Case in point: Painkiller XL. This new strain combines two well-received parents, Juanita la Lagrimosa (Spanish for ""Juanita the Tearful"") and Royal Highness, both of which are genetic hybrids of other precursor strains: Juanita la Lagrimosa from Queen Mother and a Mexican-Afghan blend; Royal Highness from Dance Hall and Respect 13. On and on, the strains date back in agricultural time, each new variety with its own unique smell, taste, colour, cannabinoid profile, and medicinal benefit.

Painkiller XL is notable for its near-equal representation of 9% THC and 9% CBD, achieved by a seed that's 75% sativa and 25% indica. Although the sativa variety of cannabis is widely known for producing a mental, cerebral high while indica has a reputation for inducing a more physical high, other factors are more important to consider.

THC is the compound given most of the credit for that head high, with CBD taking the lion's share of credit for marijuana's many proven medicinal benefits. These range from relieving pain, anxiety, migraines, and fibromyalgia to easing many of the most deleterious symptoms of AIDS, diabetes, epilepsy, and Parkinson's disease. These are just a handful of the dozens of ailments marijuana is being prescribed to combat by doctors across the globe. Cooperatives at medical marijuana dispensaries have been at the forefront of providing CBD-rich cannabis buds and oils for their patients, who undoubtedly appreciate being able to purchase the strain best-suited to ease their particular ailments.

This new strain joins other Royal Queen strains rich in both CBD and THC like Euphoria, Royal Medic, Medical Mass, and Dance World that seek to not necessarily downplay cannabis' psychoactive effects but optimize its healing role. According to the California-based Steep Hill Cannabis Analysis Laboratory, this equalization brings to the cannabis user not just the physical healing aspects, but also the spiritually and psychologically therapeutic benefits as well.

There are other strains with very little THC and more CBD than Painkiller XL, but rare are such splendid balances. Producers of this strain say it provides a considerable amount of pain relief, with a mild, soothing mental euphoria. At the end of the flowering phase, buds will emanate aromas of lemon and diesel, which will become more pronounced after thorough drying and curing.

With a bloom period of 8 weeks, the Painkiller XL seed can produce 500–550g/m² indoors and an equal amount per plant outdoors. Inside, the plants average about 80cm in height; outside, the average height is around 135cm, with harvest time at the end of September.