Prophet - Durban Berry

Brand identity is key to brand building in and outside of cannabis. Prophet brings one hell of a story to bear as both founders, Luke Scarmazzo and Ricardo Montes, opened the first medical dispensary in Modesto, California, before being raided and arrested by federal drug agents in 2006. Ricardo served 9 years and Luke served 15 years after being convicted as “Kingpins.” 

Prophet is creating and providing high quality flower and pre-rolls with plans to expand to many state markets over time. They are using wisdom of the past to create a vision for the future. 

“For nearly a century, cannabis prohibition transformed once-honorable farmers into outlaws, and wise healers into mere dealers. The path of these visionaries, enduring persecution and imprisonment, forged the very bedrock of the legal cannabis industry. Prophet now pays homage to the valiant sacrifices of these pioneers, dedicating a portion of its proceeds to the liberation of those unjustly imprisoned behind a cannabis offense.”

I met with the founders recently and got to try one of the strains they are cooking up called Durban Berry. It came in at 26% THC and 3% terpenes; let's break down the aroma, appearance, flavor and effects. Also, check out the interview with Luke Scarmazzo from last year’s Benzinga Miami on Episode 10!

First up, the aroma on this one took me by surprise! A burst of terps jumped out of the jar to grab ahold of me and didn’t let go. It’s the kind of aroma that makes you salivate, almost wanting to eat the flower instead of smoke it with a deep funky haze packed with sweet berries and grapes. Intense candied berry notes alongside the mango terpinolene rich haze profile is a great combination and brings out several uncommon characteristics of Super Silver Haze to create a unique and, if I do say so myself, wonderful aroma. 

Appearance is up next, and this one is loaded with trichomes. You can tell why its aroma was rocking. It has dense coverage with a good majority of the trichomes still intact, so much so that the buds glisten in the light. The stigma on the nug crisscrosses its surface; each vibrant and orange against the light green hues of the flower. The sample has most likely been hand trimmed or at least hand finished as the form of the bud has not been compromised. No bracts cut or leaf stems remain, and the natural peaks and valleys of each are visible. I’m not aware of the sample age, but I’m guessing it’s in the early/middle of its shelf life. I almost regretted breaking this bud up to put in the grinder. 

The regret grinding this up was short lived as the aroma that rushed up from the ground sample was doubled in strength. (Shout out to Coral Cove Wellness in Jamaica, and thank you for the wood grinder!) I stopped again to smell and swim in the deep fruit and haze notes on this one before rolling up a little over a gram into a joint using Raw Natural Tips and Elements Ultra Thin Papers. It was interesting because the aroma on the sample was very dual tone with both haze and fruit aromas fighting for dominance, but after grinding, the fruit notes dominated. 

On the dry hit, the flavor profile shifted yet again into a spicy haze that stayed on the palate for a pleasant amount of time. The fruit notes took the backseat here, but you could still find them in the flavor. I puffed a bit more before finding somewhere comfortable along the beach to watch the waves and enjoy. 

The spiced haze, with a finishing touch of sweet fruit, tasted as expected - delicious. The combustion of the pre-roll definitely put a little spice and edge on the smoke, but it was a very smooth burn. I wish it wasn’t so windy, as it burned a little quick on me in the breeze coming off the ocean. The effects were felt almost instantly with a strong head rush followed by the very familiar settling behind the eyes almost weighing down the eyelids a bit. The feeling moved from there down to my legs and back again to the rhythm of the sea. I stared at the waves and thought about nothing in particular for a few moments, peaceful and tuned in. A great experience and way to wind down. The effects were long lasting as well. I ended up playing kendama for an hour or so (landed a lighthouse to lighthouse!) before realizing how hungry I was after which I tracked down a chicken sandwich. 

With a fast onset and a long duration, the effects tapered off slowly over the next few hours without a real steep drop or shift in mindset. Not going to lie here and for full transparency, I did smoke another a few hours after the first!

I’ve got to say if this is how Luke and Ricardo are going to do everything at Prophet, we as cannabis connoisseurs are in for a treat. Aroma was intense and memorable especially on the grind, the appearance was solid with good trim and great trichome coverage, flavor showed the haze lineage and brought a spicy grilled berry vibe along with the full body long lasting effects. Safe to say that’s some good flower folks; it scores a 91 out of 100 on the Apt 113 Flower Scorecard. Look for Prophet Brands products near you, and check out their website, ProphetBrands.com, to learn more about the brand and the founders.