Medical Marijuana review: Ocean Beach

Is there anything less informative than “It’s a hybrid”? It could mean anything. On the plus side, the effects will be a sort of surprise. Ocean Beach is a THCA strain from GDF’s Cookies line so nebulously labeled. DynaVaping a capful, its skunky scent filled the air. The Ocean Beach went pretty much straight to my head, but not in any kind of overwhelming manner. Simply, I was pleasantly stoned, so I decided to play a record.

Recently, on a visit to my mother, she announced that she’d bought a stack of vinyl for $2, and I was welcome to pick through it and take what I wanted. Most of it was ancient, mostly unlistenable fare like Guy Lombardo and Lawrence Welk. If you’re a record hunter, you know these albums from browsing dollar bins. They not only sound like the past, but they also smell like it.

Nearing the bottom of the stack and having found only a couple listenable items, finally, there it was, the jewel in this dirty crown: The Idle Race’s “The Birthday Party” from 1968. You’ve likely never heard of the Idle Race, unless you’re a hardcore fan of either Jeff Lynne or the Electric Light Orchestra, which these days goes by Jeff Lynne’s ELO. This album was literally the first thing Jeff Lynne (along with three other guys) professionally recorded and released. It’s tinged with the psychedelia of the day, and “Sgt. Pepper’s” is clearly an influence.

Once upon a time, probably 30 years ago, I owned a CD with at least some of these tunes. It was a compilation album of stuff Lynne did prior to ELO. Both “The Skeleton and the Roundabout” and “Follow Me Follow” immediately came flooding back while listening to this record. Will it appeal to a Beatles fan? Well, it certainly isn’t produced by George Martin. But anyone who enjoys Lynne or ELO should most definitely give it a listen, as so many of the ideas and styles he would later perfect are present here in less polished forms.

So, how about that Ocean Beach? I can’t say it made the Idle Race any better. It’s not that intense of a high. Later, I put on a Mike Oldfield record and at one point zoned out and nodded off for a few minutes (which Oldfield could be partially responsible for). Upon snapping awake, I felt more than a bit groggy, which must have been the indica aspects poking though. The next day in a heightened, anxious frame of mind I DynaVaped another capful, and it soothed me quickly.

Ocean Beach, with a THC content of 19.35%, is a fine, even high – probably very much deserving of the Hybrid label, and I felt a little different nearly every time I vaped it (the last time I tried it I got higher than the other times!). Info handed to us labels its effects as “tingly, happy and relaxed,” while it may help relieve “fatigue, anxiety and stress.” The one thing at this point I feel confident in declaring about this strain is that yes, it would be a great match for the beach. The music of Jeff Lynne is optional.

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