4.6 Rating. Excellent.
However, as these strains became more popular, people began questioning the authenticity of their flowers. Frequently, two friends would buy the same "Cali Pack", only to receive two different flower qualities. Furthermore, the designs on their pouches would have slight differences - similar to the practices of counterfeit goods. It became clear that people were taking advantage of people's interest in these imported cannabis flowers and the unregulated nature of the black market.
Of all the different Cali imports that became popular in the UK, few stirred up as much debate as Zkittlez by Cali-Xotics. So, what was the deal with this controversial "Cali Pack"?
A Background Into Zkittlez By Cali-Xotics
Zkittlez is arguably one of the most popular cannabis strains to have been created yet. If you've ever tried our Zkittlez CBD flower, a version of the original Zkittlez that has had its THC bred out, the allure to this strain should be obvious. The strain became well known around 2015 when it won the High Times Cannabis Cup for best Indica strain. It went on to win several more awards before Californian strains made their way to the UK, setting up its notoriety and future success.
Dying Breed Seeds created the strain by crossing the legendary Grape Ape and Grapefruit. What resulted was a flavoursome fruity strain profile that smokers had never experienced before. Early versions of Zkittlez tested for 15-23% THC.
The profile of Zkittlez was known to have many layers; berry, lemon, skunk and grape. Due to its Grape Ape lineage, occasionally, its flowers would present purple colours, a sign of the flavonoid called Anthocyanidin. Anthocyanidin is best known for being a powerful antioxidant and lends to beneficial medical properties that this strain can offer.
Due to the success of the strain in the American scene, it became a popular strain among growers. Around 2018/2019, a brand called Cali-Xotics began selling their version of Zkittlez in a distinct custom pouch. Around this time, UK dealers were forming partnerships with legitimate growers in America to distribute their products to UK buyers. As the COVID-19 lockdowns converted unemployed people to the black market and increased our appetite for good cannabis, Cali-Xotics pouches were seemingly available everywhere.
Are Cali-Xotics Pouches Real?
Since Cali-Xotics is a real company in America, this is indeed a legitimate brand. However, people became increasingly sceptical about the authenticity of their Zkittlez pouches for several reasons:
- They were everywhere
- The packaging was inconsistent
- The flower was inconsistent
Since these printing companies were merely imitating the design of the original Cali-Xotics pouches, they were not exact replicas. People could notice differences between the packs they owned and the ones they'd seen in the collections of others.
Furthermore, because dealers could put anything they wanted in these replica Cali-Xotics packs, people noticed that their flowers looked and tasted different from those others were receiving.
Evidently, the emergence of these replicated pouches is what cast doubt on the authenticity of Cali-Xotics Zkittlez.
Dispelling Some Of The Rumours About Cali-Xotics Zkittlez
At the height of its popularity, enthusiasts shared many ways to authenticate a pack's legitimacy. Indeed real deal contained tight and dense flowers, trimmed to perfection and bursting with fruity, citric tones. However, some of the claims were untrue. Wrong ways to identify if a pack was legitimate include:
- The pack must be heat sealed
- It must have THC% written on the pack
- It must contain a unique identification number
The Zkittlez brought to the UK didn't come with THC analytics, as they circumvented the regulated market.
Unique identification numbers are found on legal cannabis strains that are prepackaged and sealed at the facility. However, because these strains were sent unpackaged to the UK, they didn't require unique identification numbers. Sometimes Zkittlez by Cali-Xotics was sold unpackaged, despite being the real deal.
Conclusion
We've seen similar fates fall upon other hype cannabis strains before. We marvel and overconsume them, only for the same dark forces in the black market to pollute the space with inferior products due to the lack of quality oversight.
Unsurprisingly, if you were to visit an American dispensary, there would be no doubt that the Cali-Xotics Zkittlez for sale would be the real deal. But, one day, we'll be able to enjoy a stable UK cannabis scene, with strains that don't just explode into controversy. So if you're curious about Zkittlez and want to try our version with THC bred out and CBD brought forward, don't forget to pick it up here.
