Strain of the Week: Mar. 29, 2015 (King Louis XIII)

Strain of the Week: Mar. 29, 2015 (King Louis XIII)

Often seen portrayed in Three Musketeer films as a bumbling dolt, the real life Louis XIII is much less comical, but only if we ignore rumors that he was a homosexual lute player. And although not as well known as his son, Louis XIV, the “Sun King”, or the beheaded Louis XVI of powdered wig and French Revolution fame, it was the 13th Louis that is responsible for spreading France’s influence in North America and establishing the French Academy, which is credited with keeping France’s intellectuals and artists at home, instead of in Italy, and rather likely led to his great-great-grandson’s date with the guillotine.

I’ve never especially understood why such a run-of-the-mill, yet surprisingly effective French king would manage to get his own strain named for him, instead of one of the much more dramatized Louises. Louisses? Loui? Whatever. This heady phenotype of OG Kush is sure to stand out among the other OG’s on the menu.

The aesthetic of King Louis XIII is quintessentially OG Kush. The scent upon opening the jar is all pine and spice, like walking through the chaparral of Southern California after a heavy rain. Lots of wet, skunky juniper and low sage.

With a noticeably sedative indica high, King Louis XIII has long been my go-to strain for insomnia. Drowsiness is always a factor, but the effects go much further than just peaceful slumber. When taken during the day, it has a narcotic like analgesic uses, making it a great pain reliever, and the sedation can help calm anxious nerves.