Tru Infusion is recognized as one of the top growers in Arizona, so we were excited to get our hands on their harvest of Animal Candy from local dispensary, Oasis. One of the Phoenix Valley’s most hyped strains, the hybrid blends Animal Cookies (GSC x Fire OG) and Candyland (GDP x Platinum Cookies) for a dark, sugary-purple take on the classic Cookies line. It’s a good way to dislodge from reality in a feel-good, playful-yet-docile splash, plus, opening Tru Infusion’s wood-top jar is “like a kid opening gifts on Christmas,” as one critic put it.

The buds were beauties, vibrant and intensely frosted, with grisly beard of bronze hairs. They were dense, and so resinous that our fingers, the grinder, the room, all reeked. Broken apart, the aroma epitomized Candyland essences: spicy wood, musky with an earthy, if not pine pungence, and the familiar notes of lemon and fuel. “Smell is top-10 I’ve ever personally smelt,” one wrote. “But the most distinct thing has to be how sticky the buds are.” 

The first spark sucker-punched quickly, then crept steadily into a big, blaring rush. Like a massive drill boring a hole straight down the spine, the resonance slowly permeated inch upon inch throughout the limbs. “I sat down, not realizing how hard it would be to get back up,” one critic reported from his perch. We sat in a stunned daze while the head meandered into the clouds, perusing epiphanies hidden in the great cerebral depths - all with a quiet chuckle from the grips of whimsical nostalgia.

Soothing vibes and waves came washing down, and a glazed hush ensued. Happy but content in the silence, the mind raced but went nowhere. Physically, the same was true. Sluggish gravity set in and even simple activity felt like traversing quicksand at times. Thankfully, we weren’t in any hurry to move. Critics let their hair down and were still able to enjoy a spring barbeque, functional and alert, with enough spare energy to be social and jovial for the afternoon. 

After 3-4 hours, the soaring head landed but pain relief lasted into the evening, luring the muscles and inert brain into early sleep for many of us. One of the greatest draws -- other than the strong stress relief and euphoric trip even for heavy-hitters -- was that we could partake by day to take such advantage of indica effects without immediately couch-crashing. The flower was truly candy for the soul, a soothing remedy in this hectic life.