Viola is the largest Black-owned cannabis brand, dedicated to producing premium cannabis products since 2011. Founded by former NBA player Al Harrington in Los Angeles and named in honor of his grandmother, Viola was inspired by her struggle with glaucoma and the relief she found through cannabis. Driven by a mission to promote equity in the cannabis industry, Viola is committed to creating opportunities for Black and Brown communities historically marginalized in the space. With over a decade of expertise in cultivating top-quality flower and crafting award-winning extracts, Viola offers a diverse selection of strains and products across eight U.S. states—including Arizona, California, Michigan, Colorado, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Missouri, and Nevada—as well as throughout Canada.
Review: ZOY Strain
The ZOY strain is a cross between Zkittlez and Gelato 41 that’s billed as an indica-dominant hybrid, but the effects land it squarely in the sativa box for this reviewer. Let’s start with the aesthetics! The first thing you’ll notice is the prominent coat of trichomes swathed over every nanometer of these ample nugs. Its bright orange hairs are a striking contrast to the mottled hues of purple and olive along the bud’s surface. A delicious floral scent greets your nostrils upon opening the bag. Once ground, this delicately sweet aroma rises further and reveals distinct notes of gas. The buds are exceptionally fresh, too. They break apart by hand with ease and the stems crack sharply when pressed, while the flower itself springs back to shape.
I rolled up a joint (ok ok, I packed a cone) of ZOY and got to work. These flowers are a supremely smooth smoke, especially impressive considering these dense trichomes pack a seriously potent punch. A tingling sensation begins at the back of my head as the neurons begin to fire in some intricately designed dance, branching forward across synaptic channels to my temples before diffusing into a soft cotton. I am immediately flooded by a calm sensation as my thoughts become more orderly and focused, but not rigidly so, as it leaves the door open for creative ideas to pop their head in without disturbing the rest of the staff. What, you never heard someone anthropomorphize their brain functions into employees before? YOU WORK FOR ME, BRAIN!
Review: Jumpshot OG
Jumpshot OG from Viola is a relaxing OG experience best enjoyed as an afternoon smoke. An elite OG cross can be difficult to come by these days because of the rap it’s gotten after being grown outdoors and sold for the low by traditional market brokers, but experienced smokers appreciate OGs for one reason: it’s gas. Jumpshot OG brings that all-gas scent and flavor (reminiscent of classic OG’s such as Triangle Kush and Kosher Kush) for 48 minutes on the court, living up to the elite standards associated with the OG lineage.
We’re unsure exactly the cross on Jumpshot OG, but it’s clear that Viola founder Al Harrington is quite familiar with the dankest chronic money can buy. The nugs are bulbous, almost pyramid-shaped, and neon green all the way around. Right out of the bag, the nugs are louder than a buzzer-beater, screaming of hops, citrus and underlying notes of pine. The smoking experience is enjoyably smooth, leaving our thoughts calm and muscles relaxed. We’d recommend this strain to anyone that can handle serious pressure.
Review: Bubble Bath Strain
We’ve been seeing more and more crosses popping up out of LIT Farms’ stable, each increasingly potent. This newest addition to our log is Bubble Bath, a cross between (The Soap x Project 4516), the former being originally bred by Seed Junky Genetics and the latter from Grandiflora Genetics. The parents possess starkly different flavor profiles. The Soap is minty and musty (the results of a Kush Mints back cross in its heritage), while Project 4516 exhibits a fruity gelato profile. Taken together, they produce a pungent, tart gas flavor. Viola’s Bubble Bath has us fried like “Your Brain on Drugs” eggs. Those commercials always made me hungry, pretty sure it’s subliminal programming from Big Egg. Moving on!
In our Bubble Bath tests, we found it checks many boxes that we consider when evaluating elite branded flowers. The buds are a neon green hue, covered in resin, and the scent and flavor are in total parity. The sweet, minty and gassy flavors coat the palate, and signal a rapid onset and incredibly potent effect. If you’re a big Cookie lover, you’ll love Bubble Bath because it provides a similar euphoria and attention-loss, but it’s as refined as many ot of the newer crosses and doesn’t give the same drowsy after-effect nor dry mouth side-effect. This flower is easy to recommend to anyone looking for complex flavor and unreal potency.