As one of most popular hybrids in circulation today, Girl Scout Cookies has gained quite a following. Its stable genetics have made it a valuable strain for crossbreeding in strains like Animal Cookies, but it’s also yielded some phenotypes that are distinct enough to merit a fan base of their very own.
Peppermint Cookies is one such Girl Scout Cookies phenotype, grown and sold by Gold Leaf Gardens, the Seattle-based producers also responsible for Tangie. It is a slightly indica-leaning variety of Girl Scout Cookies (which is itself a cross between OG Kush and Durban Poison) that scores high marks for its stimulating, well-balanced high and its sharp herbal taste. Cannabis testing lab Analytical 360 has measured this strain’s psychoactivity at an impressive 24%.
Flowers of Peppermint Cookies tend to be on the smaller side and have a characteristically indica bud structure -- the cured flowers hold together in dense, spherical clusters with tightly-coiled leaves. The leaves themselves are a dark shade of forest green with hairy yellow to orange pistils. Many phenotypes also display subtle purple hues in their leaves; these surprising colors come about when certain pigments in the strain’s genetics are briefly stimulated by cold temperatures during the growing process. The flowers are also covered in sticky white trichomes that give them a dewy appearance.
On first inspection, the buds have a sour, musky odor that may hit the back of your palate and make your eyes water. There’s also a slightly minty, herbal character that brightens up these dank scents. Breaking up or grinding the buds yields notes of pine. When combusted, Peppermint Cookies gives off a smooth smoke that on exhale has a certain creamy, biscuity taste -- the overall impression may remind some users of raw cookie dough. Notably, despite appearing purple, Peppermint Cookies has no discernible grape flavor; this is because the pigments that determine the way these flowers look does not have a corresponding effect on their taste.
Peppermint Cookies has a high that mounts slowly and gradually before its effects can be fully detected. The initial effects may be disorienting, as users may find themselves suddenly struck with a sharpened perception of otherwise ordinary stimuli. In certain situations, this may lead to a feeling of “mind race,” with freely-associative thoughts jumping quickly from one to the next. As the high wears on, however, this strain’s stoney indica side creeps in, rendering smokers relaxed and contented. Peppermint Cookies’ blend of perceptual distortion and deep relaxation means that this strain may not be the best choice for concentrating on intense, important tasks. Instead, let yourself become happily hazy and dreamy as you kick back in the closest comfortable surroundings. Enjoy Peppermint Cookies on your own as an accompaniment to a mellow album or movie, or bring it out to share with friends and enjoy a giggly, rambling conversation. Because of its holistic and evenhanded high, Peppermint Cookies is appropriate for use at any time of day.
Medically speaking, Peppermint Cookies is an effective analgesic, numbing chronic aches and pains and easing muscular tension. Its anti-inflammatory properties may also be good for headaches and nausea. On the psychological side of things, this strain’s way of elevating mood and subtracting stress from everyday situations also makes it a good way to temporarily relieve the acute symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Negative side effects include a persistent feeling of dry mouth. Because of the sedative body high that comes on Peppermint Cookies’ backend, it comes with a lower-than-average risk of paranoia, making it a good choice for patients who are prone to panic.
Breeders Gold Leaf Gardens have not released seeds of Peppermint Cookies for commercial sale. As such, prospective growers need to obtain clippings from mature plants of the strain in order to grow “clones.” Although there is limited information available on ideal cultivation practices for this particular phenotype, we know that Girl Scout Cookies itself can thrive indoors or outdoors, provided that outdoor growing takes place in a semi-humid, Mediterranean-like climate. Girl Scout Cookies is also known for having short, bushy, indica-leaning plants that are easily accommodated in indoor growing operations. Those looking to bring out this strain’s eye-catching purple bag appeal should expose the plants to cold (but not freezing) nighttime temperatures just before flowering begins.
With a unique taste and a crowd-pleasing high to boot, Peppermint Cookies has a versatility that can help it surge in the newly-legal cannabis market. It’s a potent and welcome additions to the Girl Scout Cookies strain family.