Labrador has a very herbal aroma, somewhat reminiscent of pine and lemon. The back of your nose might pick up notes of aromatic hops. This bud boasts a relatively high terpene percentage of 1.78 percent, predominantly myrcene and pinene, the combination of which carries a musky-rosemary flavor profile. The smoke is sweet and thick. Raven Grass, whose pot is organically grown in Olympia, describes this weed as a metaphor for an actual Labrador: "friendly, active, outgoing." From my experience, I would add the adjectives cuddly and comfortable.

I tried Raven Grass's Labrador on a cool, cloudy Saturday, and it was the perfect complement to my morning dog walk. After lazily wandering around Fremont, admiring some beautiful foliage, I went home feeling the urge to curl up back in bed and watch Netflix.

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In last fall's Green Guide, Lester Black recommended the 9lb Hammer grown by Boggy Boon. Now I'm recommending Puffin Farm's version. Puffin's 9lb Hammer is a thing of beauty. The nugs are stunningly green and covered in orange hairs, and the smell is deliciously fruity and sweet—a delectable candy.

Plus, the praise I hear for Puffin is practically unanimous, from budtenders and growers, to enthusiasts and reviewers. Puffin has gone the extra mile in terms of growing green by holding a Clean Green Certification, meaning the farm grows pot according to organic standards. This is one of those strains that tastes exactly as you'd imagine from the aroma, a sign that the flower is expertly grown outdoor bud. The high is contemplative and uplifting—making you appreciate just sitting back and gazing out the window.

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These are dense, berry-sized nugs, begging for a proper grinding before being smoked. Pick this pot apart by hand, and you'll be left with sticky fingers and squished weed. But throw it in a grinder, and its volume will expand into a fluffy mix of delicate aromatics. The smell does the name justice—sweet aromas with a touch of that beautifully earthy weed scent. Based off the density of sticky trichomes, I suspect it would be great for vaporizing.

Sunset Sherbet hits smooth and tickles the tip of the nose. While my body felt a slight heaviness, I was not locked into my chair. For a $10-a-gram bud, I can't find anything negative thing to say about it. Doctor & Crook Co. is a self-described "collective of craft cannabis artisans" stationed in Bellingham, and claims to be 100 percent pesticide free.

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I bought this strain at a shop recently and brought it to smoke at a party at my brother's place. Everyone immediately noticed the perfumery scents, reminiscent of incense and flowers. John Careatti, the master grower for Kiona, tells me this strain is a "hybrid of two long-flowering tropical varietals," Corinto Purple and Puna Budder. The former hails from Colombia's Pacific Coast, the latter from Hawaii's big island. Kiona grows biodynamic pot, using botanical oils and beneficial insects to protect the plants instead of industrial chemicals.

After everyone at the party had passed the pipe around, I asked what effects they were feeling. My brother said, "It's uplifting and energetic mentally, but it's pulling my body downward." My wife said, "I feel high. I feel it in my head." The discussion quickly descended into laughter and giggles, followed by a trip to Ezell's.

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Avitas holds a special place in my heart because the first gram of legal weed I bought in Washington was from this Arlington farm. It is one of the few Washington farms that have been so successful that they've been able to expand to other states, and Komodo is one of this farm's most impressive strains. Jason Smit, Avitas's grower, tells me that they bred Komodo by crossing a Dragon OG female and a Kimbo Kush male. This is an exceptionally high-terpene plant, at 3.6 percent, predominantly being myrcene, followed by limonene and caryophyllene.

When you handle a nug of Komodo, it is so full of trichomes that the kief just falls off onto your fingers. I brought this elegant-looking strain to a dinner party in Rainier Beach, to accompany a fresh-hopped beer. We shared a freshly ground nug of Komodo between four of us, and we all agreed that it was very strong and had an unmistakable savory lemon flavor.