Forgive me, fellow tokers, for thus far failing to review one of the cannabis world’s most lethal strains. Maybe I figured we’d already had it covered, maybe I was just too scared to actually check on that. But when AK-47 caught me in the crosshairs during an unplanned dispensary visit, I had no choice but to take the bullet.

Named after one of the most widely used killing machines on the planet, this strain is much more gentle than you’d imagine. The sativa-dominant hybrid came to fame in the early ’90s, winning cannabis cups and taking over the streets thanks to a potency that crossed the 15 percent THC mark, which was really powerful at the time.

Any cannabis user can attest to the nostalgic feelings brought on by music and a joint. Before the chorus even hits, a certain artist or song can have you yearning for the golden years, whether they were before a breakup, when you were coming of age, or during any other formative time of your life. And, as with many other cannabis users, my early years of trying the plant coincided with experimenting with new forms of music.

My favorite flashbacks come on when a Notorious B.I.G. song starts playing; I can’t help but feel like a lost, irrationally confident teenager as his deep voice booms over the speakers. His violent tales of growing up in Brooklyn told of a world that was the opposite of the rural desert where I was raised. Songs like “Gimme the Loot” and “What’s Beef” thrilled my ignorant mind as I smoked blunts in garages, strengthening a subconscious bond in my head between Christopher Wallace and cannabis. Nearly a decade removed from those days, my Biggie flashbacks happen less often now, but I’m hoping that will change thanks to Trill Alternatives.

Being a cannabis critic is far from a stressful gig, but we could all use a little vacation sometimes. Unfortunately, the most my budget can afford is a free trip to the park, but there are other ways to escape. While I’ve never been a huge Corona guy, the brewery’s “Find Your Beach” campaign, in which opening a Corona takes you to an imaginary tropical paradise, isn’t a total crock: Enjoying certain flavors or aromas is a great way to forget where you are and instead imagine where you want to be.

Given the plant’s head-changing qualities, a cannabis strain with sensory characteristics that remind you of a vacation can be very effective at “taking you away” from a shitty job, dumpy apartment or sweltering back yard. A recent trip to the pot shop even helped me escape a bad case of the Mondays after Papaya, an indica-leaning hybrid, presented itself.