Effects of the Lemon Cherry Gelato Strain in Cannabis Research
1. Introduction
Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is a widely used psychoactive drug, with two of the more than 500 identified compounds in cannabis being largely responsible for the psychoactive effects. Cannabinoids are Phytocannabinoids with a wide spectrum of pharmacological effects. Cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are the main components of cannabis used for medicinal purposes.
Cannabis drug material (plant or plant extracts containing cannabinoids) and seven of its active ingredients are controlled under the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, as amended by the 1972 Protocol 1. They are regarded as drugs of abuse but have been recognized as having legitimate medical use in some member states.
However, legislation and drug control in the field are changing rapidly with more and more countries and states permitting the use of cannabis for its psychoactive or medicinal properties. Currently, 24 states and the District of Columbia in the USA have legalized cannabis for recreation and/or medical use, and ten states have legalized the use of cannabis for recreation.
This is resulting in increasing public health concerns due to abuse potential and expert interest to better understand cannabis as a drug of abuse and its potential therapeutic benefits.
Cannabis has a long history of medicinal use and is popular among recreational drug users. The global cannabis market is estimated to be worth several billion dollars. Understanding the mechanism of action of cannabis and its constituents is paramount to better understanding the potential adverse effects and developing synthetic derivatives to achieve desired pharmaceutical effects.
Despite its long history of use, only in the past couple of decades, with the discovery of the endocannabinoid system, has progress in our understanding of cannabis emerged 2.
1.1. Overview:Effects of the Lemon Cherry Gelato Strain in Cannabis Research
The world of cannabis is exceedingly diverse, with hundreds of cultivars and growing strains blooming every year. Cannabis, like other plants, can adapt to changes in the environment, creating new cultivars or varieties. Genotypic and environmental conditions, such as soil, temperature, humidity, and light, affect how a plant expresses itself.
Some cultivars are known for their high cannabinoid levels, such as Chemo, Sour Diesel, or Gorilla Glue, while others are prized for their unique aromatic profiles, such as Gelato, Cookies, or mint Brewski. Cannabis sativa L. possesses a great diversity of chemotypic and phenotypic profiles determined by environmental factors and allele variations present in the geographical area.
Genotypical and environmental parameters determine the expression and accumulation of the various secondary metabolites present in this plant, including cannabinoids and terpenes. Cannabinoids have recently attracted bottom line interest due to their remarkable biological activity, but other compounds, such as terpenoids, also have been shown to have a beneficial effect on human health.
A great variety of terpenoid profiles in cannabis is known to have a strong chemotaxonomical value, thus enabling the differentiation of varietal types 2. In this paper, phenolic compounds from two cannabis strains, Gelato and Cookie, will be characterized by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography, using high-res mass spectrometry in a hybrid quadrupole-time-of-flight analyzer.
2. The Lemon Cherry Gelato Strain
Cannabis strains are typically classified into one of three categories: indica, sativa, or hybrid. Despite the existence of more than a thousand unique cannabis strains in the world today, new strains are continually being created and introduced. One of the newest cannabis strains that have been introduced to the cannabis community is the Lemon Cherry Gelato strain, which first began to gain recognition in 2020.
Genetics and Lineage
The Lemon Cherry Gelato strain is a descendant of some of the most popular and well-known strains to ever hit the cannabis scene. The Lemon Cherry Gelato strain is a 50/50 hybrid cross between the Lemon Cherry strain and the Gelato strain. The Lemon Cherry strain is a hybrid strain that is a combination of the indica Cherry Pie strain and the sativa Lemon Haze strains.
The Cherry Pie strain is also a well-known strain, which itself is a hybrid cross between the indica Granddaddy Purple strain and the sativa Durban Poison strain. The Gelato strain, on the other hand, is a hybrid cross between the Cookie Fam family’s Sunset Sherbet and Thin Mint GSC strains, which have consistently ranked among the top 10 greatest cannabis strains in the world.
Physical Characteristics
The Lemon Cherry Gelato strain is known for its large chunky buds, which are made up of small cone-shaped popcorn nuggets. The buds have a beautiful bright green color, which is complemented by bright orange hairs and a thick coating of frosty white crystal trichomes. The buds have a sweet and sour fruity lemon cherry flavor with hints of vanilla and hints of fresh cream and herbs. The aroma is sweet and floral with hints of cherry, lemon, diesel, and a touch of nutmeg.
2.1. Genetics and Lineage
Several ultra-flavonoid gelato derivatives emerged from a cannabis variety with a gelato scent. The gelato varieties were divided into 4 biotypes based on the differences in ultra-flavonoid profile. Fermentation tests confirmed that the gelato derivatives have a functional role, specifically their role in scent. The comparison of syrup samples from common biotypes revealed unique compounds specific to gelato and pungent strains, suggesting that the ultra-flavonoid compounds could be new scent sources in cannabis 1.
Lemon Cherry Gelato Gelato is an Award-Winning Hybrid strain, bred by crossbreeding Lemon Cherry and Gelato 41. This strain is known for its sweetly sour citrusy flavors, citrusy aroma, and sweet and spicy undertones. Lemon Cherry Gelato is also known for its bag appeal with lavish dark purple buds surrounding a forest of orange hairs blanket with golden trichomes.
2.2. Physical Characteristics
In the examination of the Lemon Cherry Gelato strain, physical attributes take center stage after genetic diversity, and the investigative focus regarding perception and experience shifts to strain-related observations. Such observations solidify an anchoring point in the shared sensory world of the observer alongside other observers.
The Lemon Cherry Gelato strain is best observed with close scrutiny in an indoor, quiet, and dimly lit environment. The plants are typical of their Gelato ancestry, showing both tall and dense characteristics while overall remaining compact. Most plants are green with purple streaks spreading through the stems, and the edges of the leaves take on a light yellowish hue.
The leaves have a thick and waxy texture, and the surface of those leaves is covered with trichomes that mirror dusty sprinkle indistinguishable in color. The tips of some taller plants show curled or droopy leaves. Very hardly, black and a couple of white insect spots are observed on the leaves; this is much weighed than the average observation of other strains at this growth stage.
Taking closer looks at the buds, they are rich in purple and lavender hues and closely packed in nugs resembling finger widths. The surface of the nugs is glistening with clear resinous trichomes, while the colors of the trichomes range from clear to milky white.
A common and stable odor of each bud can be instantaneously recognized, which holds an earthy and must soda scent with the feeling of a mix of food flavoring in caramel sweetness. Other scents like fruitiness or floral notes are less individualized or fleeting.
3. Chemical Composition and Terpene Profile
Lemon Cherry Gelato, a hybrid strain resulting from crossing the Lemon Skunk, Cherry Pie, and Gelato 41 strains, falls under the diverse family of cannabis plants. It is a balanced hybrid with a commendable THC potency of up to 30%, framing its complex chemical profile specifications.
Lemon Cherry Gelato attracts attention due to its aromatic citrus profile driven by terpenes that include an abundance of limonene, which accounts for its unique flavor profile. Its compactness is consistent with many hybrid plants, appearing as beautiful and colorful small round flowers consisting mainly of purple hues patina combined with bright orange hairs.
Further considerations regarding the chemical composition and terpene profile of Lemon Cherry Gelato were evaluated by reviewing current literature, focusing on the strain’s therapeutic potential and side effects of use.
Employing a gas chromatograph/flame ionization detector, Yoshino et al. examined the strain’s chemical composition of major cannabinoids as well as terpenes, resulting in the analysis of the strain’s three flowers that were cultivated and grown by different providers in the United States:
Wyld, Therapeutic Health Services, and East Coast Cannabis. Nine major cannabinoids are quantified with frequencies being ∆9-THC, THCA, ∆8-THC, CBDVA, CBDV, CBDA, THCV, CBG, and CBN within the spectrum of 0-9.77 mg/g.
Three terpenes are identified and quantified, being Myrcene, Terpinolene, and α-Humulene, summed up within the chemical composition list of Lemon Cherry Gelato. Consideration in the therapeutic use of Lemon Cherry Gelato is then elaborated through the narrowed focus of major cannabinoids of THC and CBD, as well as the consideration of terpenes.
The further session including the study of medical cannabis imparts some potential side effects on patients, including common adverse effects such as increased heart rate, dry mouth, and psychomotor slowing, which is more commonly observed among new patients.
The characterization of a cannabis strain obtained from a commercial vendor under certification and effective guidance was conducted to supplement the research diversity of cannabis strains currently present in both the recreational and therapeutic market.
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4. Effects and Therapeutic Potential
The Lemon Cherry Gelato strain, a hybrid cannabis variety with balanced hybrid classification (50% indica, 50% sativa), has gained recognition in cannabis research and community discussions. With its alluring appearance, unique scent, and remarkable effects, it has garnered the interest of curious cannabis enthusiasts.
Primarily bred or cultivated by the renowned Seed Junky Genetics, the origins of the Lemon Cherry Gelato strain can be traced back to some famous cannabis strains. Developed from crossbreeding the coveted Sunset Sherbet cut with Ice Cream Cake, its lineage can be described as Sunset Sherbet X Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies X Fiji.
Cancer patients who use cannabis agree that this is one of the strains with similar benefits to that of the purebred Indigo strains, mellowness without total couch lock. Lemon Cherry Gelato has been heralded for its potency. People have claimed to use this strain to deal with their ailments ranging from severe headaches to muscle spasms and chronic pain.
Cannabis strains are commonly grouped into three generic categories: indica, sativa, or hybrid. These categories stem from what is referred to as “genetics” or “lineage,” which is essentially the strain’s ancestry. The Lemon Cherry Gelato strain’s genetic lineage includes a myriad of well-known cannabis varieties, with four staples in cannabis genetics:
Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies, Sunset Sherbet, OG Kush, and Cherry Pie. With 25% THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) concentration at the high end and 20% at the low end, Lemon Cherry Gelato is ranked among the more potent cannabis options. In addition to an array of cannabinoids, there’s a plethora of aromatic terpenes bound to each Lemon Cherry Gelato bud.
This strain has sweet, colorful, and dense buds reminiscent of candy-coated pastries surrounded by a backdrop of mushy cherry-scented fruit. Patients have reported improved mood, increased sociability, clear-headedness, and creativity following use. Certain consumers note an increase in heightened sensory awareness with effects reminiscent of drinking coffee with blueberry donuts.
References:
1. Montero L, W. Meckelmann S, Kim H, F. Ayala-Cabrera J et al. Differentiation of industrial hemp strains by their cannabinoid and phenolic compounds using LC × LC-HRMS. 2022. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2. de la Fuente A, Zamberlan F, Sánchez Ferrán A, Carrillo F et al. Relationship among subjective responses, flavor, and chemical composition across more than 800 commercial cannabis varieties. 2020. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov