Fake buds exposed!
You've seen the ads in High Times: "Real Budz! Stoney Hydroponic Smoke! Ultra-potent smoking mix!" Yet what is that stuff? The ads sure don't give you any indication of what you're actually buying, other than their trademarked names like Thai-Stix, Afghanish, BC Hydro, Inda-Kind, and Sweet Green.
At Cannabis Culture we decided to order some of this stuff and try it out for ourselves. (CC used to run ads for these products as well, but we stopped back at issue #6.)
So we ordered sample packs from International Oddities and Riverdale Organics, the two biggest pushers of fake pot products. I forced myself and other CC staff to smoke a quantity of each of the blends, in order to ascertain their effects.
We discovered that both companies rely upon deceit and ignorance to sell their products. The Riverdale Organics products list their herbal ingredients in such a way as to mislead the naive, and make them as pot-like and exotic as possible. International Oddities provides no ingredient information at all, making their origins and contents even more questionable.
Riverdale Organics
Riverdale Organics' Hydro, sold for $35 per half-ounce, is the most palatable of their smoking blends. The Inda-Kind is full of chunks of stem, and the Sweet Green is a tangled mess of brittle stalks and roots which is impossible to put into a joint.
The Hydro's ingredients are listed as "cheshteya buds" and "lettuce opium". The Sweet Green is cheshteya and "arabian marachobah". Cheshteya also appears in the Inda-Kind, with other mysterious herbs.
A search for "cheshteya" on the internet reveals that the word appears only on websites selling these products, otherwise the term does not exist. Our resident herbalists concluded that cheshteya was in fact mullein, a herb commonly used as an alternate smoke. However, a fat bag of mullein can be bought at any herb store for a buck, while a bag of these cheshteya blends costs twenty times that.
"Arabian marachobah" is another mysterious herb which exists only in fake pot-land. The consensus was that this is in fact gotu kola.
This kind of mislabelling and using exotic, pot-like terms for their ingredients continues throughout all their smoking blends. The Inda-Kind contains "cannabaceae buds" which is hops (part of the cannabis family but non-psychoactive), along with mentha piperita (peppermint), passiflora incarnata (passion flower), and S. Officinalis (soapwort).
Strangely, some websites which sell Inda-Kind list different ingredients, including Wild Dagga (Lion's Ear), Indian Hemp (dogbane) and Nepeta Mint (catnip). I called Riverdale and asked the fellow on the phone why there were different ingredients listed for the Inda-Kind. He said that the formula had been changed within the last year, "but not significantly", and that I should just trust the label.
Smoking a big pipe-full of Inda-Kind gave me a headrush accompanied by mild nausea and the quick onset of a headache.
The Chocolate Thai Oil is the best-smelling product of the lot. It has a strong scent of herbal chocolate, which in fact it is! Among other ingredients it contains the exotic sounding "theobroma cacao" which is also known as cocoa ? chocolate. Other ingredients include myristica fragrans (nutmeg) as well as the cheshteya/ mullein and peppermint.
Putting a drop of Chocolate Thai Oil on the end of a joint, as recommended, resulted in the joint either flaring up or going out instantly. When we were finally able to get it going the delicious chocolate flavour was quickly replaced by an acrid taste. It produced no significant psychoactive effects, and a burning sensation in the lungs about 10 minutes after smoking.
Riverdale's herbal hash products include on the label a definition of hash: (noun) 1. a jumble or mixture. This is presumably intended to get them off any legal hooks. The Mean Green Irie Jamaican Formula includes ingredients such as Marybud (Marigold), Jamaican Tangawizi (ginger), and the "TH3 complex" of Lettuce Opium, Artemesia absinthum (wormwood) and cheshteya. The Turkish Brown Original Ultra-Chronic Blend contains many of the same herbs, as well as "Salvia O" (common sage) which is written as "Salvia O" to mislead people into thinking it's the psychoactive Salvia D ? Salvia Divinorum.
International oddities
International Oddities' ads deride their competition, claiming that they sell "herbal tea" and "slut out the market." They even include a small package of Riverdale's Hydro with your order, calling it "cheezy shit".
Yet are Oddities' products truly superior to Riverdale's? They do look more impressive, long "buds" in sealed glass vials, chunks of soft Afganish stamped with the IO logo. Yet they are essentially the same products with better packaging and presentation.
The Thai Stix is described in the ads as being a "highly resinous 7 inch bud". Yet it's not a bud at all, but rather herbs pressed around a wooden skewer, soaked with some kind of resin. The smoke tasted the same as the Inda-Kind: thick, cloying and headache inducing. The Maui Wowie was exactly the same, without the resin dip.
Oddities' Killer Skunk is described as being a "1.5 gram bud," but it is actually moist leaves pressed together in a glass vial. It tasted like cloves, but was hard to identify in its mushed state after being removed from the vial.
The BC Hydro-ponic does look very similar to pot buds, but of course looks can be deceiving. The buds are not true buds, but rather herbs compressed together into bud-like shapes. What at first appeared to be glistening crystals was revealed upon closer examination to be some thing external applied to the compressed herbs, to simulate trichomes. Their ads describe this product as being "10x strength" without specifying what it's ten times stronger than.
The Ultra Wizard Smoke is not very smokable at all. It is mostly made up of stems with a few dried, wilted leaves clinging pathetically to them. It is hardly the "custom smoking hybrid" as advertised, and didn't get us baked at all.
The Black Opium is a tiny ball of gooey tar. The sticker on the baggie says "Please don't SMOKE our BLACK OPIUM." I obeyed the subliminal instruction and dropped a dollop onto the end of a joint. It was a very floral taste, but didn't induce any dream-like states or visions.
Questions and... questions
After their products arrived, I called up these two companies to ask them about their wares. Spokesmen for both companies refused to identify their ingredients. I asked the Riverdale Organics spokesman what cheshteya was, and he told me that "only the top, top people, our founders, know what these herbs are." He explained that they would not reveal that information, but that he believed that cheshteya "comes from the Caribbean."
The International Oddities spokesman told me that their products were all "unique plant hybrids, splices of esoteric herbs." I pressed him on this, asking how it was possible to hybridize and splice different plants together. He said it was a "secret process" known only to the highest echelons of the company. Yet their products are clearly not unique hybrids, but rather different herbs mashed together and smeared with resin.
Added irony
There is an added irony to these products and their prominent placement within High Times, including Oddities' use of High Times' name and endorsement in their ads. HT promotes their magazine as being a publication aimed at adults, and they frequently claim in editorials that children should not be encouraged to toke up. Yet these companies almost certainly sell the majority of their wares to people too young to get real pot and too ignorant to know the difference.
If a youngster is going to smoke, isn't it better that they use real pot, known to be safe and non-toxic, rather than a blend of mislabelled herbs with unknown properties and effects?
It is irresponsible to sell and promote products for human consumption which do not identify what they contain. It is true that many of the herbs used in these blends are reputed to have medicinal and mildly psychoactive effects. Yet these herbs are not intended to be smoked, and are usually consumed in food, drink or oils. To promote and blatantly lie about the contents of something sold for smoking is irresponsible and dangerous.
I've got to lie down now, my lungs hurt.
People who sell Fake Buds should be Shot
This is the ultimate display of greed. Both on the part of the companies pushing this crap to children and the magazines (HT) taking their ad money. Spread the word not to support these companies.
False posts impersonating customers
This is Int'l Oddities. Our competitor Legal Buds.com 's AGENTS keep making SPAMMY POSTS bashing IO presumably BECAUSE WE SUED THEM AND WON for cyberpiracy and a fistful of other dishonest business practices. You can read more about Legalbuds.com 's ADMISSION of guilt on ALL COUNTS in our post below or on our site.
The point is they keep doing it. Impersonating customers so people will miss the FACT that this TEN YEAR OLD ARTICLE IS ACTUALLY ABOUT THEM- RIVERDALE ORGANICS-A COMPANY AND PRODUCTS they (legalbuds.com herbalsmokeshop.com monstersmokeshop.com) PURCHASED.
IO's products are so superior to anything else in the market these tactics are seemingly the only way anyone could try to compete with IO's quality.
THE PRODUCTS ABOVE THAT ARE SAID TO BE SO BAD are advertised RIGHT NOW TO THE LEFT OF THIS PAGE in the Head Shop supply ad. Nice Eh? Except for some reason Cannabis Culture took down the photos in the article a few weeks ago. Wonder why.
They do however take advertising for these very products.
IO products very good.
Way to say it. I think IO's products are great. They are what they are and they ARE very good.
This page has turned into a free ad for International Oddities.
About every third post to this "legal bud" article either claims to be from International Oddities, links to International Oddities's site, or is talking about how great and delicious International Oddities' "legal buds" are. It might be International Oddities making the pro-IO-legal bud posts, or an affiliate of theirs.
All these pro-International Oddities "legal bud" posts
Think they were made by International Oddities affiliates? The comments section of this article seems to have become an International Oddities "legal buds" "legal weed" advertising page. The article itself is good and should be read by anyone considering buying those legal bud and legal weed products. And yeah, I keep typing legal buds, legal bud and legal weed to help keep this warning page at the top of the Google results.
International Oddities
International Oddities is full of shit with their "Wizard Smoke" product. It tastes like Im smoking a clove and not even a little buzz. Watch out for this product being sold in adult novelty shops around the U.S. As a consumer who just wasted about 40 bucks for a half ounce that went into the garbage. Terrrible product for anyone looking for alternatives.
Where are the pictures that
Where are the pictures that used to be in this article?
..my mom allways told me if it sounds 2 good to be true it is...
this page is compleetly true!!!!!!!. i had to learn the hard way. i got some of that hydo stuff the other day. took 8 big puffs i held it in my lungs for 40 sec. each and felt nothing at all.. but then 2-3 min. later i felt my skin itching me like crazzy it felt like my skin was cracking and splitin all over my body manily my chest. so i took a cold shawer right away the iching stopt.. then all of a sudin i felt verry dizzy and puked all over my shower 3 times eveon wen i had nothing in my stomick... it was hellish then i walkt to my bed to lie down and found out that i was burnin up. i checkt my body tempercher and it was 102degres.
there stuff is compleety crap. they should at least test there crap to them selfs.. or mybe they did and im like the 1 and 1000 peaple who expereincet the same that i have.. my freind told me that i should try to sue there ass but i dont wana risk everything by them trying to get me back because they are a muilty milloin doller compeny... and most off the time the rich all ways wins.. well thats my story and i hope no one gose though wat i went though by buying there crap and suffering like that..
and i hope this info was usefull for others....
wow, this just might be the
wow, this just might be the most unintelligent thing i have ever read. its almost too poorly written to be real.
lol
lol
Fake Buds
First of all I would like to thank you for posting this article. I personally had bought a "glass tube" from a certain company advertising that it was one huge "Hawiian" bud. It was not. It was, like you mentiond, a bunch of...crap,(my words, not yours.) compressed to a friggin stick. It smelled kinda sweet, but I just couldn't place it. I smoked the crap outta that...crap, and NO head change whatsoever. AT ALL. Eventually, it ended up in the trash. I do not know who the HELL theses so-called "satisfied customers" are that give testimonials, but they obviously DO NOT really smoke. Come to think of it, check the testimonials at I.O. and you'll actually see that most of them, not all, but MOST, only state how fast the shipping is. Not the high. So I just want to let more and more people know that, "If it's not real, it's a bunk deal."
Thank you,
A Proud Smoker
International Oddities... Oddly Fake!
Yeah I got dooped into buying a pack of the anti gravity smokes and that shit did nothing and tasted like smoking ass... I broke a couple open and found what looked like frick'in lawn pom pom fluff. I mean, what the hell? I should have just tried to roll my ash leftovers from my water pipe bowl... probably would have got some kind of taste like ass high at least, rather than just tasting like ass and doing nothing.
I.O. Inquiry
Does anyone even know how long it usually takes to get a package from International Oddities? I ordered my on a Saturday and the promised was that it would be shipped the day that they recieved the order, which I did online. I called a few days later and they said that it was shipped on Wednesday and that it should be at my door in five days. I tried calling after that, they didn't answer the phone. Ten days passed, still no package. I kept sending emails and calling, every email was the same FAQ answer about shipping that I should get it in 5-10 business days and no answer by phone. Finally, after they don't send it at all and answer my call, they "realized" that it was never sent at all and claim to have sent it that day. I am still waiting for my package. Do they even have tracking numbers? Someone help me please!!!!
International Oddities
First of all you have completely wasted your money and time.
International Oddities sells nothing but bullshit. I am in the process of contacting consumer affairs,e business complaints and even the Governor of California and the Mayor of Torrance California where I.O. is located. There site is filled with nothing but false advertisements and nice pictures of Buds but the products when you get them look nothing like the pictures. Its crap in balls sprayed with a resin and smells and taste like shit. There site says nothing about all sales final but its printed on packing slip when you receive your order. I am also in the process of filing court papers I have contacted an attorney in Torrance California to act on my behalf in trying to get my money back. I am also trying to get the word out about this company to keep other people like myself from getting ripped off and I'm sorry I am too late for some. I will tell you now "THERE IS NO WAY OF OBTAINING AN ALTERNATIVE TO WHAT YOU WANT SO DON'T TRY"
International Oddities Replies-
NOT A SINGLE PRODUCT PICTURED IN THIS POST IS ACTUALLY AN I.O. PRODUCT. How can this be you ask? Products pictured here ARE products from Legalbuds.com G.L.E. A competitor of I.O. WHO USED TO BUY FROM I.O. INC. UNTILL WE REFUSED TO SELL TO THEM ANYMORE FOR COMMITTING UNFAIR INTERNET PRACTICES.
Legalbuds.com / Herbalsmokeshop.com / Monstersmokeshop.com ARE who’s products are pictured here. They bought out Riverdale organics who this article is actually about.
Legalbuds.com/G.L.E. make FAKE POSTS PRETENDING to be customers and in violation of a Federal Court Order their agents continue to attack International Oddities.
LegalBuds.com/G.L.E. are upset because THEY GOT CAUGHT putting up false and deceptive internet content encouraging others to impersonate I.O. In a signed statement Legalbuds.com Herbalsmokeshop.com Monstersmokeshop.com ADMITTED IN WRITING to committing-
Cyberpiracy, Trade Libel, Infringement of Federally Registered Trademarks, Unfair Competition, Contributory Infringement, False Designation of Origin, False Representation, and False Advertising AGAINST International Oddities Inc. and were ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages.
Why are there IO products in this post which have not shipped yet? Now you can figure it out for yourself or read more on our website.
suck a dick IO
suck a dick IO
I just HAD to see for myself...
Too bad I can never take anyone's word on something and need to find out everything for myself because I wasted $55 purchasing Krypto from International Oddies. I'd read a LOT of reviews, and gave the purchase quite a bit of thought, and although I was extremely skeptical, eventually my curiosity got the best of me...
First, anyone who says this is a smooth smoke is either lying or deluded. Inhaling Krypto burns like the worst Mexican skunk weed I've ever had the misfortune to experience. It tastes okay, but not because it tastes anthing like the real thing - I'd say it must be kind of like smoking potpurri.
Secondly, aside for some very, very mild relaxation, I got nothing even resembling a buzz. And by mild, I mean I could have gotten the same results by drinking a cup of chamomile tea, but without inhaling 'God knows what' into my lungs.
Third, smoking the free 'resin' sample felt like I drank a cup of chamomile tea AND a Mountain Dew. So, I assume that all of thier smoking products are as useless in the buzz department.
In short, the best things about my purchase have nothing to do with the product. I dug the free roller and hemp papers, the canister will make a fine souvenier and besides, now I have a funny story to tell. Still, I don't think I would have paid $55 for these 'benefits'... If given the choice, I'd take the skunk weed instead.
International Oddities - A matter of opinion
I was an avid pot smoker for 30 years. I would not smoke shwag, only the tastiest buds I could find, the "expensive" stuff, especially on the east coast. I smoked more for the taste of it than anything else. Recently, I had to quit because pot increases my heart rate by about 25% and was causing increased high blood pressure of 165/90! It was also causing unnecessary stress since I couldn't concentrate when I was stoned. The tasty stuff is too potent, making me frustrated, emotional and depressed. After quitting for 18 months, I really miss the flavor and all of my friends still smoke it. I wanted something else that wasn't going to cause these problems that had a great taste. (I totally hate the taste of tobacco!) Recently, I found IO products and I tried several flavors. None of them taste anything like MJ! So if that's what you're looking for, that's not what you'll get. However, the Ahia Bud is very mild, not harsh at all and has a decent flavor, though rather bland. It's like a mild sage and is definitely buds, not compressed leaves. It's sort of flowery tasting. The Killer Stunk was very harsh and has a somewhat bitter flavor, I didn't like it much. But the Albino Rhino flavor is delicious!!!! It is a little harsh to smoke in a joint, but no worse than some pot I've had many times. It smokes really nice in a deep bowl, a bong or hookah and the flavor is just awesome! I also tried the sample of the "Black O" that came with it. Personally, I thought it was delicious! I ordered an oz it was so good. I did get a bit of a head-high similar to hashish that lasted for hours, but not so stoned to where I can't concentrate. In fact, it actually has a calming effect that allowed me to increase my concentration and reduced my usual A.D.D. So, if getting baked is all you care about, smoke your MJ, but if you want something flavorful that you can smoke anytime that's not a nicotine ridden tobacco product, this is a reasonable alternative. And frankly, you honestly have no idea what is in some of the pot you're smoking unless you grew it yourself! I've had some pretty nasty shit over the years.
I'm glad i looked here..
I got caught out by that monstersmokeshop.com
They have lots of delicous looking products all listed as potent smome, so obviously that would mean there's some good effects in the form of a high like illegal drugs would give you. But after getting my order of orange krush, i soon relised i just got done for 62$. No high whatsoever.
The threw in a feww bag of wild green, it looked like the shaving off some kind of soft palm tree or some other furry type of exotic plant, lovely taste id have to say, but that's not what i bought it for, it was listed as potent smoke, so they lied on their site. If you goto international oddities, there;s a page on their competitors sites about court cases they brought agenst these guys for false advertising etc.
Here's an email reply i got from international oddities after emailed them saying i had ordered from monstersmokeshop.com and relised i was ripped off, was just looking for a legal alternative that got me high, something nice like these companies have listed, but it;s all fake?
--
Yes we are aware of that other company - they go under many different names and websites, another main one is legalbuds.com. You can read about them on our website here: http://www.internationaloddities.com/legal-buds-news.html
Although we don't discuss effects for legal reasons, we can tell you that we sell to stores all across the US, and have been doing so for years. We get alot of repeat business, both retail and wholesale - our customers love our products. We also sell Internationally too of course. Our company was the first to enter and develop this market about 30 years ago, and there have been copycat attempts to do what we do, but no one has come close yet.
--
I was hoping i could find a decent legal smoke as it's virtuallymposible to get proper smoke where im from, and for quite a while now we have to buy this incense type of mix called SMOKE, it gets u high nicely but nothing like a real j.
Try this...
International Oddities Herbal Black "O". It tastes great and does the trick! I also like Albino Rhino, taste is delicious but not as strong. Even my friends who still smoke MJ liked it. Waiting for my 6 Shot pack order to arrive so I can try the Blueberry and the Black Widow. Yummy!
T.
I just cannot believe this
I just cannot believe this bullshit. This kind of ignorance makes me want to murder-suicide. I just thank the Most High that I have something nice and green with actual capitate-stalked trichomes containing real psychoactive compounds to inhale.
And here you have these "International Oddities" douche bags rambling on... "this article isn't about our products!...our competitors are spamming the internet with these negative comments about our product...we've been in business for 20 years...blah blah blah". These assholes obviously are not going to cut the bullshit, so it is up to you all to stop being fucking idiots and give your children real cannabis so that they don't waste their money and do god knows what to their health with this crap. You wont even list your ingredients or the effects thereof, yet you claim on the website that you guys actually "grow" this stuff. And every little comment anywhere on the internet raising awareness about the truth of this garbage is just a competitor of yours? Right, that totally explains why the majority of them are denouncing ALL of these "legal budz" shit products, not only those by Mr. IO.
It is unfortunate that publications such as Cannabis Culture and High Times run these sort of 'Legal Bud' advertisements, but you can't blame them for your being so blind. It is getting very tough for printed publications to stay alive, they need whatever advertisers they can get... it really is just unfortunate.
Don't waste your money on the bullshit. Donate to NORML instead, once the real thing is legalized these assholes will hopefully be put out of business and we'll be seeing ads for real actual legal marijuana instead.
I just bought some Stunk
I just bought some Stunk today and it looks like a bud from a plant. Those pictures above look nothing like what I saw in my local tobacco store. This article is some yellow journalism at it's best that was probably written by a dealer who is upset that some people use alternatives.
I also bought some Cannabis Free ciggs at the same time. I enjoy the ciggs more because I know what's in them.
International Oddities' Stunk (Skunk) is not a bud at all.
International Oddities' Stunk, which used to be called "Skunk" (I wonder why they changed the name) is not a bud, it is legal herbs compacted into a bud shape. Most of the "legal buds" on International Oddities' site and in International Oddities' High Times ads are made this way, though a lot of them are wrapped around a stick.
What's a girl to do?
I'm sitting here hoping that even though both of these rival companies sound like total bullshit, IO just might be some exception to rational thinking and logic. You have to at leat give them credit for, if nothing else, creating one hell of a smoke screen (no pun intended) with the lawsuit. First, I'm shocked that there are people who are like "well, I don't want to get high, but I enjoy the flavor of a smoke", personally...I enjoy getting high. I'm single, responsible, graduate school educated and I live in an area where I can probably go score some Crystal Meth on the corner, but as I edge out of my 20's and all of my friends have started to have family's and stopped smoking, I am totally screwed. So here I am...I will donate to NORML..keep doing research on how to be an activist, that happens to be my profession, but in the mean time..what's a girl to do?
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I just bought some ..
crap i jus bought some legal buds from legalbuds.com. have u heard anything about this company? i only got half an ounce but im not smokin it if its bs. do u know anything about legalbuds.com's Hawaiian haze bud ??
about hawaiian haze or legalbuds.com
This should answer you question.
http://www.internationaloddities.com/legal-bud-video.html
More than skin deep
Ok first things first. There is many many psychoactive plants out there that have been used since the beginning of time. Wild Dagga, Kratom, Blue Lotus, etc. Some have been used to aid in spiritualism while others have been (and still are)used medicinally (helping ppl with opium withdraw symptoms/kratom ca poppy etc). The best thing would be to have a general interest of these kind of plants. Ive been a Herbalist since i was 16 and actually used Kratom, Poppy Tea, and Ca Poppy to help me kick Heroin. Try to understand u have to work with these magical plants, u have to "open" yourself up to them, ITS A PROCESS. Another thing to note is 95% of all dried herbal products sold online are of low low quality. Growing ur own to use fresh herbs slowly shade dried is best considering potency concerns. AND FOR ALL U READIN THIS this is probally most important of all- If u smoke pot heavily everyday all these alternatives and in fact all these or most of these psychoactive herbs wont effect u as much if at all. I used to smoke heavily and felt next to nothing wit plants i use most today. After i was put on probation my THC tolerance lowered and i was able to open up to the other herbs easier and now i have the privelage to enjoy all these plants (including weed) but in moderation. Its all about MODERATION
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I’m making this post
I’m making this post specifically so I can put “Bud Hookup” tags on it 000-331 dumps, in the hopes that this will pop up in a web search next to their ads. In a Land of the Truly Free vmware dumps, these filthy scammers would be driven out of business by homegrowers. They’d be forced to fall back on outright burglary and mugging ibm dumps, and would be shot by citizens exercising their right to keep and bear arms.