Rowan Bailey
14th May 2024
Four 20 Pharma BCP Black Cherry Punch Medical Cannabis Strain Review UK
With a recent price drop, this 'premium' flower is a new one to me. So does it rise to the challenges of current medical cannabis supply chains? In short, it's an impressive strain with a lot to offer but with some glaring issues with packaging that i'll jump in to.
*Disclaimer*
Any experiences/ benefits described below are my own, and by no means should be taken as medical benefits / claims. This strain has been prescribed by my doctor for my specific condition and needs. It is important to talk to your Dr about your specific needs and see if they have other patients similar to you who have benefited from this strain or others. This post is purely meant as a useful reference for you to then do further research from. My tolerance, condition and experience will be greatly different to some.
Table of Content
- Introduction
- Main review
- Initial observation upon opening (nug shape/ density/ cure and shake content)
- Any improvement after storage change and curing?
- Black Cherry Punch effects
- Splitting the nug & under the scope
- How does it grind?
- Batch number
- Throat issues like scratching or allergies?
- Side effects or issues?
- Overall impression
Meet the reviewer
Rowan is one of the founders of Infinity CBD and Pembrokeshire CBD Centre. Having worked in the CBD/ Cannabis industry for over five years, he has extensive knowledge of the supply chain issues, compliance and other fun things you have to contend with from the corporate side of all of this. However, having also been a patient for 3+ years he has also seen first hand of the ups and downs of the patient experience, quality woes and what to generally expect.
These medical cannabis reviews are presented to try and form a balanced and honest opinion relating to his experience and understanding of the limitations the clinics/ pharmacies and producers face with trying to navigate compliance standards that compete with perceived quality of some products.
Everyone is different, and Rowan is prescribed for specific conditions and is provided these prescription legally by a Dr who has been working alongside him to find the best treatments. This means that any perceived benefits expressed in his article are purely anecdotal and related to his experience and may not reflect yours and certainly in no way mean to boast any medical claims about the use of these treatments outside of what he has personally experienced.
“Medical cannabis has given me back control and vast improvement in terms of my quality of life day to day. Although I still struggle with my symptoms, this has enabled me to still be present and functional on the worse days, and given the peace of mind that knowings it's there if I need it on the better ones.”
- Rowan Bailey
Four20 Pharma BCP Black Cherry Punch Medical Cannabis Strain
Introduction
Here we are with another medical cannabis review discussing one of more expensive strains that has recently faced a price drop, Four20 Pharma BCP Black Cherry Punch.
This is prescribed for a range of reasons and is presented as an Indica dominate strain in terms of effects, something that has matched my experience.
For a little context of the prescribing of this strain for myself. I was using the Curaleaf LA Kush Cake consistently for a while, but was faced with a stock shortage. So ordered this as an alternative strain. For me it has certainly done a great job at matching the relief that the LA Kush Cake provided for me so seems like a good choice as an alterantive. If I had to pick between the two it would be a difficult choice as they both have their pros and cons. Namely the LA Kush Cake seems to go further, but is much dryer in my experience. The terpene profile of this BCP is much more pleasant and fruity than the LA Kush Cake. So if it was on cost efficiency the Kush Cake would win, but on flavour and cure the Black Cherry Punch is better IMO.
The one major downside for me with this strain is the label placement. Not sure whether this is avoidable or a strict compliance/ regulatory issue, but having the label on the outside of the box rather than the bag itself certainly makes it a pain to carry out and about. Particularly as the box fails so easily after being placed in a bag.
Below i'll jump into this in a little more detail, talking through cure packaging, effects and an inspection of the trichomes under our microscope!
As always, if anyone has had this strain tested, or has sample COA that you think would be useful to attach here, please feel free to reach out and we’d be happy to showcase it here, along with any relevant reference back to you, and a cheeky gift card for our site as a thanks!
Main Review
Thanks for stopping by and checking out my review of the Four20 Pharma BCP Black Cherry Punch medical cannabis strain. This was sourced legally via prescription to myself with chronic pain being the primary condition this is used for. I hope my feedback here is useful for you to make an informed choice on future prescriptions, or to avoid it depending on your needs. I always welcome feedback in terms of other specific points I could cover in these reviews.
The way this strain is being discussed is with relation to a chronic pain prescription, although this prescription has also been useful for gastro, and nausea symptoms that relate to my condition too.
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Device/ Setup
Ok so we’ve taken your feedback and updated some of the fields and points of interest in our reviews. I will now include the setup I have tested this strain with and preferences for it as a result:
Main device: Storz and Bickel Venty
Secondary Devices: Storz and Bickel Volcano Hybrid & Dynvap M.
Outcome: One of the points raised about this strain online were the terpenes being better preserved, and honestly upon openning this was apparrent. As such my expectations through the Venty Vape were the classic smooth but flavourful hits I had experienced with the Tokoloshe Sherbet and I wasn't disappointed.
The cure on this strain is more balanced and I didn't feel the need to immediately place a Boveda Pack in, though i'm sure it could have only helped bring out the notes even more.
This strain grinds well and as such loads without too much mess. Comparably the LA Kush Cake which tends to be much dryer produces alot more 'dust' which can get in all the gaps. Not only clogging up the screen faster but also all the little gaps around your chamber. So overall working with this strain in my setup has been pleasant with less cleanup / screen replacement than usual.
Initial observation upon opening (nug shape/ density/ cure and shake content):
My first impression when openning the postage box was frustration at the fact the prescription label was on the outside of the box. As patients we are told to carry our prescription in the original packaging with the label fixed. So when it's fixed to an external cardboard box, rather than directly on the pouch itself it means you have to carry more with you. I placed this in my laptop bag for work, and by the end of day 1 the box was crushed and wouldn't seal properly on the top or bottom. Meaning it's not holding the pouch well inside and isn't up to use. No reason why I couldn't take it off and apply it to the pouch, but wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of the wrong peson on a bad day who could use the tampered label as an excuse to ruin my day. That should never happen, but as we still see regularly online it can. So i'd rather play it safe and keep it attached as it was.
As a brand owner myself, I can appreciate wanting to set yourself apart, convey better quality or packaging care wth external packaging such as this. However with medicine it is wasteful, and with the above nussence it outweighs any perceived improvement of the product. Anyway, just a personal pet peave that doesn't effect the quality of the medicine in anyway, rant over!
Onto the flower!
Off the bat it was clear the preservation and cure is good with this strain. Though the initial scent was crowded, after airing and a re open you could immediately pick up on the cherry tones and a very complex terpene profile I haven't often come across before.
The nugs themselves appear quite bright with orange tones and a relatively dense build. Just enough bounce for a quality cure and none of the crumbly overly dry problems seen elsewhere.
Overall my initial impressions were positive and only further improved in the coming days with some time to breathe in a glass UV storage jar at home.
Any improvement after storage change and curing?
My go to is to transfer my flower from the plastic tubs to UV protected glass storage (Whilst keeping original packs and labels on hand for verification and being out of the house!) as in my opinion it improves the over all tone of the terpene profile and seems to help balance the cure a little. I can be prone to coughing causing severe headaches, so avoid this at all costs. So a more optimal cure has helped reduce this for me. This was particularly improved with a Boveda Pack in there to help reintroduce some of the moisture in the cure. You can buy jars that include free Boveda HERE.
You’re never going to be able to undo what has been lost through it’s processing completely, but it does make a noticeable difference particularly to the way the flower vapes in my experience, making it less scratchy at high temps, and certainly allows the remaining terpene profile to shine a little more with the right moisture to support it.
Now that things have changed up with the mylar bags, there isn’t as much of a need for them, however I have found the extra space vs the bags a benefit allowing the nugs to ‘breathe’ and cure a little more.
With dryer strains this has left them feeling less brittle on the outside however the Black Chery Punch by Four20 Pharma was already in a great starting point. So the obvious change wasn't external but on the grind and vape.
This may sound a little strange, but have you ever seen the flower 'wiggle' in the grinder after a fresh grind? In my experience when a strain is well cured this is one of the signs as it shows the flexibility in the flower material. Dryer strains won't do this and will either crumble or simply hold their form. The BCP certainly wasn't dry when I received it, but with a few days in a jar and pack I did notice it wiggle a bit more in the grind. Hopefully that doesn't sound as mad as it looks writing it..
Four20 Pharma BCP Black Cherry Punch Medical Cannabis Strain Effects
Context: I’m prescribed for chronic pain, that is accompanied by nausea/ gastro issues. I work full time and have a young family. As such, I have to find the balance between managing pain/ symptoms, and being functional in my various responsibilities. In turn, the split between a day time and night time strain gives me that ability to address deeper pains in the evenings where it may be more sedating, whilst using a more uplifting/ cerebral strain for day time to help get me through without any unwanted side effects.
With the above in mind, this strain being an Indica was prescribed for my evenings and when i'm having particularly bad days for pain levels. From my first vape it was clear that it was certainly the right strain for this use. Compared to the LA Kush Cake it manages to help with my pain and nausea significantly but without the added side effect of wanting to eat everything in sight.
The effects have also been well sustained too, which is perfect for sleep or evening use. Though this is not as good for day time use as I feel it can be a little sedative and harder to course correct if you need to be productive still. At least for me anyway, on a day where I needed the extra help due a flaire up it certainly curbed my productivity as it made me quite tired at these doses. However with a small dose and maintaining lower temps this may be mitigated.
Continued below:
5 Quick Bits about Four20 Pharmas Black Cherry Punch
Splitting the nug:
Often once irradiated and transported/ stored, the trichomes on the outside can become a little lack lustre. By pinching open a nug you can release a fresher terpene profile and observe the trichrome formation a bit better. So I try and take a photo of a freshly opened nug to display this and provide as much detail about a strain as possible for you guys. We have also recently invested in a new microscope to capture photos at this stage and explore the formation in a dramatically more detailled manner.
As always, if you think of another metric/ approach that you would like us to take in these reviews, feel free to reach out and let us know!
As mentioned earlier these flowers seemed much lighter than usual with orange tones throughout and these certainly popped out during our inspection.
The trim was performed well with intact trichome heads present throughout. Check out our video where you can see these details much clearer! We'd love to hear your insights on what you see in our exploration!
How Does It Grind?
These doesnt need a Boveda off the bat as the cure is nice and balanced, however I did find a slight improvement on grind and throat hit after a few days with one.
Having said that this is pretty good straight out the pack with minimal effort needed to get a decent medium grind.
As it isn't overly dry it doesn't clog up your screens with dust as fast as other strains such as LA Kush Cake if you over grind.
Batch No
For reference we include a batch number. Some strains have varied over time, often for the better. So we figured it's best to have a reference point for when we reviewed this for context.
Throat issues/ catching/ allergies?:
In the past I have had hay fever like symptoms with a scratchy throat/ runny eyes and sneezing around loading my device or vaping certain strains. So I take note whether this is an issue on my reviews incase anyone else has the same problem!
For me Four20 Pharma BCP Black Cherry Punch was a pleasant vape out the bag even at higher temps. So it didn't need any extra love and attention to avoid throat issues. Though I did find a slight improvement after a few days in a larger jar and a boveda.
So those of you who struggle with dry herb vapes making you cough, this may be a good choice if they keep up this standard of cure.
I imagine this would only improve with a Boveda pack in a UV glass jar.
Side effects/ issues?
I haven’t observed any in particular, if you have any would like to add any info here to help others let us know!
What I would say is that this plays well into the Indica side of things for me. So personally this will remain a night time strain where ever possible as it can certainly make productivity difficult at higher doses.
It works well to balance indicas sometimes using a CBD Oil in conjunction with my dry herb vape if I need to maintain clarity in the day.
Strain Profile: Four20 Pharma BCP Black Cherry Punch
Info from www.MedBud.wiki:
"Boasting chunky and incredibly frosty flowers, Black Cherry Punch is the pinnacle of strategic breeding efforts focused on exotic aromas and flavours.
This rare variety redefines what is possible with modern cannabis genetics, the purple accents within the silver trichome-covered bud is a sight for sore eyes.
'At 420 Pharma, the focus of our day-to-day activities is the best possible medical care for patients. With our wide range of medicinal cannabis, we help to provide optimal treatment for patients in need.As an importer and wholesaler of medical cannabis and medical devices, we are GDP-certified and GMP-certified. We also have this quality claim on our suppliers and partners.Four 20 Pharma GmbH, headquartered in Paderborn (Germany), holds a wholesale pharmaceutical surge in medicine in accordance with Section 52a AMG and a narcotics permit in accordance with Section 3 BtMG.In addition, we have all the necessary import licenses for the import of medical cannabis into Germany as well as a permit in accordance with Section 7 AMG and 1 AMRadV for the movement of medicinal products that have been treated with ionizing radiation in order to reduce the number of germs.We are a reliable partner for physicians, pharmacies, medical institutions and patients in the field of medical cannabis. We focus on quality, patient welfare and service.The focus of our day-to-day activities is the best possible medical care for patients. With our wide range of medicinal cannabis, we help to provide optimal treatment for patients in need.Our aim is to consistently comply with the highest pharmaceutical quality standards. That’s why we make sure that our suppliers and partners have GDP and GMP certification without exception.Due to our philosophy, patients, doctors, pharmacies and medical institutions can rely on a constant quality of our medical cannabis products.'
"
Terpene profile:
Most commonly found terpenes:
Myrcene
Caryophyllene
Limonene
Linalool
Consistency
I can't comment on consistency across batches yet as this is my first batch so far as it's a replacement. Having said that, I would be happy to continue using it as a daily strain. So if this happens I will update this after a couple more batches.
From the two packs i've had the nug size, formation and cure has been consistent. Though this is too smaller a test to comment on this further. We would love the feedback of those who have used it regularly to see what you have found with this strain.
We know that previously it was thought to be too expensive, so we wonder if those who had it before think it's better at this price point.
Overall impression
I'm walking away from this strain with an overly positive opinion. Yes i'm a little sassy about the external box/ label situation, but the brass tax is does any of that really matter?
Fact is the strain works wonders for my needs, the dark cherry flavour is unmistakeable and pleasant. I just wish I had a sativa with such a complex and pungent tone to match.
Price wise I would like to see it sub £8 because as good as it is, this still isn't the best top shelf quality all round. As with all medical strains to date there is certainly room for improvement. But given current restrictions with supply chains, waterlevels and curing they have managed to delivery a good quality product that I would happily rely on for my relief.
If you would be interested in offering your own reviews/ insights on strains or the medical cannabis industry in the UK in general, we are open to collaborating. Feel free to drop us an email!
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