Ya Hemi

Grandiflora Genetics combined two Oakland favorites, Project 4516 and Melonatta into one heavy hitter: Ya Hemi. With a bright citrus profile and laid-back spacey effect, it ticks all of the boxes and then some for top-shelf flower.

You have to say this one with a little energy to get the full effect of the name. “Ya Hear Me!?” – a reference not to something that needs to be repeated, but to how loud and pungent this cultivar is. With most newer cultivars named after desserts, it’s refreshing to see something different, even if it feels a bit like an inside joke.

The crew at So Dope put the effort in to hunt and select this pheno, which as the cultivator Rich Picardi put it, “It’s the full package. She yields, the terps are crazy, the smoke is great, and it’s beautiful to look at in the grow room and in the jar.” I’ll second that, as the flower is expertly cured as well as covered in intact, short-stalked trichomes and reeking of a musty citrus funk.

The Ya Hemi shows off what So Dope farms can achieve. It’s a supreme example of what Rich admits is the result of many years worth of blood, sweat, tears and hardships. He adds, “We are always ‘growing’ as cultivators. Testing and tuning new techniques, equipment, irrigation strategies, etc. We strive to be on the leading edge of Cannabis cultivation. It’s always a work in progress. It’s never easy.” 

Breaking into these expertly cured buds, I get pops of silver and bright violet throughout the dark green flowers. A gram added to the grinder immediately releases a powerful cloud of terpenes and aromatics, with bright citrus and tart kiwi alongside overripe fruit and rich roasted coffee notes. Rolling up a joint I get hits of fresh juice cocktails, rich incense, and a lingering top note of melon musk. Altogether an interesting profile, with a citrus-forward aroma alongside plenty of funk and layered herbal complexity.

Palate coating is a bit of an understatement. The flavor carries over from the grinder to a dry-hit of the joint, and then definitely when you spark it up – with the stand-out bright and sour profile carrying through to the very last hit. No doubt this cut of Ya Hemi leaves an impression all the way from the garden until after you’ve stubbed your joint out in the ashtray.