This may be niche, Leafly Nation, but walk with me. There’s an old children’s rhyme I remember as a little girl that went “make new friends / but keep the old. One is silver / and the other’s gold.” It’s a nice mantra—don’t forget your old friends when you inevitably, in life, meet new people. 

I think the same should be said for weed. The 2020s have so far shown remarkable innovation and growth in the strains bred, grown, and sold across the country. But does that mean we should abandon the old faithfuls that got us through tough times, all those years ago? I say ‘No,’ and it seems like you do too, Leafly Nation, because our 2024 bestsellers look a lot like our 2023 bestsellers. Here’s the rundown.

Blue Dream

Blueberry x Haze

• Creative • Uplifted •Energetic
• Blueberry •Berry •Sweet
• THC 20% •CBD 0%

Listen, if you don’t want to keep seeing Blue Dream top the list, stop buying it! The Blueberry x Haze combination out of Santa Cruz, CA, may bore many cannasseurs, but it still offers whimsy to those willing to give it a chance. It still has tasty, skunky blueberry terps and the unique euphoria of the Haze family. Plus, it still offers patients an aid for both mood enhancement and some minor aches. 

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Apple Fritter

Sour Apple xAnimal Cookies

• Relaxed • Tingly •Giggly
• Apple •Cheese •Butter
• THC 24% •CBD 0%

Winner, winner, Apple Fritter. This Lumpy’s cross of  Sour Apple and Animal Cookies has climbed the ranks year after year, taking the coveted #2 spot on our list, plus some cup wins. Does it have what it takes to overthrow Blue Dream? Maybe. Leafly reviewers revere it for its palate of “sweet, but also has this funky, pungent dankness,” and effects that impart a “true, psychedelic happy euphoria.” Time will tell if this heady hybrid will reach the heights of #1. 

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Gelato

Sunset Sherbet x Thin Mint GSC

• Euphoric • Aroused •Happy
• Sweet • Vanilla • Mint
• THC 21% •CBD 0%

“I got gelato in the air / I got money everywhere” raps Young Dolph in his 2017 song Gelato. Gelato is a strain for winners—it’s played some role in nearly every Strain of the Year (including its own crown) we’ve ever anointed. But it’s not just the awards circuit that loves Gelato. People love it, year after year. It helps that many phenotypes exist to provide nuance to what started the “candy gas” trend. Check out the best dozen with our The 12 best Gelato crosses of all time.

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Wedding Cake

Triangle Kush x Animal Mints

• Relaxed • Hungry •Happy
• Vanilla •Pepper • Sweet
• THC 24% •CBD 0%

Even the snobbiest weed head can’t deny the allure of Wedding Cake—who doesn’t love cake? Wedding Cake has been on our most-sold and most-searched-for strains for years now, and the foot stays on the pedal. Since we dubbed it Strain of the Year in 2019, its legacy has increased exponentially with offshoots like Ice Cream Cake, Purple Push Pop, and E85 with cult followings of their own. As Matt Jackson writes in Top 12 Wedding Cake strains of all time, Wedding Cake has made its name due to its “prismatic, colorful buds and blend of vanilla, fuel, and doughy flavors.”

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Granddaddy Purple

Mendo Purps x Skunk x Afghanistan

• Relaxed • Hungry •Happy
• Dizzy •Dry Mouthiest
• THC 18% •CBD 0%

Purple will never die. While its heydays of popularity and access have long ended, plenty of consumers coast to coast still seek it and its strain progeny out. Jeffrey Oropeza of Oakland’s Dark Heart Nursery told us about GDP’s allure back in 2021, saying it “has always been held in high esteem due to its dark coloration and taste, but its effect is what makes it truly special…GDP just simply makes things stop hurting.” That combination of niche terps and pain management fits right in at the end of a tumultuous year. 

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Related

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Durban Poison

South African landrace

• Focused • Energetic •Uplifted
• Pine •Earthy • Sage
• THC 20% •CBD 0%

I’ve been writing these bestselling strains lists for a couple years now, and I’ve never seen so many sativas on the list. Durban Poison is the sole landrace strain here, and the most intensely uplifting and energizing pick of the bunch. Durban Poison comes from South Africa, and has been growing in American soil for decades. It has a unique peppercorn nose, so sharp and skunky that it nearly burns the nose. 

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Pineapple Express

Trainwreck x Hawaiian

• Energetic • Happy •Talkative
• Pineapple •Tropical•Mango
• THC 20% •CBG 1%

Let’s get it straight—the movie Pineapple Express predates the strain, and not vice versa. The onus is on the strain then, to match the zany, full-bellied laughs that come when watching Seth Rogen, James Franco, and a supporting cast of comedians get into increasingly dangerous (and thus hilarious) situations due to the weed that smells like God’s, well. Pineapple Express the real strain is Trainwreck x Hawaiian, a blend of tropical tang and turpentine.  A review from 2010 calls it “The dopest dope I’ve ever smoked,” and one from 2024 says it’s “the king of strains.

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Strawberry Cough

Strawberry Fields x Haze

• Uplifted • Energetic •Happy
• Strawberry •Sweet •Berry
• THC 19% •CBG 1%

Ring the alarm! Strawberry Cough has entered the chat. This strain, despite its many years in stores, still carries mystique. It’s not entirely clear who initially bred it, and its genetics may or may not be Strawberry Fields x Haze. Either way, it still intrigues consumers to this day, whether it’s to lift the fog of anxiety or enjoy its skunky berry terps. 

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Shorter days and darkened skies mean the sesh must move indoors—specifically, to the couch. But a riches of choice can lead to indecision, especially with a bowl packed nearby.

So we streamlined your viewing experience with 8 new seasons and shows paired with the strain that will bring out the best in them, from wilderness survival to anime to murder mystery.

Outlast Season 2

For Survivor fans who want higher stakes. Sixteen strangers dropped off in the Alaskan wilderness without food or water must form four teams. The goal? Outlast each other in this harsh landscape before racing to the end in the hopes of winning $1 million dollars. Season 1 saw some of the most tactical, emotionless game-playing I’ve ever seen from any of these wilderness reality shows. Season 2 returns with competitors who are already familiar with how the game is played and come armed with strategy. This is some popcorn-worthy reality television. 

Pair with: Duct Tape. Regarded as one of the best strains to shut down your brain and when we’re talking about reality TV, which often repeats itself throughout an episode, you could use some forgetfulness and wonder.

All episodes streaming now on Netflix

Chimp Crazy

A story of obsession, kidnapping, and subterfuge from Eric Goode, the producer who brought you Tiger King. This time he returns with a limited docu-series about people’s obsessions with owning Chimpanzees. A gripping ride that keeps you watching with a mix of surprise and confusion, this is more than just a rehashing of the theme. This time, you’ll follow Goode, a fake filmmaker and a real crew as they ride along with the self-proclaimed ‘Dolly Parton of the Chimp World.’ A second rare chance to see and hear what it’s like trying to raise exotic animals and the bizarre lengths people will go to keep them.  

Pair with: Kush Mints. There are moments of movie suspense mixed with real-life danger to some of the people and animals featured in the movie. This helps you take in both sides to appreciate this documentary/heist movie.

All episodes streaming now on HBO MAX

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Featuring dope magic battles, this suggestion is one that comes to us from Ted over at Alien Labs. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is the 2023 anime adaptation of a popular Japanese manga series that has 22 million copies in circulation. The elven mage Frieren was part of an adventuring party that embarked on a 10-year quest to slay the Demon King. After their success, she’s left to deal with the vast years of life she has left to live during this era of peace. Upon the death of one of her companions, she’s struck by how short human lives are and sets out on a new quest to meet old and new companions and reunite with her fallen comrade at the resting place of souls.

Pair with: Papaya Punch to get the creativity going through the introduction and the body high to relax as you watch the whole thing. Back in 2021, Leafly recommended this for anime and 3 years later we stand by this choice.

Streaming now on Amazon Prime or Crunchyroll

Only Murders in the Building

Season 3 of this quirky Hulu murder mystery/comedy builds on the previous two seasons while only catching a mild case of callback fever. This time Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez are joined by another cast of big stars in a budget that will leave you wondering how this is on Hulu. Wholesome and easy to watch, this is an easy binge for people who are getting ripped around their family and need to draw attention away from themselves while still enjoying their high.

Pair with:Cap Junky, for a social high that gets you into the show and won’t leave the people around you wondering why you’re giggling to yourself in the corner.

Episodes 1-4 now streaming on Hulu

Dimension 20

Dropout TV is one of the best monthly subscriptions I have. A content hub for nerds and the nerdy-at-heart, one of their most popular programs is the live Dungeons & Dragons adventure Dimension 20. Comedian, Actor, and Gamemaster Brennan Lee Mulligan, along with a hilarious cast of comedians and improv actors create campaigns that seem as much fun to watch as they are to play. Beloved by a vast core group of fans, this year the show got even bigger when they sat down for a season with RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni, traveled for a live UK tour, and were mentioned in TIME magazine in an article on the rise of live D&D’s popularity. 

Streaming now on Dropout TV

Pair with:Permanent Marker, which should keep you laughing through the brilliant improvisations but also give you the mental awareness to keep up with the actual gameplay if you’re a fan of tabletop gaming.

Into The Badlands

Originally an AMC show, Into The Badlands  is set in a post-apocalyptic land where guns have disappeared and life is ruled by five cruel Barons who share the power in an uneasy alliance. The fighting is straight out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. As with any TV show there are those filler episodes as they move the story along but just like Game of Thrones, this is a show that isn’t afraid to kill off major characters. There are three seasons to binge, and while the last one does start to go a little off the rails, it was canceled before they could start the fourth season so you’ll let it slide while you watch Nick Frost pummel bad guys using the martial arts he learned from monks who’ve learned to control a secret power.

Pair with:Blue Dream. You’ll have all the mental energy to understand this new world but be happy and relaxed enough to not realize you already flew through the whole first season.

All episodes currently available to stream on Netflix

The Penguin

Colin Farrell is damn near unrecognizable as small-time member of Gotham’s Falconi mob, Oz Cobb (we know, but DC Comics president Jim Lee himself signed off on the change). A character with less than 13 minutes on-screen in the 2022 Batman film, Farrell gives depth to the life of a gritty, mid-level mobster dipping his crooked toes into the comical darkness often found in the Gotham universe TV show. Tony Soprano comparisons aside, the acting here is great (especially from Cristin Milioti), and paints Farrell’s Penguin as a true anti-hero.

Episode 1 and 2 streaming now on HBO Max

Pair with:OG Kush for the perfect relaxing body buzz to turn off the lights and enjoy the gritty streets of Gotham. Plus, stay in the moment when it gets a little comedic.

Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror

After 5 years of delays, Uzumaki premieres with 4 episodes on September 28— you can guarantee people will be on the edge of their seats. Japanese horror master Junji Ito’s series gets an adaptation that follows the lives of two high schoolers living in the town of Kurouzu-cho. After a strange spiral curse starts affecting the town, they must find a way to make it out alive as things begin to take a turn towards the strange and horrible. Some hardcore fans are worried that the small number of episodes won’t fully convey the 600 page story but the trailer released by Adult Swim has everyone ready to turn off the lights and welcome October with an epic horror story.

Pair with: Purple Push Pop, to help keep you stuck to the couch throughout the insane imagery and possible jump scares.

Airs September 28 on Adult Swim

Coming Soon 

SECRET LEVEL

From the creators of Love and Robots comes a whole new series inspired by the worlds of beloved video game franchises like Armored Core, Mega Man, and Warhammer. Fifteen different episodes based on original short stories will be available through Amazon starting in December.

ASIA by BBC

Who doesn’t love to lis ten to David Attenborough, especially when you’re high. Sir David & the BBC make history yet again with its first nature documentary focused solely on Asia. Seven, one-hour episodes will have you following Rhinos in Nepal, Elephants in Sri Lanka, and sea snakes swimming along the Pacific Ocean. 

Holy shinobi, Batman! Leafly HighLight has entered Year Three of celebrating all-star strains of American dispensaries. The Leafly HighLight Hall of Flame now boasts 24 entries!

So, where we do take it from here? Well, we run it back, and find another Top 200 strain on dispensary shelves you have to know about. Just in time to begin anew, we start with the undisputed champion of sales that’s also perfect for easing back into the work year: Blue Dream.

First timers—explore Blue Dream’s balanced hybrid effects that won’t make you loopy. Experienced smokers—don’t even hate. Respect the scoreboard. It’s the No. 1 most-ordered strain on Leafly in December for a reason. A population larger than the island of Guam has favorited Blue Dream on Leafly.

This classic ‘90s cross of DJ Short’s Blueberry x Haze mellows anxiety without sapping your energy or focus. Coming out of Santa Cruz, CA, Blue Dream offers the Cali Sober solution to Dry January’s stressors.

Leafly reviewers report getting creative, uplifted, and energetic on the Haze cross. Exemplars of the strain smell like an actual blueberry when you grind them—which is the damnedest thing.

One reviewer writes: “All of a sudden, I felt as if I was briskly cruising on a warm cloud, which was followed by an amazing burst of energy. Folks let me tell you, if you’d ever like to find out how an eagle feels when it spreads its majestic wings and takes to the air at 80 mph., this strain is a kickass tool to take you there.”

Who’s got Blue Dreams? Best Blue Dreams in the US

Blue Dream’s an undisputed beast in the garden and blankets the country in soft, grassy blueberry smells. But quality varies—which explains why Blue Dream sports an average score of 4.3 out of 5 after more than 14,500 ratings. 

You see Blue Dream a lot in vape cartridges and commodity crops that don’t always showcase the classic. Growing top-shelf Blue Dream is a labor of love at California brands like Ember Valley and Korova. 

In December, we bought superb Blue Dream in California grown by Seven Leaves at Moe Greens in San Francisco. Defying critics, the brand Dream exhibited at The Ego Clash 2023 with phenomenal jars of Blue Dream sitting right alongside hype cultivars Uva and Cherry Gas.

Pax sells it in a live rosin pod, while Raw Garden sells it in live resin. 

Portlanders in Oregon have 353 Blue Dream options with grams hitting $3. In Seattle, there are 656 options, and Have a Heart alone sells 34 Blue Dream SKUs. 
Denverites in Colorado have 313 options, including joints starting at $5 and edible aphrodisiac Love Beans. Chicagoans have 249 Blue Dream choices—nearly all carts. Detroiters have 126 options—mostly carts. Even newly legal New Yorkers have 103 Blue Dream options, including the gold standard Pax Live Rosin pod.

Blue Dream seeds

The Blue Dream seed game is a global free-for-all, and gardeners have their pick from outlets all across the reputability spectrum. 

We’d look into DJ Short’s Blueberry work on SeedsHereNow, or Humboldt Seed Company’s feminized or auto Blue Dream. We grew Equilibrium Genetics’ Blue Dream Bx and it threw down!

See also: Blue Dream seeds from North Atlantic, Blimburn, and Fast Buds. For crosses, look at this Lemon Trance, and this Andorian.

Blue Dream awards

Like a weed Lebron James, King Blue Dream keeps putting up wins in the roaring 2020s. A Blue Dream took bronze in Maryland in 2023. A Blue Dream live rosin pod with diamonds from PAX took home a gold in 2022. A Blue Dream HHC pen from 3CHI took a first in 2022. Blue Dream live resin gummies from Kiva/Camino/Lost Farm took gold in 2020, and silver in 2021. The wins stretch back for decades: 2014, 2017 and on.

Blue Dream terpenes

Where does the smell of Blue Dream come from? The average results from lab samples labeled ‘Blue Dream’ indicate a lot of myrcene plus pinene and caryophyllene. We see the same top three terps in Blueberry and its cousins and vape juice formulations.

Other highlights this January

Bored of Blue Dream already? Here are three more go-to flavors for sticking to fitness goals in 2024.

Lemon Thai

Kick it even more old school and energetic with some Lemon Thai—a citrusy sativa with a similarly mild taste as Blue Dream. A cross of Thai and Hawaiian.

Mimosa

Keep it Cali Sober with the balanced Sunday morning strain Mimosa—the perfect mix of orangey and effervescent. A cross of Clementine and Purple Punch.

Animal Face

Attention all gas lovers—smoke this before you crush a strength training workout. So goodbye to boredom when you put on your minty, diesely, potent Animal Face. A cross of Face-off OG and Animal Mints.

And that’s the January 2024 Leafly HighLight. We’re stoked for a huge year of celebrating the all-stars of the cannabis cosmos, so download the app, and put the weed in the basket.

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