Bruce Banner Strain Information & Review
We’re sure we don’t have to explain this strain’s name; it’s green, and it’s a monster. Bruce Banner is a sativa-dominant weed that delivers a Hulking THC punch. How strong is it? The strain won the 2013 High Times Cannabis Cup for most potent strain.
Bruce Banner is a good choice for daytime use (if you are an experienced smoker, that is). The head high is euphoric, energizing, creative, and a definite mood-booster, so it’s become a favorite as much for its uplifting, happy effects as it is for its high THC content.
This is a strain that definitely smells like weed, with a mix of diesel and sweet aromas. Its flavor isn’t as sweet, though, with the berry taste balanced by notes of citrus, earthiness, and pungency.
Bruce Banner: Effects and Side Effects
High THC levels usually mean a strongly euphoric head high, and Bruce Banner comes through in that regard.
The effects hit quickly, but they don’t take long to mellow into a more controlled energetic, and happy high that’s likely to be creative and provide a powerful mood boost. The lasting cerebral effects are energetic and uplifting and sometimes even peaceful, making Bruce Banner a popular strain for daytime users.
While you’re enjoying the motivating and happy buzz, the body high kicks in. It is not sedating and won’t usually cause couch-lock, but it does deliver full-body relaxation. That may slow you down somewhat if you want to take advantage of the continuing cerebral effects, but many find that they’re still able to make use of the creativity and focus Bruce Banner provides.
Inexperienced smokers or those who don’t usually use high-THC strains may find that Bruce Banner isn’t the right choice for them. Among those users, it can bring on dizziness, anxiety, or paranoia, particularly for people who are dealing with clinical anxiety issues. For everyone else, dry eyes, cottonmouth, and dehydration are common side effects.
Positive Effects:
- Energy: 5/5
- Creative: 4/5
- Pain: 4/5
- Stress: 4/5
- Sleep: 2/5
- Mood: 5/5
Negative Effects:
- Paranoid: 3/5
- Dry Mouth: 5/5
- Dry Eyes: 5/5
- Lethargy: 1/5
- Cough: 4/5
Bottom Line: Bruce Banner delivers the experience you’d expect from one of the most potent sativa-dominant strains in the world: a powerful, euphoric, happy, and uplifting head high, along with strong body relaxation.
Medical Conditions
Many medical patients with mental health issues say the stress-relieving, uplifting effects of Bruce Banner provide them with extraordinary relief, although there are those with existing anxiety issues who find that use of this high-THC strain actually worsens their problems. It’s important for those people to start very slowly or microdose if they try Bruce Banner.
ADD, ADHD, and bipolar patients say that the focus provided by the strain is beneficial, and those dealing with chronic fatigue say the same about Bruce Banner’s energy boost. And the combination of calm euphoria and body relaxation is often beneficial according to patients dealing with chronic and serious pain, migraines, and nausea.
Flavor and Aroma
The two scents that hit you immediately are diesel and sweetness. That aroma isn’t surprising, considering Bruce Banner’s lineage, which includes Strawberry Diesel. The berry undertones are noticeable, as are citrus, earth, and some floral scents. In short, it smells like sweet weed.
You’ll taste berries and citrus along with earth and pepper once you light up. The flavor is sweet but not as sweet as the aroma. Above all, Bruce Banner is a complex and interesting-tasting strain.
Flavor and Aroma Ratings:
- Earthy: 3/5
- Citrus: 3/5
- Fruity: 4/5
- Spice: 3/5
- Wood: 2/5
Cannabinoids and Terpenes
Bruce Banner has been measured to have an average THC content of around 21%, but that only tells part of the story.
It’s not unusual to find flowers that are much more potent at dispensaries. THC levels of 24%, 25%, and even higher are quite common, and some independent labs have placed its average THC content at 24%-29%. When Bruce Banner won the Cannabis Cub we mentioned earlier, it was measured at 30%. CBD content is usually somewhere between 0.5% and 1%.
The terpenes most prevalent in this strain include myrcene, caryophyllene, limonene, and bisabolol (a little-known terp that provides pepper and floral scents and aromas). Humulene and camphene contribute their characteristics and effects as well.
Lineage
Give California’s Dark Horse Genetics credit for developing Bruce Banner and Delta 9 Labs for perfecting it.
Dark Horse crossed two balanced strains, potent and tasty Strawberry Diesel and the more relaxing and skunky OG Kush. Their goal was to create a strain that would be high in THC with an energizing sativa high, coupled with a mellowing indica effect. They succeeded.
Actually, the story is a bit more complicated than that.
There were originally five phenotypes of Bruce Banner that were created, numbered (of course) 1-5. #2 and #4 weren’t satisfactory, so three different Bruce Banner strains called Bruce Banner (or Bruce Banner #1), Bruce Banner #3, and Bruce Banner #5 were released to the public. Bruce Banner #3 was the one that tested as the highest in the world back in the early 2010s.
Similar Strains
Since Bruce Banner has become such a legendary strain, it’s difficult to come up with strains that are worth comparing to it. However, some that you might consider as alternatives are Gorilla Glue, Blue Dream strain, Sour Strawberry, 707 Headband, and Blue Fire.
Bruce Banner Strain Review: FAQ
Q: Is the Bruce Banner you see on sale always Bruce Banner #1? Can you find Bruce Banner #3 or #5 in dispensaries?
A: More often than not, all three of the strains available to consumers are sold simply as “Bruce Banner,” although you might find #3 or #5 for sale in some outlets. All deliver essentially the same effects. Some observers say that the higher the number, the more potent the strain — but the cultivators have never confirmed that theory.
Q: How difficult is it to find Bruce Banner?
A: It’s easiest in Southern California where it was first bred, and in Colorado where it was first widely distributed. However, it’s popular enough now that at least some dispensaries in all legal states carry it, at least when they’re able to get their hands on it.
