Three buzzy strains from Connected you need on your radar

Tropical Z, Silver Spoon, and Permanent Marker are an unbeatable trio.

Connected Cannabis Co. is one of the biggest names in SoCal cannabis right now, with a breeding program responsible for legends like Biscotti and Gelonade and a team that’s been in the game forever. Their exacting quality control means they rarely turn out anything less than bangers, but their most recent flower run has been looking particularly loud. 

Connected set the bar high this year with their rendition of Permanent Marker and two standout originals, Silver Spoon and Tropical Z, grabbing a ton of attention for very good reason. This powerful trio has been getting budtenders buzzing, and when the budtenders sit up and take notice, so should you. 

Read on for the details on the flower we’re currently falling in love with and to learn why these three strains from Connected are essential smoking of the moment if you can find them near you.

Permanent Marker

Indica-hybrid | Jealousy x Sherb Bx1 x Biscotti | Limonene, caryophyllene, linalool

The Leafly Strain of the Year for 2023, Permanent Marker is a unique strain with a powerful potency that might just send your brain back to the drawing board. What we mean to say is that it’s aptly named—the instant you open a jar of Permanent Marker you’ll be greeted by a gassy, sweet, somewhat bitter smell that’s very reminiscent of markers, highlighters, and the like. This unique aroma is due to an uncommon terpene profile including linalool, limonene, and caryophyllene. It’s a strain like no other—a true star in the making.

“Connected’s mission is to breed, grow, and sell the best weed in the world.”

Caleb Counts, CEO & Co-Founder

Permanent Marker is descended from a previous SOTY award winner, Jealousy, as well as Sherb Bx1, and Biscotti. That’s one hell of a pedigree, and Permanent Marker manages to combine these disparate strains into more than the sum of their parts. This indica-hybrid strain has a complex profile that is tricky to describe, with notes of candy, diesel, soap, and even accents often described as minty or floral—meaning the type of flowers you put in a bouquet, not in a bong. That may all sound a bit odd, but true cannasseurs all over the nation have become obsessed with Permanent Marker’s unique charms, and if you haven’t tried it yet, Connected’s version is the one to pick up. 

Expect dense nugs coated in sandy trichomes, lending a beautiful layer of frost to the deep green and purple leaves. Any time is the right time to smoke Permanent Marker, but it has a particular flair for enhancing creative pursuits or zen moments. The cerebral buzz will also ably assist in marathon gaming sessions and deep conversations, and its body- and brain-soothing waves of relaxation will have you in a beachside state of mind any time of year. Heads up, you’ll want to keep plenty of snacks on hand during your Permanent Marker smoke sesh—it’s a famously munchie-inducing strain. 

Feeling intrigued? We can’t blame you. Permanent Marker is one of the most exciting strains to hit dispensary shelves in years, and Connected is your source for this amazing, exotic wonder.

Silver Spoon

Sativa | (Super Silver Haze x Xeno #6) x Xeno #6

Silver Spoon is a sativa-like Connected original that may have a name indicative of the upper crust, but this is a true people-pleasing strain. Silver Spoon has been slowly building hype in the California market, and this strain is finally ready to go supernova. 

Those privileged few who have been able to sample Silver Spoon report that it is a pungent, gassy affair with a heavy sour aroma that is complemented by subtle sweet, somewhat minty notes. Silver Spoon is also reportedly sugary sweet on the pull, so anyone with a sweet tooth take note—Connected may just have bred your favorite strain. 

Silver Spoon has genetics that include DNA from Super Silver Haze, the world-famous sativa that defined the cannabis culture of the late 90s, and two different cultivars of Xeno. Xeno can be tougher to find than an actual extraterrestrial, but this rare 50:50 hybrid is worth the search to experience its unique sweet-diesel flavor. This uncommon parentage makes Silver Spoon feel both familiar and unexpected all at once, like a banging remix of your favorite song. 

“First and foremost when you open the jar, it needs to punch you in the face.”

Caleb Counts, CEO & Co-Founder

Connected’s own Silver Spoon may also be our pick to win Miss California this year—it cuts a stunning visual profile that may make you reticent to grind the gorgeous buds. Every bit of a nug of Silver Spoon will be coated in layers and layers of trichomes that make it stickier than marshmallow fluff. 

Silver Spoon is an exceptional social lubricant, a chatty, effervescent sativa that will have you active and engaged, while avoiding the paranoia that can be induced by more potent strains.  Smoking Silver Spoon will leave you feeling relaxed in both body and mind without being overly couch-locked or stupified into needing to head straight to bed, an ideal companion to any number of social situations as well as solo focus-time. 

Silver Spoon’s satisfying sweetness and sophisticated charm will have you feeling like the life of the party all year long.  If that sounds like just the strain you need in your rotation, click the link below and find where you can get a taste of Connected’s latest hit. 

Tropical Z

Sativa | Xeno x (GDPTHH) #9 | Limonene, myrcene, caryophyllene

Last but certainly not least, Tropical Z is one of Connected’s newest strains, and it’s predicted to make a huge splash as it makes its way to dispensary shelves. A sativa-like that even dedicated indica smokers would love, Tropical Z is equally well suited to daytime and nighttime sessions.

Tropical Z tastes and smells like the bounty of an island summer, with notes of tropical fruits, sweet creams, and zesty citruses. Even if you don’t surf, smoking this strain might help you feel like you might be able to hang ten—the coastal vibes in this strain are just that strong. The breeders at Connected have managed to imbue Tropical Z with a truly astonishing amount of creamy, citrusy flavor—if you loved creamsicles as a child (or adult, no judgment) then this one’s for you. 

“Quality is the key driver and selector for everything we do in the breeding program.”

Ian Justus, Senior VP of Cultivation

Connected’s Tropical Z is a strain of humble beginnings but nearly unlimited potential. A cross between two lesser-known (but still much beloved) strains, Xeno and GDPTHH #9, Tropical Z’s slightly more obscure pedigree means that it’s a strain full of unexpected subtleties. A bouquet of terpenes including limonene, myrcene, and caryophyllene further brings out the citrusy and sweet flavors while finishing with a slightly verdant aftertaste.  

Visually, Tropical Z is coated in copper-colored accents so tasty that they wouldn’t be out of place in a cocktail served in a coconut shell. Connected’s new icon-in-the-making is a soft, pillowy bud as well, covered in furry trichomes that provide just the right amount of stickiness. Like all Connected flower, Tropical Z is a photogenic strain that looks good in the jar and the bowl. Revealing an eighth of Tropical Z at a party will get a bigger reaction than when the pizza arrives, it’s just that gorgeous. 

Tropical Z is a hot commodity at present, and it may be tough to snag some for yourself, even if you live in one of the lucky markets to have access to Connected. If your dispensary doesn’t stock it yet, make sure to talk to your budtender; chances are good they may know about the strain already, and talking to eager customers may help them make the Connected connection. 

Passion, quality, dedication

Connected and their partner brand, Alien Labs, are two of the foremost names in SoCal cannabis, an uber-competitive market where excellence is demanded and mediocrity is swiftly punished. Their breeding program is responsible for legendary strains like Biscotti, RS11, and Gelonade that have been topping lists and winning competitions since their release. They’ve also expanded into Arizona and Florida in recent years, and by all accounts, dispensaries in those states sell Connected which is every bit equal to the weed sold in their California locations. 

From Co-Founder and CEO Caleb Counts to each team member, the entire Connected team possesses a singular dedication to consistently producing some of the finest weed on the market today. They maintain one of the most sophisticated quality control and R&D operations in the industry, and they pride themselves on not only developing impactful, iconic strains but also ensuring those strains can be produced at scale without sacrificing quality, a rare combination that has served Connected well.

“It’s up to us to decide what quality is and then continue to push that bar.”

Caleb Counts, CEO & Co-Founder

It takes a true, fiery passion for cannabis to build a business like Connected. The leadership team that guides the company has been involved in cannabis since the days of the total prohibition and has a genuine connection to cannabis history and culture that many brands lack. They’ve shown massive resiliency in the face of a changing industry, surviving waves of legalization, the rise of hemp, and even a police raid of their facility. But their unending wells of passion for the plant have been their north star, and the future is only getting brighter for Connected. 

Everyone who has a love for cannabis, from the most experienced cannasseur to the newest lightweight looking to see what cannabis has to offer, owes it to themselves to check out Connected, and their trio of all-star strains is an ideal place to start. Find the perfect strain to fit your vibe, or grab all three and have sunshine in your grinder all year long.

Curious what other exciting strains the minds at Connected Cannabis Co. have dreamed up? You can head over to their website to see the whole product roster and read more about their strain lineup, and also follow them on Instagram to keep updated with any new drops or events, like our drop party team-up with Leafly’s David Downs x Connected in Los Angeles. Stay frosty!