Update: Here are the 10 strains – the store switched them up a little since earlier in the week. The promotion begins Friday!

Lemon Sour Diesel from Life Gardens
Permafrost from Life Gardens
Skunk #1 from Life Gardens
Cinex from Sysco Pancho
Omega from Emerald Twist
Sour Kush from Farmer J’s
Orange Kush from Blue Sky Growers
Blue Bubba from Farmer J’s
Aff-goo from Sysco Pancho
Cinderella 99 from Sysco Pancho

This Friday (Feb. 13) New Vansterdam plans to launch a new series of $10 per-gram strains for its “10 for 10” promotion.

Shon-Lueiss Harris, the company’s spokesman (not, as some of the TV stations have reported, the owner), said the goal of the program is to fight back against the black market – which generally has cheaper prices but also doesn’t pay taxes or test product.

“We understand the original intention behind Initiative 502 was to create a regulated and sustainable industry, while also pushing out a criminal market,” Harris said in an email. “However, high prices have proved a hindrance to this goal. Beginning this Friday, New Vansterdam will be beginning a direct competition with the Black Market. We will be unveiling 10 strains for $10, the standard black market price in this community.”

The prices are aimed at helping people who use the black market to try marijuana from the recreational side, he said.

“Our hope is to help make Recreational marijuana, which is regulated, taxed and tested, an accessible option instead of illegal marijuana, which is sold without a care to quality or the age of the consumer,” Harris said.

The store has worked out some special deals with growers in order to drop the prices, although with the current excise tax structure in the state, those prices will be hard to maintain, he said.

The store has picked the first five strains, but still hasn’t yet decided on the second five.

Here are the first five:

Alaskan Thunder F*** (ATF) – Sunburst Bud
Cinex – Sunburst Bud
White Widow – Sunburst Bud
Hollands Hope – Sunburst Bud
Omega – Emerald Twist

All of Clark County’s stores now have several strains under $20, and there are a few $10 strains available periodically at them as well, but they have been a bit harder to find.

There are several bills in the state Legislature right now that could help with the excise tax problems.

Cheers,
-SueVo (sue.vorenberg@columbian.com)