Remember your New Year’s resolution to smoke better weed? Leafly remembers.
This month’s roundup of the hot-hot new-new in the multi-billion dollar West Coast cannabis flower market includes the debut of Cookies brand “Worms”-shaped rosin. TropCookies’ famous Oni Seed Co. flower hits California dispensary shelves. We also serve up new GMOs and Chems, plus a trippy, new Cap Junky cross. The following flavors are popping in shops, events, and on our experts’ dashboards—they’re our favorite buds in the review bin and beyond. Here comes Leafly Buzz for February 2023.
Data grinder
These strains are on the move in Leafly’s 6,000-strains database. (Sasha Beck/Leafly)
Permanent Marker
⬆ 10.8%
Permanent Marker. Hybrid. (Courtesy Doja Pak)
Leafly Strain of the Year 2022 Jealousy hybrids continue to make their mark in 2023. Strain page visits climbed 10.8% month over month for Permanent Marker—(Biscotti x Sherb Bx1) x Jealousy F3—with its sickly sweet Sharpie-like fumes. It’s $80 per bag from Doja Pak in California dispensaries, proving the thesis that if it’s good enough, people will drop $80 an eighth for it. Share your Permanent Marker head stash with a select few on clean glass, or in a big joint. Clones of Permanent Marker are just getting under cultivation and we can’t wait till everyone can sniff ’em.
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Agent X
⬆ 6.8%
Agent X. Hybrid. (David Downs/Leafly)
Look out for Agent X lurking on the top shelf in California—up 6.8% from last month. Alien Labs’ small-batch, AAA-grade indoor cross of Atomic Apple and Xeno #1 keeps abducting all our money. Agent X expresses genes from both the Apple Fritter and Kush Mints line, making for a gassy Zkittlez mint. We continue to see flawless work coming from Zkittlez and Kush Mints projects and the whole world is watching.
Michigan’s best breeders keep influencing what we’re doing out west with Thug Pug’s Peanut Butter Breath. It chugs along in the western US—up 6.8% in strain page visits from the West Coast thanks to its nutty, potent stank. PB Breath mixes Dosidos (Leafly Strain of the Year 2021) and Mendo Breath F2. The nut strain dates to at least 2016 and has become a commodity crop, but when done right, it’s irresistible. Get acquainted with all the Breath crosses: Gorilla Butter, White Truffle, and Bulletproof Genetics’ smoky line of Deep Breath crosses.
Blue Dream
⬆ 6.6%
Blue Dream. Hybrid sativa. (David Downs/Leafly)
Something is happening with Blue Dream, readers. Like a huge blip on the sonar screen, this top 10 whale of strain is again on the move on the West Coast, up 6.6% in strain page visitors month over month. We’ve seen top-shelf brands like Korova do throwback Blue Dream with primo results. Smoakland delivery promises a $99 Blue Dream this month that’s “beloved” and hits 32% THC. Blue Dream’s tide appears to be coming back in, and we’re getting out the big jars.
New in the Leafly strain database
The last new-new of ’22.(Sasha Beck/Leafly)
Rainbow Cheddar
Rainbow Cheddar x Peppermint Agave. Hybrid. (David Downs/Leafly)
‘Where the Cheese strains at?’ they ask me. Best I can do is Rainbow Cheddar. It’s a Z x Cheese project at Compound Genetics. We’ve tasted crosses from it with that charcuterie plate mix of jellied fruit and brie. Hybridization compounds each parent’s loudness—a clever move. Compound’s new drop Perzimmon (Rainbow Cheddar x GastroPop) furthers the project. But who else grows some real Cheese? UK Cheese? Big Buddha Cheese? Who claims that stank? Let’s make a Cheese wave, Leafly Nation.
The Doggy Bagg
The Doggy Bagg stays popular. Hybrid indica. (David Downs/Leafly)
You gotta hand it to Snoop Dogg—his strains don’t miss. In the heat of battle, they don’t miss. The Doggy Bagg is a fire Project 4516 x Zkittlez #18 project from Grandiflora of Oakland, CA, marketed, grown, and sold through Cookies. The Doggy Bagg debuted to crazy lines in 2021 and has simmered down to a more sustainable hype level. The Doggy Bagg gives the streets what they need, an improved Runtz analog: Fruity, candy, earthy, fuel that’ll set you back nicely after a frustrating day stuck in traffic.
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Mango Fruz
Mango Fruz. Hybrid sativa. (David Downs/Leafly)
Grab some five-pound weights and crush some freaky deeky aerobic dance moves. Mango Fruz will rocket you to the tropics for a sweaty beach workout. Seed Junky Genetics’ Mango x Pineapple Fruz exudes an enticing, mango smell, and a sweet Zkittlez exhale with bright, electric effects. Mango Fruz smalls went for a bargain from Posh Green Boutique in San Francisco. The term ’smalls’ refers to smaller-sized buds, but small stays mighty with these frosty, tropical fuel nugs, grown in Northridge, CA under the breeder’s Farmacopia license.
Jigglers
Jigglers hybrid Twizzle Dance. 2022. Get well, Mr. Stimmy! ❤️🩹 (Courtesy Exotic Genetix)
Attention, America. We are tracking several radar signatures of the Red Pop strain loitering in the upper levels of the hyposphere. High-tolerance forces have attacked the strain Red Pop with fire and report back that it is indeed, zaza, and part of a sortie of sweet hybrids that includes Falcon 9 x Red Pop, Cherry Cosmo (Red x Baker’s Dozen), and Jigglers (Gelato x Red Pop). Washington breeder Exotix Genetix bred Jigglers along with a slew of phenomenal, high-THC, candy-forward cultivars. The Jigglers strain smells and tastes sour, fruity, funky, tart, and sugary. Its indica hybrid effects relax the body and mellow the mood. If you see Jigglers or any more Red Pop crosses—do your duty and attack them with fire.
Picks of the dispensaries
(Sasha Beck/Leafly)
New
Zeluga from Oni Seed Co., CA
Oni Seed Co. Zeluga. Hybrid. (David Downs/Leafly)
Come out of winter hibernation mode with Oni Seed Co. Zeluga— Kush Mintz x (Zkittlez x Zahiti Lime). This hybrid party and chill strain wants to make friends, offering a sugary, minty, floral soapy smell. Grind it up and notes of lime, pine, grape Smarties powder, and raspberry might pop out. Oni Seed Co. made its name with Tropicana Cookies found in current hits Trop Cherry and Super Boof. Now the Oni brand sells in at least 11 California shops with excellent flower, bred and grown indoors under Binske’s Southern California license. The Zeluga stands on its own, but Oni throws in a 5-pack of Oni Seeds for $1. Oni Seed Co focuses on hash-optimized strains that yield maximum resin and fragrance for extracts. The still-in-development Oni rosin and hash holes we also tasted do justice to the name.
Hot
Z Cap by Floracal, CA
Cyberpunk rock: Z Cap by Floracal (David Downs/Leafly)
Skip the magic mushrooms: Z Cap offers a heart-pounding, brutally introspective, 90-minute trip. Z Cap combines Zkittlez x Cap Junky, which is pretty wild since the parent Cap Junky is just starting its wave. Floracal brand indoor-grown Z Cap cannot be beaten for twice the price. Expert cannabis smokers will easily get over their skis on this icy, pungent, high-energy beast of a strain. A thin candy shell of bergamot Z jelly aroma cracks open to reveal a noseful of bite from the Alien OG in Alien Cookies. Sweetness precedes a dank fuel that blows out your palate, and max-THC bites on your chest. Half a rip brings a buzzing numbing psychic stone. A full bongload challenges the doors of perception while tasting much better than shrooms.
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Top
Ballin out
Garlic Blossom by A Golden State, CA
A Golden State brand Garlic Blossom. Leans really Baccio Gelato. (David Downs/Leafly)
A Golden State brings adventurous fine dining to your weed bowl with Garlic Blossom—GMO x Baccio Gelato in a deep, purple, fragrant bud. The mix of savory and sweet genes adds complexity to each other and brings on relaxation and appetite. A Golden State grows indoors in Shasta County, CA, and runs on hydroelectric power from the Sierra snowpack. Just up the freeway from Sacramento—Shasta’s main city Redding, CA offers superb spots for indoor grows, with Ember Valley and others there as well. With the snowpack running 200% of normal, A Golden State should stay gold in 2023.
Ballin’ on a budget
Garlotti by Burr’s Place, CA
Burr’s Place-grown Garlotti. Chem D x Gelatti. Indica hybrid. (David Downs/Leafly)
It’s time to start the Ugly Weed movement. Sure, this Burr’s PlaceGarlotti might not look dramatic, or spectacular. Stop judging ganja solely by how it blings. Lots of “ugly” weed smells, tastes, and feels straight-up better than Instagram weed. Ask Zkittlez. (And it’s not even ugly by historical standards.) Anyway, Cannarado’s bred Garlotti is Chemdog x Gelatti grown organic-like outdoors and crushing it at a blistering 34.53% THC. Set aside the score. The nose knows: The savory, garlic funk warns of the deep-bodied, disabling indica hybrid stone. A total counterpoint to the Garlic Blossom above. Trust your nose and join the Ugly Weed movement.
High Note
High note: Do not mix with alcohol. Do not drive. (Sasha Beck/Leafly)
Worms by Cookies
We always end on a high note of outrageous THC maximalism. Like Cookies Worms. (Courtesy Cookies)
You buy sliced lunch meat and stick it in your sandwiches, right? Now you can buy sliced hash and stick it in your joints and blunts.
{ Worms } 🐛 by { Cookies } is available now at Cookies Maywood! The first worm 🐛 drop was the { Cereal A La Mode } … roll your own hash hole 🕳 nice and easy pic.twitter.com/ikMui1NxQ8
Cookies Maywood in Los Angeles facilitates the rosin and hash hole movement with the debut of Worms—a Cereal A La Mode strain hash rosin worm. You buy one, roll it into a joint, and boom—your whole clique goes to flavor town. Then Taco Bell. There will be munchies.
Worms come in 0.3-gram and 0.5-gram sizes for $20 or $30,—a value considering some rosins go for $90 a gram. The hand-shaped and hand-packaged run of Cookies Worms totals several hundred units. More artisanal hash delicacies in 2023, please.
And that’s it for our high-res, real-time snapshot of the exotic pot landscape west of The Rockies. Check-in with Leafly’s high-altitude weed weather station in March. We’ll keep watch.
About Leafly Buzz
So good they steal it—the popular, monthly strain review roundup Leafly Buzz is in its third year. We report independently on the connoisseur cannabis conversation, focusing on strain and branded flower of the US west. Reporting includes:
You’re running low on time. The cool moms of America deserve some fine, trendy, fragrant weed for Mother’s Day and Memorial Day campouts. They’ve earned some Pink Runtz.
Why? It’s a battle out there. Moms need something pretty, fragrant, and relaxing that lightens the mood. Bring on that strawberry, sweet, grapefruit taste. Cue the giggly, talkative, happy effects—Pink Runtz wins our Leafly HighLight strain for May, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, and beyond.
Around since at least 2020, Pink Runtz scores an average 4.6 out of 5 points after 334 ratings.
It’s got the high THC that moms need after unloading all those freakin’ groceries all by herself again, good God.
“The very first hit had the knot in my shoulder unwinding,” says one review.
One in four Pink Runtz smokers is hitting it for tension, mood, and life’s doo-doo.
“I’ve never been so happy and smiling while unclogging a toilet,” said another reviewer.
“My 13-year-old kid clogged the toilet. Here I am smiling, happy as a lark while I plunge this toilet with a rubber plunger. Probably in my top 5 all-time favorites.”
Pink Runtz packs flavor and a punch. So drink some water first, stay seated, and put your phone on airplane mode. It’s a relative of Leafly Strain of the Year 2020, Runtz.
“The smell is like a fruity pebbles almost. Crazy smell,” said one reviewer.
“Euphoric antidepressant. Great for social connection, being present, and open. Instant happiness,” said another.
ILGM and Phylos Bioscience empower homegrowers to reach their fullest potential with genetically stable F1 Hybrid seeds. Phylos has deciphered the genome of the cannabis plant, and selected for the markers of greatness. Shop the Phylos collab line of cannabis seeds from ILGM in three categories: Elite, Premium, and Autoflower. See Gelato Sunrise.
Who’s got Pink Runtz? Best Pink Runtz across the US
Pink Runtz has increased its menu presence 40% year over year from Malibu, CA to Maine—with a ton of bargain flower and THC vape cartridges that keep costs down.
In Los Angeles, Pink Runtz crushes as a $25 vape cartridge, or in bulk flower; just $60 for 14 grams.
On the top shelf, indoor, small-batch flower brand Woodwide drops flawless Pink Runtz eighth-ounces for $55 by the end of the month in Northern California.
Oregon growers mass-produce Pink Runtz to get 1-gram joints down to $3 from Fire Dept. Even Seattle gets in on the $106 ounce of Pink Runtz from KIND.
Oklahoma offers smokers better access and prices than Illinois: with $5 grams, $4 joints, $15 all-in-ones, and $10 dabs.
Over on the East Coast, Electraleaf brings Pink Runtz to New York shops.
Pink Runtz seeds
Jelly Donutz — a relative of Pink Runtz. (Courtesy of Humboldt Seed Company)
Gardeners—put some Pink Runtz in the ground right next to those tomatoes. Lots of stuff gets renamed, so expect a Gelato x Z plant, or some good, old Gelato #33.
Pink Runtz on its own may not have a trophy case, but the Runtz family certainly does. It has won bigly every year since 2020 Leafly Strain of the Year.
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Pink Runtz terpenes
Lab samples labeled Pink Runtz have averaged high in the smell molecules limonene, caryophyllene, and linalool—giving it a balanced mix of fruit, fuel, and floral notes.
Other highlights this May
Can’t buy our HighLight? Don’t cry, dry your eyes—with three related or seasonal picks.
Pink Zaza
Pink Zaza by SOG Army. (David Downs/Leafly)
Impress the most picky weed snob mom at the campout with this jar of fuego. Pink Runtz keeps evolving with Pink Zaza, popularized by high-end indoor flower growers SOG Army in California. It’s Georgie Pie x Pink Runtz for dessert-on-candy terps.
Pink Guava
Sense cannabis-grown Pink Guava. (David Downs/Leafly)
One of the stand-out strains from 4/20 in San Francisco—the flawless Pink Guava from Sense Cannabis. Allegedly some Nepali Pink x Guava, it smells, tastes and feels like a refined variety of Guava Gelato. A little candy. A little dessert. The fuel notes add to the loudness. Again, if she already loves Runtz and Gelato, this conjures her best memory of it.
Keep the pink theme going for your goddess with this highly regarded sativa hybrid. Pink Boost Goddess—the award-winning heirloom strain from Northern California—turns super-pink in flower. It’s got a mellow, energetic, focused effect that works with yoga, hiking, cooking, and even chores. Scoop up perfectly cured, super-affordable jars of 2023 full-sun sativa hybrids during this peak season. Smoke sungrown in the sun, family.
And that’s four flower favorites for making every day Mothers Day this May, and beyond. Those gifts don’t buy themselves—so snap to it!
Hey, what’s ‘Leafly HighLight’?
Cannabis dispensaries can sell more than 200 types of flower. It’s overwhelming. Leafly HighLight cures choice paralysis with a monthly deep dive into a top 200, national cannabis strain you should smoke. We combine:
Leafly Strain Database search data
dispensary menu data
dispensary visits
and smoke sessions
Then we select one cultivar that pairs with the season and mood. That’s Leafly HighLight.
A grey market or parallel market is the trade of a commodity through distribution channels not authorized by the original manufacturer or trade mark proprietor. Grey market products (grey goods) are products traded outside the authorized channel. The phrases and process helps make it appear more legal than the black market.
In talking with industry notables, there is definitely a push from a minority to slow roll legalization and reframe the black market as a “perfectly ok” option to the average consumer. Both New York and California have huge black or illegal markets. New York’s botched rollout of licenses has made a legal market of about 85 dispensaries and over 2,000 unlicensed ones selling both legal and illicit products to the public. California crushing taxes and non existent enforcement has allowed unauthorized grows to florish. The rumor is these grows have quiet sold to legal producers to make products to help battle the costs.
Most traditional media, data analysts and legitimated investors and executives refer to it as the black market. Having a thriving black market hurts both the legalization process and legal businesses. Colorado and Maine are two examples of states who have done a great job to shrink the illicit market. While immediate short term there could be profits, in the long term, it chokes the growth and mainstreaming of cannabis for both recreational and medical use.
You can’t spell “2024” without “420,” Leafly Nation.
The international stoner holiday of April 20 (aka 4/20) stems from the daily toke time of 4:20 p.m. started in California in the ‘70s. Today, we have 25 legalization states and more than 40 medical ones. Re-scheduling percolates in Washington D.C. The Mayor of San Francisco has even blessed “SF Weed Week”—stating: “Don’t give me no bammer weed. We don’t smoke that sh*t in the SFC.”
We, too, subscribe to the No Bammer movement, so we tasked our experts with rounding up the hottest flowers for 4/20 across the land. Featuring dozens of picks from a dozen states, this list should help you elevate your weed game this week and into summer.
California’s hot-hot new-new
(Lindsey Bartlett for Leafly)
Black Patronus
No Till Kings
Black Patronus will make you fall in love with purple weed all over again. This batch was grown in a vibrant living soil bed on its 20th lifecycle at No Till Kings, a stunning 5,000-square-foot grow based in Long Beach, CA. Bred by Exotic Genetix, Black Patronus has a genetic lineage of RS-11 x Falcon-9 (bred via reverse pollination).
Black Patronus nugs contain such a deep, vivid purple, that they almost appear black. This is where the cultivar gets its namesake. These magical and highly flavorful buds contain 1.71% total terpenes. As an additional educational tool for consumers, which I adore, No Till Kings kindly lists the dominant terpenes in a graph on the side of the package: Limonene, a-Pinene, B-Pinene, Trans-Caryophyllene, Linalool, and more. The brand’s founders Jake Taylor and Marco S. are brilliant on their educational YouTube channel, enlightening growers on living soil methods. Judging by this flower, the team is doing something right.
The skunky, ooey-gooey buds break down into a pillowy cloud of dark purple wrapped in a glossy layer of white trichomes. The dry hit is dreamy and consists of chocolate, savory garlic, with subtle hints of citrus. The smoke is equally robust. It’s an enchanting, heavy, sultry smoke worthy of its witchy name. The experience is euphoric and its Indica-dominant traits make it wholly relaxing. Black Patronus is a sedative worthy of the premium shelf. No joke, this high is going to last you all day. —Lindsey Bartlett
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GMOasis. (Lindsay MaHarry for Leafly)
Governmint Oasis
by Humboldt Sunrise
Grown regeneratively on a woman-owned farm deep in the hills of SoHum, Governmint Oasis by Humboldt Sunrise (available through Redwood Roots) is a perfectly executed, highly potent flower that leaves you feeling happy and relaxed.
This cross between GMO and Gush Mints has all the hallmarks of a classic stoner high. The nose is gassy, herbal, and creamy. The flavor has a kick of eucalyptol minty fresh at the end. This strain is as heavy on the body, as it is on mental relaxation, leaving you with a lush, melty feeling that is perfect for after stressful or strenuous activities.
Given the government-induced horrors we’re currently existing through, this flower could not have come at a better time. Smoke a giant joint of this on 420 with your friends and dissolve into a sea of bliss. —Lindsay Maharry
4D has four types of cannabinoids for a functional effect. (Lindsay Maharry)
Four Directions
Emerald Spirit Botanicals
No 420 is not complete without Four Directions by Emerald Spirit Botanicals. One of my favorite flowers of the season, this cultivar is so unique there’s never been anything like it before.
Emerald Spirit Botanicals is a family-run farm in Mendocino that specializes in creating flower with high levels of minor cannabinoids and rare cannabinoid ratios by communicating with plant spirits.
While this might sound a little out there to some, the results don’t lie. Emerald Spirit is one of the most respected brands in the industry, winning the Emerald Cup almost every year along with many other competitions, as well as pushing scientific research forward with their unusual approach to growing.
Four Directions has high levels of four cannabinoids: THC, CBD, THCV and CBDV–which is unheard of—as well as a high terpene percentage (3.67%) featuring myrcene, ocimene and terpinolene.
The result is a perfectly balanced flower that leaves you a million times more capable than before you consumed it. This is a unique high that is less about getting fucked up and more about vibrating at a higher frequency.
It’s perfect for doing things you don’t want to do, social situations, and really anything, for that matter! This flower enhances you instead of obliterates you, so enjoy it to the fullest. Great for long days out with the squad, like 420! —Lindsay Maharry
(Lindsey Bartlett for Leafly)
Styrofoam Cup
Team Elite Genetics
A legendary strain from Team Elite Genetics, Styrofoam Cup is an absolute stunner. The LA-based grow is serving up some of the best weed in California right now (in my humble opinion). This award-winning cultivar is deserving of its accolades. It’s another living soil prodigy from Steve Castillo, founder and geneticist behind Team Elite Genetics. The powerhouse grower has fought hard for his coveted place among the top connoisseur brands in California beginning in his hometown of Huntington Beach in Orange County. Today, the grow is based out of Downtown LA offering up heat to the marketplace in a league of its own. The strain won second place at the coveted 2022 High Times Cannabis Cup.
Styrofoam Cup gifts notes of cookies and mulled wine mixed with sweet and skunky gasoline. Crystal white trichomes and red hairs entangle forest green and light purple buds. Bred by Cannarado Genetics, its lineage is Sunset Sherbet x GMO AKA MSG. This Indica will knock you on your ass in the best way possible. The high orbits a couch-lock, but it’s nuanced: I felt comfy yet still alert and cerebral. Team Elite Genetics excels in its consistency. No matter what, if you can find Styrofoam Cup from Team Elite Genetics, the jar holds some of the most beautiful buds on earth. Team Elite Genetics’ unique flavors could be attributed to the grow’s proprietary, microbial-rich teas, hand-watered by the cultivators daily. They create a robust and multi-faceted living soil environment for the plants to thrive. These packs do not miss. —Lindsey Bartlett
Backpack Boyz x WAV
Backpack Boyz is the brand that needs no introduction. Their upcoming collab with WAV, a new indoor brand launching this April from some of the best cultivators in the biz, brings the fire with four strains grown with living soil. Together, Backpackboyz x WAV set the new industry standard for the best cannabis in California. To learn more follow @we.are.wav on Instagram. Launching on 4/20 at the OG Cannabis Cafe in LA and Perfect Union locations throughout CA.
Toad Venom
Ronin Seeds & WCC
Even though Toad Venom is part of the latest hype train for cannabis, it was actually created back in 2019. Animal Face x Sin Mints, it has a doughy, minty smell that breaks open into a candy peach ring aroma. Jake, one of the creators, said the feedback they hear most is that this strain is one of the more powerful highs people have come across lately. Toad Venom will put you in a stupor that Jake describes as “positively ribbiting.” —Matt Jackson
Grumpy Tiger
Snowtill & Woodwide Highcraft
Grumpy Tiger is a complicated mix of True OG with Platinum x Kush Mints x Animal Cookies Bx2. Even when the plant is happy, it looks a little angry, hence the name from Mendo Mikey Lion from Woodwide High Craft. These latest batches to hit the scene come from the no-till, living soil beds of Snowtill Organics. Gassy, piney, and spicey, it’s a testament to the power of green weed.—Matt Jackson
See also: Neon Panther from Moon Valley Cannabis—even more top-shelf, award-winning living soil for the Bay Area.
New York flavors
Berner Hanna Butter
Electrical Leaf NYC
Berner Hanna Butter by Electrical Leaf is a must for your summer line up. This strain is so spectacular and magnificent in every way. When I opened the package, a marvelous, herbal butter cream vanilla flavor takes over the air with its aroma. We saw beautiful crystallization all over the flowers, with its neon green buds so beautiful to look at. The high is strong! The head high is level, leaving you feeling very focused. The body high offers a strong, full-body, soothing relaxation. This is so far my favorite strain for the year! If you are in New York, you need to get this from the Culture House Cookies NYC. This is so fire, it’s arson! —LordFigo
MELO
Electric Leaf NYC
Melo is mellow! As soon as I opened the bag a beautiful, floral, sweet lemon scent filled the air. The buds are very crystally, and beautiful with wonderful, exotic green and purple color buds. Its orange hairs add to the beauty. My first toke yielded a zesty, skunky flavor, with a very tiny hint of lavender, some spiciness and an overpowering skunkiness. The high has a nice focus feel to it, with a clear, open-minded euphoria. This strain Melo by Electrical Leaf should be good for people who want to have a good buzz but don’t want to be too stones or couch locked, so they can get through daily activities. —LordFigo
New Jersey bud
Blue Razz. (Lord Figo for Leafly)
Blu Razz
Cookies
Cookies in Harrison, NJ is pushing out that heat with this Blu Razz, OMG! This is a weed-lovers dream—a stoner’s excuse to say, ‘I forgot!’ This Blu Razz is strong but seriously beautiful! When I opened the merchandise, a pungent, robust, floral aroma with a very clean, refreshing berry scent arrived in the room. After rolling up the Blu Razz, my first hit was a strong, spicy, woody, blueberry flavor that hit me like a Ryu combo, with hints of tarty berry flavors. This high is strong, with a lot of pressure and weight on the eyes and a clear mind feel. The body high is strong with full-body relaxation that’s very soothing on the diaphragm. This is some beautiful weed. Blu Razz should be in your summer line up. —LordFigo
Maryland bangers
Banana Zoap. (Michael Blickstein for Leafly)
Banana Zoap
Fade Co., MD
Maryland enthusiasts started noticing Fade Co. on their shelves about six months ago, and they seem to be bringing elite California genetics across the country for the everyman to enjoy. Banana Zoap is Fade Co’s house expression of Deep East’s Zoap (RS16 x Pink Guava OZK) popularized by Doja, likely named for its top note of underripe bananas. Like many of the great previous versions of Zoap, this nug expresses a neon green hue on a dense stout nug. It reeks like the inside of a Jamba Juice, and the flavor is more of the same. Even though the flower is delivered in bags rather than jars like presented on the website, the batch was only about a month old and fresh to the touch and on the inhale.
Fade in Maryland is produced by Seven Points Agro, housed in the large Abell multi-brand facility. While the facility is equipped for fully indoor grows, it’s unclear whether this sample is light assist or fully indoor. The 36.74% THCa and 3.05% terpenes translate to a potent experience regardless. The effect errs more on the slumpy couch-lock vibe, and hits more in the eyes and face, which is standard for Cali breeds. For enthusiasts, this is a taste of the hype that the West Coast has been pushing the last couple of years and may be worth the premium, for especially curious consumers. —Max Blickstein
Afternoon Delight #4. (Max Blickstein for Leafly)
Afternoon Delight #4
Rythm GTI, MD
Rythm delivers yet again for enthusiasts looking for a functional midday boost with Afternoon Delight #4. A hybrid of GMO x Trophy Wife (Wedding Cake F2), originally bred as Redneck Wedding by Surfr Seeds, the appearance presents as the bright green spear-shaped buds with golden pistils; a mighty stature caked in resin. For the top shelf of the market, Rythm delivers as expected with a hefty jar for freshness and a flashy label boasting 37.62% THCa and 3.78% terpenes.
As stinky as this sample is upon cracking the jar, the flavor also stains the mouth with chemical funk and herbal Bubba fuel. The potency is noticeable, and the refined relaxing and buzzy effect onsets rapidly and primarily stimulates the head, face and chest. In a vape, the inhale is smooth and suitable for big rips. In the joint, the smoothness lacks behind a bit and the flavor has a bit of background noise. The region is a big fan of soothing “sativa-dominant hybrids” and this sample is fresh and fits the bill perfectly. —Max Blickstein
Zealousy. (Michael Blickstein for Leafly)
Zealousy
Strane (National Holistic), MD
If you like big nugs and you can’t lie, Zealousy might be your guy. Strane has been a mainstay for years bringing solid genetics to top shelves all around Maryland, and this is a prime example of why. Zealousy is reported to be from Nasha Genetics, blending Jealousy x Zoap, which very much rides the shoulders of giants, this time in the form of Seed Junky Genetics and Deep East. This hybrid is no joke—providing an immediate onset of “sit-your-butt-down” at eye-watering levels of potency, which tracks for the 30.41% THCa boasted on the label.
Another staggering label rating is the 4.14% terpenes—primarily Limonene, α and β – Pinene, and Linalool—which results in a fairly standard “candy” flavor which is most comparable to allspice. This type of flavor and effect profile is more common from cheaper, imported weed, but Strane provides a clean and accessible experience with Zealousy that hits that particular nail on the head. Strane is sure to impress enthusiasts looking for a punchy, sweet flavor and this particular example shines as soon as the seal is broken. —Max Blickstein
Maine winners
Blue Lobster. (Courtesy of Maine Trees)
Blue Lobster
Maine Trees, ME; Umma Sonoma, CA
This selection keeps flying further into the stratosphere ibn 2024, giving Blue Lobster all the signs of the Next Big Thing™. Formerly known as Facade, Blue Lobster emerged as a “one-in-two million” cut. In the time since the original discovery, Lobster has become one of the beacons of flame on the east coast. The selection has among the most complex flavors for a hybrid most would write off as candy, with the (Apples & Bananas x Gelatti/Wedding Cake) hybrid expressing distinctly fruit vitamins, cherry candy gas, and bakery confection layered perfectly atop each other. The aromas also pair perfectly with euphoric, giggly potency that hits like an avalanche.
Blue Lobster has been the winningest strain on the East Coast, taking awards from Ego Clash ‘23 and Zalympix East Coast, and it only boils down to a couple of factors as to why. Blue Lobster can be found from Maine Trees at retailers throughout Maine as flower, vape carts, pre-rolls and the occasional hash collaboration with other Maine mainstays Helios Collective and Third Shift Resin. In California, Blue Lobster gets periodic harvests by Umma Sonoma released at Greenwolf retail locations, with a new release that should hit right before 420. Strain designer Chris Lynch of Cipher Genetics has announced aline of hybrids coming from Maine Trees’ Blue Lobster for later this year. —Max Blickstein
Candy Fumez crosses got us dizzy. Bloom Seeds Co Candy Payton. (Courtesy Bloom Seed Co.)
Candy Fumez
Firefly Organics, ME
Vacationland has been the secret garden for many East Coast cannabis enthusiasts since 1999, and few operators have taken advantage of the environment quite like Firefly Organics, who now produces for both the medical and adult-use markets in Maine. The newest genetic in their library is Bloom Seed Co’s Candy Fumez (Zkittlez x Sherbanger 22), which has been popular coast to coast without missing any flyover markets. Candy Fumez has achieved such a reputation through its intense gassy lime flavor that pushes the Z traits to their limit while also producing acceptable yields of pungent, greasy hash when washed. Since Candy Fumez was originally released as seeds before Bloom Seed Co officially released their own cuts, the four Candy Fumez samples I’ve tried, each from different brands, have expressed differently.
The sample of Candy Fumez from Firefly is the #16 cut, which they acquired from Helios Collective. The aroma and the flavor sit on the candy lime end. Keep it in a good jar, or it will reek up the whole room. The effect from this version is relaxing and functional, and overall it will set you in the right direction for a good time. You can’t spell “Firefly” without “fire” and luckily these guys are showing us a thing or two about it with their organic soil garden run under HPS lights. Every batch from Firefly always presents with glistening resin, which makes for some of the most flavorful smoke around. Many hardcore cannabis enthusiasts contend that the best flower is the one grown with organic amendments in soil, and after smoking flower like this it’s hard to argue with the claim. The effects are always pleasant, the flavors always lip-smaking and the scent so incensing that it’s difficult to close the jar. —Max Blickstein
Florida tastes
Gelonade. (David Downs/Leafly)
Gelonade
Trulieve/Connected Cannabis, FL
Truelieve’s partnership with California-based Connected Cannabis continues to pay dividends for Florida patients by bringing California’s most sought-after genetics to the burgeoning Florida market. Gelonade, a gorgeous Sativa leaning hybrid of Lemon Trees and Gelato #41, was the overall winner of the 2021 Emerald Cup, and continues to impress! The taste is truly distinctive, with an intriguing blend of lemon-lime citrus and minty, vanilla, gassy, sweet cookie. This batch, sampled on March 21st from Trulieve Jacksonville, came in at 28% THC, and its terpene profile, dominated by caryophyllene and limonene, was also relatively high in Borneol, lending a distinct camphor and eucalyptus note. The effects are both uplifting and relaxing, great for anxiety relief and good conversation. Definitely recommended. —Matt Witemyre
British Columbia flowers
Mendoz Stomper (Grace Broadhead for Leafly)
Mendoz Stomper
Sweetgrass Cannabis, BC
Derived from Mendo Breath x Oz Kush x Mac Stomper lineage, this hybrid bred by Sunken Treasure Seeds thrives under Sweetgrass’ living soil, organic growing methods in Kootenay BC.
Mendoz Stomper delivers a complex, botanical aroma with hints of sour citrus berry, and a potent high that leans hard into its Mendo Breath roots. Imagine a heady, euphoric wave that melts down the spine into every limb, letting your brain still work its magic around the conversation circle, or deep in the paint of a creative project.
Rainbow Driver
Woody Nelson, BC
Available in limited 25-30kg batches every three months across BC, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, it’s a gem for enthusiasts willing to hunt for quality.
Bred by Archive Seed Bank and cultivated in the Kootenays, this Sundae Driver x Zkittlez hybrid is a powerhouse. Woody Nelson’s 3-weeks of curing and hand trimming results in generous nugs and a true-to-nose flavor, reminiscent of a pack of Citrus Delights cracked open in a gas station.
It maintains an impressive, feathery consistency when ground, with smooth rolling and combustion. The high begins with a potent, cerebral hit before melting into relaxation, without full-on couchlock.
This strain is in high-demand, so gear up for the next 100 kilo batch to hit BC, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Nunavut dispensaries around April 20th. —Grace Broadhead
And that’s it for America’s best weed strains of 420 ’24. Never miss the latest heat—download the Leafly App (Android, iOS) and turn on notifications to scoop those flavors first.
