Cypress Connections: Exploring Inzane in the Membrane

Originally featured in Fat Nugs Magazine Vol. 16. Enjoy the great articles and community at fatnugsmag.com.

The lineage of the cultivar Inzane in the Membrane by Ethos genetics is unknown and listed as Noneya x Business. The lineage of Cypress Hill is quite different: the original Cuban/Mexican/American trio B-Real, Sen Dog and DJ Muggs created stoner tracks like "Legalize It", "Stoned is the Way of the Walk", "Dr. Greenthumb” and of course “Insane in the Membrane” in the early 90s. They've made a huge contribution to hip-hop, Latino and cannabis culture with additions like Eric Bobo and DJ Lord along the way.

The music of Cypress Hill has hip-hop at its core with Latin Jazz, Funk and Rock influences all mixing together to create the magic. Cypress Hill has been smoking out stages since 1988 about five years before Ethos Genetics started their science-based breeding program. Inzane In the Membrane is no longer available from Ethos but like Cypress Hill it continues to live on in the cannabis Industry. To give this strain a proper review, I managed to smoke some of it at a Cypress Hill show here in Vegas recently.

Opening up this sample revealed a clean and citrus like aroma, not exactly jumping out of the jar but solid. Overall, the nose is a little peppery with light layers of fruit zest running throughout, like slicing open a spicy melon on a cold and rainy day in the forest. It has a moderate complexity that's been impacted a little by a longer than desired shelf-life, creating a pleasantly sweet note.

Getting a closer look at the sample, I found that the flower itself had a very dense layer of trichomes that were mostly intact. My sample was a little dry to the touch, not too dense or loose. It broke up well by hand and grinder. The trim looks well done and clean on these bright green nugs. As far as ripeness goes, I think this sample may have suffered from some of the Las Vegas heat and arid climate. I would say it’s right on the line - not so dry that’ll turn to powder but dry enough to notice. 

The flavor definitely mirrors the lab results on this one. With a terpinolene dominant terpene profile, it has a lemon/melon fruit forward flavor and only a hint of the spice that you could discern from the aroma. Based on the flavor here, I’d wager at least one of the contributing cultivars to Inzane in the Membrane is in the Haze/Jack Herer family. While good, the flavor doesn’t last as long as you’d want on this flower. The smoke is moderate with a reasonable burn rate and two solid layers, one of melon and another of spice.

The effects were energizing and engaging, I was clear headed, focused and relaxed when smoking this both at home and at the show. It was an awesome experience to light up a joint of Inzane in the Membrane while Cypress Hill was playing “Hits from the Bong '' and another as they closed with “Insane in the Membrane.” It’s a good smoke with a high that doesn’t disappoint. Consider it for the morning or that first smoke of the day as it’s on the uplifting side and should keep you productive and happy.

I grew up listening to Cypress Hill after being introduced to them by my cousins in Maryland. The Black Sunday album was on repeat while I learned more about cultivation and consumption in my early cannabis days, and I’ve been keeping up with their releases all along the way. Cypress Hill was one of the first to brave stages with cannabis and pushed for wider acceptance of the plant.  While doing so, they represented Latinos in hip-hip with the first Latino hip-hop Hollywood Star. Their unique style has brought so many genres together and continues to evolve and influence new artists. If you happen to come across this cultivar in your market, I’d suggest checking it out at least once and bumping some of the Cypress Hill classics while you roll yourself a fat blunt or load up the ice catcher on your bong.

“Goes down smooth when I get a clean hit.
Of the skunky, funky, smelly green shit.
Sing my song, puff all night long.
As I take hits from the bong.”
- Hits From The Bong, Black Sunday 1993, Cypress Hill