Unforgettable Strains
The sky's the limit when breeding new cannabis cultivars, each with its own unique effects and aromas. Some become more popular than others, but only a few are truly unforgettable. These strains make you think about how good they were years afterward -even if it was just one joint!
We have all heard the names of exceptional cultivars that have set the gold standard for quality and memorability in the world of cannabis. Universally loved favourites like: Super Silver Haze, OG Kush, Jack Herer, Girl Scout Cookies, Blue Dream, Sour Diesel, and Super Lemon Haze.
Let's highlight some elite strains that have changed the culture of cannabis forever:
Blue Dream
Blue Dream has dominated the west coast cannabis market for over a decade. Its popularity peaked around 2010 when this wildly popular strain flooded the illicit market, with California and Oregon growers producing hundreds of thousands of pounds for black market buyers. Its intoxicating aroma and perfectly uplifting, mood-elevating effects made Blue Dream a long-standing favorite among cannabis consumers.
A sativa-dominant hybrid, Blue Dream is a cross between Blueberry and Super Silver Haze. It is stunningly beautiful in the garden with its rich periwinkle blue hues. When dried, its fan leaves form swirls around the colas giving the flowers a New Year’s Eve party appearance before they're processed.
Smells like a Dream
Blue Dream's terpene profile is high in: myrcene, alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, and beta-caryophyllene. Its secondary terpenes are: humulene, limonene, and linalool. Aromatically, Blue Dream is the textbook definition of a "fruity" strain, boasting a heavy, luscious berry scent mixed with the intoxicating sweetness of entering a candy store.
Was it a Dream?
To date, no one has claimed the honour of cultivating the first Blue Dream. However, it is rumored to have been developed in Santa Barbara, California, around 2003. It is considered a clone-only hybrid, meaning that true Blue Dream can only be grown from a cutting of an original mother plant. Leafly writer Ellen Holland put it best, "Blue Dream represents the last of an era where strains were the brand." Unfortunately, many close-but-not-quite counterfeits have slowly diminished the flower's popularity in the new legal market.
Twenty Years Later
In 2022 Blue Dream is still one of the most-searched strains in the Leafly database! It has also inspired a robust family of cultivars worth spotlighting, such as Blue Dream CBD, Blue Cookies, and Blue Fire. If you want to experience this flavourful, delightful, fruity goddess in its pure terpene form, CannTerp has crafted the dreamiest Blueberry Dream liquid terpene blend.
Super Lemon Haze
When it comes to "top-shelf" cannabis cultivars, Super Lemon Haze sets the standard for the absolute best of the best. It is a strain with a reputation (and warning) for its high THC content and has such a bright shade of green that it appears to have a yellow tint! Although there is a hint of discrepancy regarding its original cultivator, it is generally acknowledged that the Netherlands-based Greenhouse Seeds originally bred this vibrant cultivar.
Super Lemon Haze is a sativa-dominant hybrid with an impressive lineage: a cross of Lemon Skunk, Skunk #1, and Super Silver Haze. So, it is not surprising that it has won many awards across Canada, the United States, and Europe. It is considered an energizing and social cultivar perfect for daytime use.
Super Aromatic
World-renowned Super Lemon Haze is known for its distinct super lemon taste. It has a full-bodied citrus aroma undercut with a hint of earthiness and skunk. Imagine limonene as a base note! Surprisingly rich and well-rounded, it features terpenes: beta-caryophyllene and terpinolene. Its secondary terpenes are: humulene, limonene, alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, and linalool.
Super Award-Winning
Its high potency and full-bodied flavour have consistently made Super Lemon Haze a winner of many awards around the world. In 2008 and 2009, it received the first-place award at the High Times Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam,impressing both consumers and judges. In 2010 it won first place in Amsterdam's Growers Cup. In 2012, The High Times Medical Cup in Seattle. And in 2013, it took first place in ExpoGrow, Spain's Cannabis Cup.
In 2022, Denver's Emerald Cup created a new classification system giving Jacks and Hazes their own category andofficially naming Super Lemon Haze as one of their "Classic Cultivars."
Super Flavour
Without a doubt, if you love citrus, this cultivar is for you. Why not infuse these super award-winning terpenes into your stash with Super Lemon Haze.
Girl Scout Cookies
Girl Scout Cookies is another cannabis cup award-winning cultivar! It is an indica-dominant hybrid and a popular nighttime strain. It is known to be very high in THC but also boasts a small percentage of CBD and CBN. A cross between OG Kush and Durban Poison, it has a reputation for offering full-body relaxation.
Gray-green with purple hues and signature bright orange hairs, this flower is the peacock of the cannabis world. An absolute stunner in the garden, it is typically a smaller shrub-sized plant. But don't let its size fool you! This plant grows unbelievably dank, heavy, chunky nugs. Girl Scout Cookies is earthy yet sweet, almost dessert-like, with a hypnotic musky aroma reminiscent of freshly baked cookies.
Welcome to the Family
Girl Scout Cookies was a best-selling west coast strain as soon as it hit the market. She was cultivated in San Francisco by Northern California's "Cookie Fam" around 2010. The Cookies brand has brought many other sophisticated genetics to market, like Gelato, a sativa-leaning hybrid cross between OG Kush and the family's original F1 Durban Poison. Girl Scout Cookies is practically cannabis royalty and has inspired additional top-selling, highly sought-after phenotypes like Platinum Cookies and Animal Cookies.
She's a Winner
Girl Scout Cookies has received many awards since its launch, including first place in 2013 for Best Hybrid at the Southern California Cannabis Cup. Hilariously, the strain made headlines in 2018 when an actual Girl Scout sold more than 300 boxes of actual Girl Scout cookies in front of a California dispensary! Cookies with your cookies? It makes sense to me!
Best of the Best
Super Lemon Haze, Blue Dream, and Girl Scout Cookies are legendary cultivars. They are globally sought-after for their lineage, consistency, and stunning aromatic terpene profiles. They have a legacy that the cannabis community will continue to talk about for years! Learning about their genetics and distinctive qualities is a part of cannabis culture, but so is experiencing them yourself! Whether you add strain-specific terpene profiles to your stash or find which brands carry genuine genetics, these strains are cannabis consumer cannons!
If you want to buy terpene strain profiles from some of these legendary strains checkout our Strain profiles. We are your top source in the Toronto area and within Canada for high quality terpenes.
Author Details:
Amanda Breeze is an enthusiastic educator on all things cannabis and aroma. She hosts The Smoking Spot podcast, featuring stories and sensory evaluations of our favourite plant. Follow her on Instagram: @emerald.temple.living