The strain “Super Red Espresso Snowflake” always stood out because it’s the perfect skewering of drug dealers who tried tell you what kind of strain you were buying: they were really just making shit up. However, now that legal marijuana and dispensaries exist, actual marijuana strains are more prevalent than ever, so we figured it’s time we start learning them all, one by one.
Trainwreck didn’t get its name or claim to fame in the marijuana community for no reason at all. This exhilarating hybrid strain has mind blowing components that will hit you like a train after just a couple of hits. A combination of 2 sativas (Mexican and Thai) and one indica (Afghani), this strain is nothing short of a mental roller coaster ride. Although Trainwreck is mainly sativa dominant (80:20 sativa/indica ratio), you can expect a mellowing body high in addition to a cognitive high that administers imaginative and inventive thoughts. Patients commonly use Trainwreck to relieve pain, PTSD and stress. You can smoke this strain comfortably throughout the day even with its super high potency. It’s long green leaves are accompanied by a pine/citrus aroma that can’t be mistaken. You can expect a noticeable after taste of lemon with a slight cough when inhaling this strain.. There’s definitely a heavy amount of trichomes (hairs) on this strain which gives it a light green color and sometimes a subtle hint of gray.
About Trainwreck Strain
Trainwreck is a mind-bending hybrid with potent sativa effects that hit like a freight train. Mexican and Thai sativas were bred with Afghani indicas to produce this Northern California staple, passing on a sweet lemon and spicy pine aroma. Trainwreck begins its speedy hurtle through the mind with a surge of euphoria, awakening creativity and happiness. Migraines, pain, and arthritis are mowed down by Trainwreck’s high THC content, and many patients also use it for relief of anxiety, ADD/ADHD, and PTSD. Trainwreck flowers finish up in early October outdoors, while indoor gardens are ready for harvest 8 weeks into flowering.
This strain was supposedly the creation of two Californian brothers back in the late 1970s. It is a mix of three other strains of Thai (Sativa), Mexican (Sativa) and Afghani (Indica). In its true form, Trainwreck is ninety percent Sativa and only ten percent Indica. As the story goes the two brothers had to pull their crop early because there was a nasty train wreck that happened near their grow site and they didn’t want it discovered, thus the name.
Trainwreck can grow well both indoors and outdoors. Plants of this strain grow fairly tall but the Indica in them causes them to fill out well. Inside grown in hydro a single plant can yield up to 500 grams in a square meter. When grown in soil outside Trainwreck plants are ready for harvesting in early October and can yield up to 700 grams. This strain flowers somewhere between eight and ten weeks.
Aroma, Flavor & Appearance
As mentioned above, one of the characteristics that have caused Trainwreck to become such a world-famous strain is its distinctive and immediately identifiable aroma and flavor. The minute you crack open your storage jar, the scent of lemon-lime will overwhelm you and the room you’re in, but this version is unlike most other citrus aroma strains.
Topped with notes of menthol and acidic sourness, nothing about the Trainwreck name or appearance would lead you to believe that this is actually how it smells, but the result is pleasant and unexpected, acting somewhat as a surprise for first-time triers of Trainwreck weed. The flavor is likewise satisfying, giving off a semi-spicy or even peppery tang that zings and zaps the taste buds, waking you up with its charming, pungent taste that hits with earthy and woodsy notes after the initial impact.
Appearance-wise, you can tell Trainwreck produces a strong high just by looking at a single bud. The buds are often covered in a thick layer of frosty THC-packed trichomes, with little bits of resin that glimmer and sparkle each time the light hits it. The buds are beautiful with all their glam, but additionally, they are healthy and potent neon green in color. Sultry, brassy orange, and sometimes slightly red pistils curl and twist amongst the sticky frost and bright sugar leaves.
Trainwreck Growing Info
According to the breeder, Purple Trainwreck has a mostly indica lineage, producing violet and purple-hued buds in a 58-to-63-day flowering period. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor cultivation, though particularly responsive to warm, Mediterranean climates, this strain is resistant to both pests and moisture.
No matter where the crop is grown, trim these girls regularly so that their leaves don’t spread out too much and overwhelm each other, in addition to consuming the space that they are located in.
Thankfully, Trainwreck has high resistance towards everyday pests, mold, powdery mildew, and diseases. Outdoors and indoors grows are both suitable for this hefty strain, but Trainwreck weed typically takes longer to mature and then harvest when kept outside. If you do choose to go the all-natural route, be sure to only cultivate Trainwreck weed in a climate that is dry, yet kept away from frost.
The flowering period for this ganja is 8-10 weeks, with outdoor harvest falling around early to late October. Outdoor yields typically range around 25 ounces per plant, which is quite generous compared to the indoor harvest, which is around 18 ounces per square meter.
THC Content – Highest Test
The average THC content of Trainwreck is 18%, but some samples have reached as high as 22%.
CBD Content – Highest Test
Trainwreck has little CBD to speak of, usually less than 1%.
Trainwreck Medical Benefits
It is debatable whether or not Trainwreck is capable of assisting individuals suffering from mental conditions such as anxiety. Overall, it seems that possibly depression, stress, and PTSD respond to this reefer, but those who have anxiety may want to choose a different strain for their medical needs. Many patient reports claim that this strain increased or even induced paranoia and panic attacks.
Trainwreck is a relaxant and can induce a jelly-like sensation over the whole body. This is something many prescription medications fail to do for individuals who manage massive amounts of pain and stress in their joints, muscles, tendons, bones, and more.
Trainwreck Negative Effects
Many reviews of the Trainwreck strain do claim that this marijuana has the ability to assist those who deal with anxiety and panic attacks. However, after reading many of the reviews from those who have directly tried this slightly psychoactive and hefty strain, it is obvious that many claim to not have enjoyed Trainwreck. This is often because they are prone to panic attacks and had an episode after consuming this cannabis.
It seems that overall, it is best for patients and consumers with a tendency to react negatively to THC heavy weed to stay away from Trainwreck. It can increase anxiety, paranoia, and other uncomfortable experiences.
The Trainwreck strain overall produces a pleasant high with minimal side effects, but if you get anxious easily beware.
The other reported negative side effects are rather minimal and easily manageable, with dry mouth (cottonmouth) and dry eyes sometimes occurring after intake. Dry mouth is preventable by drinking plenty of hydrating fluids before, during, and after your high, which will also keep you hydrated making developing a headache less likely.
Keeping a bottle of moisturizing eye drops nearby when consuming cannabis is a wise idea, because then if your eyes become dry or itchy, these drops will take care of the problem with instant relief. Eye drops can be purchased inexpensively at most drug stores. As long as precautions are taken, the Trainwreck strain overall produces a pleasant high with minimal side effects, but if you get anxious easily beware, this strain is not for you.
For the longest time Trainwreck was only available in clone form but more recently a few places have been able to recreate seeds of the strain. There are several others that have tried to imitate the strain under the same name, some with great success. Real Trainwreck will have thin leaves and dense buds full of resin. The buds give off a strong citrus smell as they ripen..
Very potent strain! Don’t do that if you’re a newbie. It really does creep up on you. It melted my back pain away like no other sativa dominant strain has. But next time I’ll be more patient, I wouldn’t be able to work like this.