Rowan Bailey
30th September 2025
Glass Pharms BN Banjo 20% Medical Cannabis Strain Review UK
A new brand and strain for me with Banjo from Glass Pharms. First impressions were interesting on the nose, and certainly took a nod towards the Banjo name in a way all the familiar with an old but well known film.
Having said that, this strain delivered hand over fist when it came down to effects and left me pleasantly surprised. Let's jump in this unique strain to find out more!
*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?
- Glass Pharms Banjo Strain 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
Glass Pharms BN Banjo 20% Medical Cannabis Strain Review UK
Introduction
I have had a few of my regular strains go out of stock recently which has left me trying new strains. Amongst those that have recently popped up on the formulary was this strain i'd not heard of before. I had been interested in trying Glass Pharms for a while due to feedback on other strains since their launch. So I figured why not give it a go. I break down the ins and outs of this strain, how well its cured and it's effects below.
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 Glass Pharms BN Banjo 20% Medical Cannabis Strain Review UK
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. Please keep in mind that i'm not a medical professional and these are no more than my personal anecdotal experiences.
The way this strain is being discussed is with relation to a chronic pain prescription relating to nerve pain and severe headaches, though it has also proven helpful beyond these treatments.
Continue to main review below!
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Device/ Setup
I now include my device setups so you can compare my feedback to what you use as everyones preferences are different.
Main devices:
Storz and Bickel Venty
Tinymight 2
Secondary Devices: Storz and Bickel Volcano Hybrid , Pax Plus & Dynvap M.
Outcome:
This strain came a little muted, and on the dryer side of things with a relatively loose build. So it grinds alright but leaves things quite coarse. This can be processed more for a finer grind easily however. Though on the dryer side, it holds enough moisture for a pleasant vape.
The flavour is a unique one that won't be to everyones tastes, but for those who like it, it carries well through the vape in all of my devices. Though it really shines with the Tinymight.
My main takeaway with this strain is to lean into the coarser grind as it kicks for a 20%, so fitting less in the bowl and having a more flavourful extraction isn't a bad thing when trying your first dose.
Initial observation upon opening (nug shape/ density/ cure and shake content):
I'll be straight up with you, the terpene profile won't be for everyone with this strain. It has familiar pleasant undertones to a stage that would very much suit a banjo being played and some dungarees. Now don't let that put you off, i'm sure some with better palets will define this better than myself.
The buds are dark, well formed and trimmed reasonably well. Though they aren't as dense as they initially appear as they squished with a light crunch very easily in the fingers. Introducing the included humidity pack off the bat helped after a couple of days to make the cure more balanced and less fragile.
Minimum shake/ dust and ultimtately grinds well albeit a little coarse at first.
Continue reading below!
Any improvement after storage change and curing?
My go to is to transfer my flower from the plastic tubs/ foil packs to UV protected glass storage (Whilst keeping original packs and labels on hand for verification and being out of the house!) in my opinion it just balances it out a little with the terps and helps any throat irritation that may occur. I have to avoid coughing and other things that can create intercranial pressure due to a brain op. As such trying to ensure the cure and setup for my vape minimises these chances are really important.
Banjo absolutely needed a bit of this on arrival. It's brittle cure with the density of the nugs meant that it wasn't grinding or vaping to it's best in my opinion. This was notably improved after a couple of days in a glass jar with a humidity pack. The profile really pronounced itself well and ground better all round.
Continued below!
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Read More!Glass Pharms BN Banjo 20% Medical Cannabis Strain Review UK
Context: I’m prescribed for chronic nerve pain with severe headaches that is accompanied by nausea/ gastro issues at times. 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. This has been key to me taking back my life and maintaining better quality of life all in.
This strain was provided as an alternate to my previous daytime strain 'Ultra Sour' which was a clear sativa in terms of effects for me. Though Banjo has been useful in the daytime for me, it certainly has leant towards being more balanced. So if not careful it has impacted producivity a little, so I tend to use less to counter this and will likely opt to try something else for daytime use ultimately. However this isn't to say it's not a great strain, I just have to be concious of produvity throughout the day so something like Ultra Sour by 4C would be better suited for myself. Those wanting more of a body load in the day but not a complete lock will like this strain.
Yes I was a little blunt about the terpene profle up top, but it wasn't to scare people off. This strain absolutely has it's place and there are for more pungent and unique profiles that won't be everyones cup of tea (Looking at you GMO). I've come to like the profile and a big part of that is due to how effective it is when i'm using it properly later in the afternoon and evening.
It's a soft but consistent blow to my pain management and comfort levels. It quites the mind when i'm worried about the next day and would certainly be a great bedtime strain.
So lets talk terps and origins and break things down a little more below!
Continue reading below!
5 Quick Bits about Glass Pharms BN Banjo
Who are Glass Pharms?
"Glass Pharms cultivate for the UK medicines market. This requires us to grow to exacting British standards for both compliance and quality. We supply year round to meet the demand of UK patient needs with fanatical quality assurance and local accountability. Currently, almost all medical cannabis that is supplied to patients in the UK is imported, with inconsistency of quality and supply.
Glass Pharms have the first UK commercial licence granted by the Home Office to supply High-THC cannabis flower to lawful third parties, such as pharmaceutical companies. This will allow the company to grow medical cannabis to the correct regulatory standards for onward supply to UK pharmacies and clinics." - Medbud Wiki
How Does It Grind?
It's relatively loose formation and dry outer shell means it breaks down in to a coarse grind easily and but blends into a finer grind with ease. Though little to no movement when removing the lid of the grinder, at least until a few days with a humidity pack whre it began to shine.
Overall it's a pleasant strain on the nose once ground, through the musty tones you can pickup pine and a familiarity that makes you feel at home once you become accustomed to it's unique profile.
Batch No
For reference we usually 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.
This was from batch: BN: CURA00195098
This is my first batch of this strain, and when looking in to see others online I actually couldn't find any to compare. So all I can comment on is this particular strain.
I have mentioned it was a little dry but beyond that there were no real issues to consider here. I will return to add anything I hear about that I feel is relevant to our readers.
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. After a recent brain operation, avoiding coughing is a big priority for me to help reduce pressure. So I take note whether this is an issue on my reviews incase anyone else has the same problem!
I've had a sight issue with throat scratching/ allergies with this strain from time to time. Nothing major, and enough to be handled with my regular medication but thought i'd mention it incase others with these sensitivities need to consider it.
Continue reading below!
Strain Profile: Glass Pharms Banjo 20%
Info from Leafly:
"Banjo is a savory hybrid cross of Boost and Tangelo. This stimulating flower is a perfect option for enhancing mood and improving outlook. It emits an odd aroma of freshly grated cheese and tangerine zest, but the flavor is sweet and piney. After this strain’s euphoria has settled, the slow body melt begins. This moderate sedation is enjoyable and functional, weighing just slightly on the eyelids and limbs. Enjoy Banjo throughout the day to improve mood and mellow nagging aches and pains."
Terpene profile:
Myrcene (herbal) The most common terpene found in cannabis and has an earthy scent.
Limonene (citrus)
Pinene (pine)
Consistency
I can't comment on consistency for this strain unfortunately as I have only had one lot.
However I will return here to comment should it return so that I can compare different batches.
Other Strain Reviews
4C Ultra Sour
One of my current favourites for day time. Ultra sour packs a productive punch enabling me to carry on with my day whilst managing my symptoms.
The terpene profile is so familiar with a nod back to super lemon haze and RED no2 for those who remember Spectrum from back in the day!
Peace Naturals Atomic Sour Grapefruit
What an incredible strain profile, this offering from Peace Naturals has been a welcome addition to my prescription.
The grapefruit shines through beautifully and makes a great balanced strain from afternoon through to evening for me.
Curaleaf Medical Inhaler Que Pod system Review
Curaleafs latest offering is their brand new medical inhaler device. Essentially a battery system designed to use their new pre filled pods for medically prescribed medical cannabis extracts. I have broken down the ins and outs of the new device and pods to compare to the previous traditional 510 thread carts that were on offer.
Overall impression
As a personal introduction to Glass Pharms this was a unique yet welcome strain. The initial impression of the terpene profile was reassured by the flavour and effects of this robust flower.
With the familiar undertone of old school cheese strains punctured by a strong pine landscape it's hard to forget. You can smell freshly finished wooden frets on a banjo (in a good way if that makes any sense) and thankfully has yet made me squeel like a pig after a dose which i'll see as a plus.
Though it isn't as clear and productive as my previous day time strain this isn't at all a bad thing. Once aware of the balanced indica side to this strain you can adjust dosage and use appropriately. Don't let the 20% figure and loose density of the nugs put you off this strain as it delivers with fantastic medicinal values.
Now lets talk terpenes/ radiation etc. This strain isn't the best in terms of these, but with medical that isn't a surprise. However the tide is turning on this front with options popping up who have managed to preserve and improve on cure much better. So I will note that this strain could do with some improvement on that front. It still functioned great as a medical product, but I do wonder how this could have been improved upon.
All in all though i'm very happy with this strain, and I look forward to trying other options from Glass Pharms. If you have any tips on what strain I should try next drop us a message!
In the meantime, have a wonderful day and thanks for taking the time to checkout my review of Glass Pharms BN / Banjo!
Take care!
- Rowan
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 4+ 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
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