As market watchers, and curious smokers would agree, the progress of establishing a legal and regulated cannabis market in Illinois has been disappointingly slow, leaving many smokers eager for a more prompt and accessible resolution. Craft cannabis licensees faced regulatory hurdles, lawsuits, and growing pains as medical operators who were able to get established prior to 2020 continued to have market dominance on the dispensary shelves. So just to preface before moving forward, I am not paid or affiliated with any of the products reviewed. I pick a dispensary and a strain I think I’ll like and go from there. If I get some suggestions I may follow them, but overall, I want this to be information that can be relied on as genuine and thought out.
While the timing of the craft cannabis product rollout may have initially seemed painfully slow, there is much to be said for a measured and well-thought-out implementation. The gradual introduction of products from some of the first craft cannabis brands onto the shelves has finally presented enthusiasts like myself with the long-awaited opportunity to explore and experience their offerings.
As avid consumers, we have eagerly awaited this moment, as it allows us to delve into the world of craft cannabis and discover the unique qualities and flavors that these brands have carefully cultivated. The anticipation has been palpable, and the excitement now potentially endless as we have the chance to give these products a try.
With each new release, we can embark on sensory exploration, immersing ourselves in the aromas, flavors, and effects that these meticulously crafted products have to offer. The careful attention to detail and dedication to quality that these brands exhibit has yet to be fully experienced, but I expect much of it will be some truly surprising and interesting gear, and it fills me with joy to finally have the opportunity to support them and share my thoughts on their products.
While I could’ve been reviewing products from growers long before this, I wanted to keep the focus of reviews on this site strictly on craft growers. Craft growers, in my opinion, bring a unique touch to their products that sets them apart from the larger scale operators. It’s true that the quality of larger scale operators has been on the rise, and their range of offerings has seen incredible growth-however, there is something special about the products offered by smaller growers that captivates me.
So, for the first ever review on IllinoisCraftCannabis.com, I’ve decided to feature Runaway Diesel from IC Collective. The guys seem to promote an ethos that vibes well with folks who watched cannabis really hit the mainstream back in the early 2000’s. They work with “new-old school cultivars” (circa~’96-2010’s) that deliver a potent experience both in effect and in aroma, and as someone who watched the diesel/chemdog/OG craze really take off, I naturally had to hop on that train. These strains really invoke a certain nostalgia, as Chem #4, and Sour D were all the rage, and an explosion of hype strains, many of them well deserved of the acclaim began filtering from the west coast across the United States. Aromas from these pungent flowers could be identified from across a room, either raw or burned. I had to see if my memory could be brought alive by the recent offerings, and so Runaway Diesel was my first choice.
I picked up 1/8th oz. of flower from Grasshopper Club in Logan Square, Chicago. They had a number of IC Collective varieties, but the budtender suggested the Runaway Diesel, and since this is what I was leaning for, the purchase didn’t take long to complete. Out in the car I just had to open the jar to get that first whiff. Harvested on September 7, 2023 and purchased November 27, 2023, I was immediately greeted by a familiar aroma. I couldn’t wait to get home to try.
At the immediate front end of the aroma is that familiar skunky-ness that Diesel exudes in a potent way, cutting through any other aroma and overwhelming the senses. Layered under that is the pine, diesel, and lemon splash that backs up the skunky tone in a beautiful way. A touch of funk and an ever so subtle floral scent rounds out the flower’s nose to make up a truly old school scent. This is the type of herb I like to just open the jar for simply for the sake of enjoying the aroma. It’s not a pure Sour D, but there’s a little hint of kush-funk aromatics seeping through there.
Runaway diesel is a cross of oneway(crossroadS1) x sour diesel. I think we have 7 or 8 of them that we kept. I think #7 is out now. They range from deep new tennis balls drenched in gas to fruity fuel notes with purple hints. I will start putting the # on the jars as we go through the 7. We only release them if I think they are 💥💥💥.
IC Collective
The flower has a bright green appearance and seems to have been handled with quite a bit of care. The trim is exceptional and outer trichomes are decently preserved. The dry/cure is on point, giving the flower a perfect consistency for a proper burn. If i were to take a guess they dried to a relative humidity of 58-60%. This stuff will burn well, but not harshly, while delivering quick and effective rips.
I smoked this flower out of an E. Ross 4.0 water pipe and a glass spoon. Each device was clean and provided a great way to sample the flower. The 4.0 provided a smooth smoke and lighter aroma, with the sweeter/floral aroma being present, while the spoon really helps the bud shine, in my humble opinion. From the spoon the smoke is rich, full flavored, and incredibly smooth, with the skunky-funk dominating the aroma with this smoking method. The complexity of lemon-lime and a splash of evergreen forest floor coupled with the skunk and petrol front end come through perfectly balanced. The flavor and smoothness lead me to believe a joint would be an incredibly pleasant smoking experience till the end.
The effects on this flower are very well rounded. Not the most potent herb, but the smoke provides a very decent punch (which honestly, is more enjoyable IMHO). The effects kick in fully after a few minutes and can be quite cerebral, with a near equally potent effect on the body–helping smokers find a mind-wandering relaxation. This isn’t to say it was debilitating or numbing in the least, but the perfect herb to kick back and relax for a few hours with some soothing music or a movie. The effects were very long lasting, and I found myself pleasantly medicated for 2-3 hours. I wouldn’t necessarily call the effects more focused but they lend the mind to wander in a very uplifted kind of way.
Overall, I’m very happy with this herb. I’ll definitely be finishing the 8th here in the next few days and will be sad to see it go, but glad I had the opportunity to enjoy it. The flower was clearly cared for diligently, and I see IC Collective really putting their best foot forward here with this one. For smokers who have wondered what has happened to with the herb these days, with pastry/fruit/ice cream cultivars dominating the market, they’ll be very happy with this product. A real throwback to the days when some of us got our first tastes of high end, heady varieties that delight and seduce our senses. I’m eager to try more of their gear, and by the looks of it they have some really cool and familiar types of items lined up.
Thank you so much for reading my opinion with this first ever review post, if you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to drop your opinion in the comments on this page or my YouTube nugshots video. I am excited to try more items and improve my content every chance I have! Stay safe and take care!
