I recently did a post on the Fresh Connection Pdx, after my visit Samantha was awesome enough to give me the opportunity to do a strain review for them. Fresh Connection got seeds for Shiva Shanti from Sensi Seeds on a trip to Amsterdam. It’s the first Samantha’s grown from seed and it took a lot of patience, but in the long run was totally worth it.

Shiva Shanti has a cannabis cup win under it’s belt and is bred from an old school Afghani called Garlic Bud that’s crossed with a ‘heritage’ kush and contains skunk influences. Shiva’s buds were full, dense, and packed tight! The spear-shaped buds had a mix of bright green and dark, almost gray leaves, with intensely, bright pistils and covered with a lovely veil of trichomes that left my fingers nice and sticky. Beautiful buds aren’t all Shiva has going for it, it’s scent was probably one of those most unique I’ve encountered since I started doing strain reviews. Shiva Shanti has a tangy, pungent scent that smells very much like garlic with a sweet, skunky smell.

This is a hybrid strain, but mostly indica dominant at 85% and those characteristics are very apparent. If you’re a beginner, you may want to start slow with Shiva Shanti, she’s pretty potent. My preferred method of consuming is with my bong, the first time I tried Shiva Shanti I was modest and took two small bong hits and the effects set in instantly. My eyes felt heavy and my body felt very relaxed and calm. I was expecting to feel more tired or fatigued, but was surprised when I was met with a surge of  cerebral energy that can only be described as titillating. Shiva Shanti is great when you need something to help you let go, if you suffer from stress or depression this would be a great strain to try to get your mind right. This strain is a great enhancer, whether it’s a mood or physical sensation you’re trying to heighten. It proved to help me relax before a flight to LA. Flying isn’t my favorite thing in the world and to cope I normally drink before flights, this time I decided to have a big session with some Shiva Shanti to see if it’d help me relax or sleep. She did her job and not only did I skip the booze, but I slept through the whole flight and that never happens! So if you’re someone who is constantly in a state of stress, worry, or anxiousness and want a better out look, try this shit!

Shiva Shanti: 10 – Snoop

**Please note scale is based on how high I felt while smoking the strain being reviewed**