be funny to make a movie in which you follow that character out of his apartment and watch him get chased by bad guys.” Having a cast that was partially known for being avid cannabis users made the film even more ensuing as a viewer. There are claims that the film originally projected a higher budget but was denied “because it’s a weed-movie.” These claims can’t be confirmed but, it is believable that the general attitude even 10 years ago wasn’t as accepting. Even now, cannabis-themed tv-shows and movies struggle to find a consistent audience and the budgets tend to remain the same as they were then as a result. It is an improvement, however, considering ‘weed-movies’ didn’t get million dollar budgets before.
The film Pineapple Express remains one of the few commercial success in the stoner cult film vault. It was once rumored to even get a sequel but the idea has since been nixed. It put the strain on consumers radar as a “must-try” well past it’s supposed original introduction in the late 70s.
Growing popularity in the Netherlands before appearing on the west coast of the United States, Pineapple Express is often talked about but not always experienced. It didn’t blow up in availability until late 2010 with various phenotypes trying to mimic the film’s reputation. Anyone who has tried it knows, it’s not exactly like the movie makes it out to be -but you can definitely understand the mindset. The mix of Trainwreck and Hawaiian has a strong tropical smell of citrus and lemon but, the flavor is more skunky and woodys than you would think. It’s not always the prettiest bud to look at it but, it packs a calming body-buzz as well as a mentally stimulating experience. It does lean a bit more on the Sativa side so, those with severe anxiety, be cautious of this strain.
The film is part of a long line of stoner films but, indeed, one of the greats. The same could be said about the strain as well. The two make a great combination and have aided in the cultural attitude shift around cannabis in the last decade. For that, we can all spark a joint to, and maybe even of, Pineapple Express.
Check for the strain with your local dispensaries!
