CURA T8 - HIGH SILVER Medical Cannabis Review
High Silver 21% THC <1% CBD | Cura T8
Here we are with another medical cannabis review discussing one of the ‘newer’ strains from Curaleaf pharmacy, Cura T8 High Silver. This is a strain that’s been prescribed for day time use primarily, and the review is reflective of a prescription for chronic pain, and will also touch on its noted effects with relation to other symptoms such as nausea, and other gastro issues that may be useful for some. Keep in mind this review is purely my experience, and relatable to my condition/ dosage and usage, as such keep in mind it may vary in terms of results depending on which terpene profiles suit you better, as well as from batch to batch. This review is based off of one batch, so can only comment on this particularly lot. In the past with other strains, there have been some variance between batches, so want to make it clear that at the time of writing I have no reference as to whether C9 fluctuates between batches at all. 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!
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Black Market disclaimer: Anyone trying to compare black market sourced cannabis, to cannabis that has to go through the procedures and supply chain limitations as the UK medical cannabis supplied here is incredibly short sighted, and ultimately it’s like comparing apples and oranges. That isn’t to say that I disagree that we should have a wider range of options, or that terpene preservation/ curing needs to be addressed, but it isn’t as simple as some make it out to be and is an ongoing developing industry. The restrictions that cause these issues are not decided by the pharmacies/ clinics, and ultimately they want the most seamless, and best quality product for you, but it isn’t that simple, especially with todays supply chain issues in general, let alone the overbearing restrictions on the medical cannabis space right now.
Of course as patients we all want our products that we rely on and pay a lot for to be top quality, there is no need to justify that need/ want from our prescriptions. Too often online you see comments kicking off about a comparison to black market and although I imagine it comes from a place of wanting a better product over all for everyone, when the overall tone is about the pharmacies money grabbing, or some sort of conspiracy, it not only shows the commenter up for not understanding the industry/ processes at all, but can in turn actually have a negative effect on the industry. Potential new patients who haven’t got enough experience to cut through this nonsense will turn away, or spread uninformed information as fact. This damages the industry, and seeing as all pharmacies and clinics are asking for feedback/ these vents are best placed through those channels rather than an ineffective rant online.
Ultimately, for this industry to improve, patients need to see themselves as part of this progress WITH the clinics, not acting our childishly against them. There’s no excuse not to find out what the problems are, and in turn doing something about it productively, vs a two minute vent on a forum only to potentially do more harm than good to the very industry you’re claiming you want to be better.
If you want any further information on these issues, how the problems are being tackled, what we as patients can do to help and more, feel free to drop us a line at consultancy@infinity-cbd.co.uk
3 Bits of info about Cura T8 High Silver!
- Strain. 'High Silver'. Once given a chance to air out and placed into a glass storage jar for a day or two, the true profile of this strain emerges. With notable lemon/ citrus tones not too dis similar to classic lemon haze strains. Don't get too excited though as these terpenes could certainly be louder. I can imagine these smell of these when cut was bursting with a much broader range, perhaps bringing through some of that Northern Lights lineage into the fold. Overall with a bit of curing i'm a fan of this strain and hope to see some improvement in terpene preservation with time.
- Flower formation. Quite typical of similar smelling sativa's these nugs come well balanced with a looser formation without density being an issue. It grinds well with the terpene profile best observed immediately after grinding/ pulling apart the flower in preparation.
- Vape profile. I really enjoy the citrus tones when vaping between 175-185 with this, but find that the vapour production falls off quickly, so tend to then skip to 200c to finish the remainder of the dose. That's just my personal experience with this batch. A pleasant vape without throat irritation. Some will know i've had hayfever like symptoms with other sativa strains, and that hasn't been the case here.
Main Review
Thanks for taking the time to read our reviews on medical cannabis flower here in the UK. We break down our reviews into some key points that we find useful for those looking to explore a new strain for their treatment. Talking purely in terms of the experience and effectiveness around its medicinal purpose/ use.
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.
Initial observation upon opening (nug shape/ density/ cure and shake content):
It’s no secret that often when initially opening up a tub, the smell can be somewhat underwhelming, flat or even ‘hay like’ with some of the strains available, this has certainly been a consistent issue with Adven/ Cura products for a while. This tub was no different, initial scent was relatively flat, similar hay scent, but with a very subtle citrus tone. Looking at the buds, although darker brown than expected, the structure and trichrome coverage seems great. As with most medical the flower this was very dry, grinds well and seems to fit the mighty comfortably for a single dose.
Overall initial impressions on nug size/ form consistently through the tub looked promising with all medium large size buds, and as trichomes looked more intact than other strains in the past, I was hopeful that some time in a glass storage jar with a little air curing might turn this strain around from the initial impression from smell. Overall first impression was promising based on the form/ presentation and fits well at it’s current price point when comparing to the whole medical market as it stands.
Any improvement after storage/ curing?:
I find that using a UV proof glass jar such as THESE very helpful for storing and curing my prescription upon arrival (Any UV resistant air tight glass jar will do). This generally helps bring the smell/ flavour out more evenly in my experience. I ensure to keep my original packaging with the prescription label on hand at all times during use, and would advise you to do the same should you decide to do the same storage wise.
Personally I have found that a day or two in a glass jar with the lid slightly open, giving them a good shake 2/3 times a day can make a big difference. Mainly in the terpene profile and overall vaping experience where some strains that were more throaty became more manageable afterwards. Ideally I would also include a Boveda pack or something similar to help the curing process. In this case I didn’t have any Boveda to hand, so relied purely on airing/ shaking them out. When I revisited this strain after a day or two of the above I was very pleasantly surprised. Usually there’s a noticeable difference but still with the previous undertones, but in this case it completely opened up the scent, and that slight citrus tone was right there in my face. A much better experience vaping followed this, and overall left me very happy with this £6.50/ gram option, and would happily continue to use this as my day time 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. As such, High Silver (Cura T8) has been prescribed as a new day time strain for me. My previous day time strain had been very effective in terms of managing daytime pain/ nausea, but regrettably had issues with allergies, where I would have almost hay fever like symptoms if I wasn’t careful during grinding and got some on my finger before rubbing my eye for example, or would sometimes have a runny nose after vaping. This was frustrating as between the effectiveness of that strain and the cost, it was a great solution for me, but walking around with red eyes from an allergy is the last thing I need. We deal with enough prejudice around medical cannabis as it is, without inadvertently ending up with eyes that look like I tried to smoke Snoop Dogg under the table. Thankfully I haven’t had these issues with the UK medical cannabis strain High Silver T8.
Initial curing made a big difference on the experience of vaping, both in flavour and any throat issues. It could certainly have better terpene preservation, and in turn could well see a further improvement overall. Effects at higher doses certainly have a sedative effect that tackles my pain overall, however, when managing day time use with limited doses at 0.1 - 0.2, and keeping the temperature between 185-195, it has proven very effective and manageable in the day. It helps manage the pain at a functional level, and enables me to stay focused and productive whilst working, or more importantly, keeps me able to keep going around pain on hard days to enjoy every moment I can with my little boy when I’m not working! 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 from this point forward, I will 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 are considering a microscope to capture photos at this stage, so keep an eye out for future updates.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!
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Typical nug formation from the T8 High Silver
How does it grind?:
As with most medical cannabis in the UK it is a very dry cure, although it was a little more balanced after some time in glass jars. The grind itself was very fine. I use a standard diamond tooth orange Storz and Bickel grinder. It is certainly easy to over grind these flower resulting in a fine powder, which in turn leads to needing to clean the cooling unit more often if not careful. So 2-3 twists on the grinder perfect for this strain. Perhaps some times with a Boveda pack would resolve these issues.
Batch number: For reference we include a batch number. As mentioned above, some strains have been found to vary over time, (Thankfully mostly for the better!) so we include the batch as a reference for anyone looking. We haven’t noticed any issues with this batch that need addressing beyond our typical want for a stronger terpene profile over all, but having said that, now properly cured this strain has improved and is effective for my needs. ROK000290651
Throat issues/ catching/ allergies?:
I have found that compared to previous strains I’ve had for day time use that High Silver has been better on my throat, and hasn’t presented any issues with regards to allergies. In the past, I have had symptoms similar to that of hay-fever with certain strains. This has shown up with an itchy/ scratchy throat, or with eyes/ nose streaming. I am currently trying to isolate which terpenes cause this for me, and have seen others express similar issues relating to cannabis in general. So where ever possible, I will note any experiences such as this moving forward in these reviews, in hope that it helps others with similar problems. Though it’s fair to say that ultimately with allergies it’s a unique case by case basis, but hopefully this offers some insight in some way!
Side effects/ issues?
Can only note one thing with this strain, which is that it’s almost too good at resolving appetite issues for me, and as such I’ve had to make some changes to what’s kept in the cupboard at home. I have found this issue with other strains, so it’s not unique to this one, but I felt it’s worth noting as it certainly has been more prevalent than say ‘Strawberry OG’ which it replaced. Ultimately it’s not an overly negative side effect other than me having to have a chat with myself the following morning about eating all those biscuits…
Overall impression:
I’m very happy with the Cura T8 High Silver strain personally and for those looking for something to fit the same purposes that I need, I would recommend giving it a try. At £6.50 per gram it is now saving me £15 a month vs my previous option, which is great considering the effects are pretty similar. Have I had stronger feeling/ smelling strains before? Yes.
Does this work effectively medically?
Absolutely. Is it an improvement in terms of terpene profile to previous strains? After curing, absolutely, it has room to go but it’s a promising step forward.
Looking forward, I would like to think that terpene preservation across the board will become more consistent, and over time all of these strains will come out of their shell more. A great example is EMT-1. I was prescribed this when first released, and at £5/g it was refreshing compared to much steeper prices previously.
However, at first the bud formation was loose, the smell was overwhelmingly like hay, and even after curing it was a similar, non impressive strain. It got me through, and the balance of cost was worth the difference, medicinally it had value but overall could have been much better. Then suddenly one batch arrived from a fresh grow and it was like night and day. The buds were dense, brighter green, and for the first time ever, I could smell some terpenes peeping through more dominantly, and even more so after curing. Now these days, EMT1 is almost as if it’s an entirely different strain from those first batches. Whether that’s from becoming more familiar with the strain from a cultivation perspective, or handling throughout the supply chain, or both. In turn, I believe we’ll see the same thing over time with these new strains. Considering they’re already starting from a much stronger position, I can only imagine that in a year from now the difference will continue in the right direction.
If you’re looking into a day time strain that doesn’t break the bank, delivers when it comes to pain management, whilst also helping resolve nausea, then at least for me, High Silver Cura T8 has been a winner, and as such I would recommend giving it a try!
Thought about complimenting your THC regime with CBD whilst saving with a medical cannabis discount? If you're a medical cannabis patient in the UK, you can email us for a permenant discount code to help with the cost of your regime.
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