What Is Black Widow?
Black Widow's story is tied to White Widow. Wikipedia describes Black Widow as the original White Widow, renamed when its breeder Shantibaba moved his genetics to Mr. Nice Seedbank. Weedmaps dates the change to the late 1990s, after he left Green House Seed Company, and says the new name set the plant apart from White Widow sold by other seed banks.
Mr. Nice's own description, reproduced on SeedFinder, lists the parents as a Brazilian sativa and a South Indian indica and calls the strain the original parents of White Widow under a new name.
Labels vary. Leafly lists it as a balanced hybrid of South American and South Indian parents, Weedmaps calls it indica leaning, and AllBud files it under sativa. AllBud also describes Black Widow and White Widow as siblings from the same parents rather than parent and offspring.
Mr. Nice counts the 1995 High Times Cannabis Cup among the line's awards, a win Wikipedia credits to White Widow, and SeedFinder lists a first place for Black Widow in the hydro coffeeshop category of the 2008 Highlife Cup.
Look, Smell and Taste
Mr. Nice describes a vigorous, strongly scented plant that frosts up in the last weeks of flowering, and SeedFinder growers report hard, compact dried buds.
Leafly says Black Widow smells fruity and a little skunky, and AllBud lists the same fruity and skunky aromas. Reported flavours vary more: Leafly reviewers most often name ammonia, woody and earthy notes, Weedmaps users name earthy, lemon and pine, and AllBud lists chemical, nutty, sweet and woody.
Leafly's lab data lists terpinolene as the main terpene, followed by ocimene and limonene.
Effects People Report
Leafly describes a buzzy head high with relaxing effects, and its 386 ratings most often mention feeling relaxed, hungry and happy. Leafly rates its effects as mostly calming.
AllBud describes intense euphoria, happiness and deep relaxation along with strong munchies, and SeedFinder growers call the high strong and long lasting.
Leafly calls it extremely potent and best for people with a high THC tolerance, and AllBud warns that its intensity can overwhelm new users. The downsides Leafly users list most are dry eyes, dry mouth and dizziness, and AllBud adds bloodshot eyes, headaches and paranoia. Start with a small amount, and follow Health Canada's advice not to drive for at least 6 hours after using cannabis.
THC and Potency
Leafly lists Black Widow at about 18% THC with around 1% CBG, while AllBud reports results that top 24% in some tests. Check the lab result for the batch in front of you. How much THC percentage matters explains why the number is only part of the picture.
Similar Strains
White Widow is the closest relative, and Weedmaps lists it both as a parent and as a similar strain, along with Medicine Man. Wikipedia's White Widow page also lists White Russian, a cross of White Widow and AK-47, among the family. Leafly names Clockwork Orange and Mona Louisa as Black Widow offspring.
Buying Black Widow
The menu box on this page shows whether Black Widow is on the GasDank menu right now; if it is not, it lists in-stock hybrid flower instead. Because Black Widow and White Widow are easy to mix up, check the strain name and the lab-tested THC and CBD numbers on the label, and look for buds that look and smell fresh. GasDank delivers same day across Toronto and the GTA, usually within 1 to 2 hours, and ships mail order across Canada to customers 19 or older (21 in Quebec), with ID checked. You can also browse all hybrid flower.
