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Top 12 OG Kush weed strains of all time

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Get your grinders and bongs ready for a really delicious list. Putting the best OG Kushes of all time took us back in time and made us excited for the future.

Pivotal pot from a generation ago help define the dispensary menus you see today. In the mid-’90s, some super-dank, super-strong weed made it from Florida to Hollywood, Los Angeles, and changed the game. Credit goes to Matt ‘Bubba’ Berger and Josh Del Rosso.

Del Rosso tells Leafly: “It was just called ‘Kush’ back then before we added the ‘OG’ to it around ’98-’99. … It was the strongest shit that had hit the scene, ever. … That crazy loud, lemony, skunky gas was filling up the entire house or the car or wherever we went with it.”

Today, countless hundreds of strains have roots in OG Kush. Breeders have taken different facets of OG in different directions: one rips your face off, while another deletes insomnia. So which ones are the top 12 of all time? 

Leafly looked at current popularity across the US, plus the impact each varietal had on breeding and the culture. This is where we landed—for now.

#12 Face Off OG

Face Off OG is Archive Seeds’ Fletch selection of OG Kush to breed with. You don’t see Face Off OG alone in the wild, but it powers big winners like Animal Face, Blue Face, and Leafly Strain of the Year Dosidos. Face Off OG has at least 10 generations of crosses descended from it, according to its genealogy on Seedfinder.

#11 Double OG Chem

a nearly aqua-hued cola seen growing
Double OG Chem wrapping it up in 2023. (David Downs/Leafly)

Call it the new kid on the block. Double OG Chem is the youngest iteration of OG Kush on this list, but it’s earned its place through a growing legacy of wins at the Emerald Cup, word of mouth, and ubiquity. Crossing OG Chem x OG Sour F4 creates a perfect terp storm of fuel, chem, and funk, plus a floral surprise; the serenity of OG gets a vivacious, energetic boost. 

Related

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#10 Godfather OG

The Godfather OG strain. Indica hybrid. (David Downs/Leafly)
The Godfather OG strain. Indica hybrid. (David Downs/Leafly)

Two types of OG Kush combined to make the third most popular OG Kush on Leafly in 2024—Godfather OG. A reported cross of XXX OG and Alpha OG—Godfather OG is super sedative. “I have severe insomnia, and this is hands down the best sleep med I’ve experienced,” reports one reviewer. Lab samples labeled Godfather OG have averaged out to the same three top terpenes as OG Kush.

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#9 Larry OG

Larry OG (Leafly)
Larry OG (Leafly)

As soon as the original OG Kush touched down in California, growers across the state pounced to put their spin on it. Larry OG, also known as Lemon Larry, comes from the eponymous Larry crossing two of our top-4 strains, OG Kush x SFV OG, in Orange County. Larry OG puts the citrus terps before the pine, along with balanced effects between lost in the couch and buzzing around. One reviewer said it felt “like a light radiating down my skin and removing all of my stress.” Besides some cup wins of its own, Larry OG has spawned dozens of crosses among seven generations, including as a parent of Purple Punch

#8 WiFi OG

A perusal on Leafly shows that Wifi OG is available in all corners, from its native California to Michigan and even Ontario, Canada. Whether you call it Wifi OG or White Fire, OG Raskal’s breeding result is the same; Fire OG x The White creates a spongy plant led by limonene and nerolidol terps that hits the head and the body. WiFi OG ranks No. 147 in menu popularity in the US out of more than 9,000 strains.

#7 Fire OG

Fire Cut's winning Fire OG in 2019. (David Downs/Leafly)
Fire Cut’s winning Fire OG in 2019. (David Downs/Leafly)

If you want to make a better OG—just cross two OGs. Fire OG is a cross of OG Kush x SFV OG that often seemed to come with more red pistils (or “hairs”). The effects hit dead in the middle of the road—a great hybrid. Humboldt Seed Company CEO Nathaniel Pennington said, “We loved Fire OG and made Emerald Fire OG out of it.” Today, it’s No. 117 in US menu popularity.

#6 Alien OG

(Leafly)

Alien OG is another NorCal banger. Tahoe OG crossed with Alien Kush means big, ET-green buds with heavy pine tree terps. There are plenty of Alien OG progeny strains keeping this branch of Kush alive and well. It’s ranked No. 145 in US menu popularity.

#5 Tahoe OG

NorCal can’t let SoCal have all the fun with OG’s legacy, and the Tahoe OG pheno proves it. This is OG Kush at its best: big, verdant buds, sticky as heck, and rank with earthy, forest terps. Tahoe OG won a modest share of awards in the 2010s, but it remains alive for true OG heads and for breeders who need a heavy-hitting OG to spawn new iterations. 

#4 King Louis OG

King Louis OG is charging hard in 2024, partially thanks to OG Louis the XIII the “Creator of LouieTheXIII.” A cross of OG Kush x LA Confidential—it’s super-sedative. It’s ranked No. 137 nationally in store presence, and joined more than 300 additional store menus over the last year.

#3 SFV OG

SFV OG Kush looks like a premium OG. (David Downs/Leafly)
SFV OG Kush looks like a premium OG. (David Downs/Leafly)

Short for San Fernando Valley OG Kush—SFV OG is the lighter-green, smaller-nugged, more energetic OG Kush. People really pick up on the pine, and lemon on SFV OG. “Like inhaling Pine-Sol. Love this taste. Sticky buds.” SFV OG is associated with Swerve and The Cali Connection—who helped popularize OG Kush in the ‘90s.

#2: Skywalker OG

Second place in the top OG Kushes of all time goes to Skywalker OG. We think of Skywalker OG as more sedative than regular OG thanks to its mix of (Blueberry x Mazar) and OG Kush. Others say it is merely a variation of classic OG Kush—which might be true. Our first reviews of it date to the origin of Leafy back in 2011. People take it for stress, pain, and anxiety. A current top hit with Skywalker OG deep down in it is Super Boof. (Noted descendants: 501st OG, Hardcore OG, Falcon Heavy)

#1 OG Kush

An original OG Kush, provided by Josh Del Rosso. (Courtesy Josh D Farms)
An original OG Kush, provided by Josh Del Rosso. (Courtesy Josh D Farms)

A lot of people think the original OG Kush from the ’90s remains the best version of it. OG Kush ranks 11th among all 9,000 strains in the Leafly database—higher than any of its successors. When we think of real OG Kush we think of dark, green, smaller-sized buds that are resinous and pungent with notes of fuel, lemon, and pine. OG Kush always hits hard no matter how many times you smoke it—with a hybrid indica effect that’s best for after-work relaxation.

Josh Del Rosso affirms, “The best OG I ever had was the first. That was 1996.”

Rebel Grown Seeds’ Dan Pomerantz agreed after he first smoked it in 2010. “The best OG Kush I ever had was the real one, the original. It was the loudest best best-tasting OG I’ve had. It’s the original mom I used in my Double OG Sour seed line.”

Humboldt Seed Co’s Ben Lind concurs as well, “It wasn’t the prettiest weed—it would never make it in today’s market, but it reeked and it would just get you the same high each time. It was a really predictable high. You never got a tolerance to it. You could smoke it for a year and still get blazed. And it was called OG Kush.”

Readers choose a best OG Kush strain of all time





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Grand Openings: Wu-Tang Clan opens shop in New Jersey

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From the arrival of a New Jersey shop co-owned by a member of the Wu-Tang Clan to a dispensary located just minutes from San Francisco International Airport, here are the notable new dispensaries that opened in the past month.

Got a new shop? Put it on the map. Visit Leafly Success to advertise. 

California

Embarc—San Bruno, CA. Opened Nov. 15. Travelers of San Francisco’s SFO Airport had early reason to give thanks with the opening of San Bruno’s first dispensary — located just minutes from the bustling international travel hub. In addition to its sublime convenience, the location means Embarc now has an impressive total of 16 dispensaries across California. 120 El Camino Real, San Bruno.

(Courtesy The Showcase)
(Courtesy The Showcase)

The Showcase—Fairfield, CA. Opened Nov. 27. Located east of Vallejo, the Showcase provides Fairfield customers with a wide array of top-shelf cannabis products. Proving its name is no fluke, Showcase stocks premium flower, edibles, and more. They also offer a Compassionate Use Program in addition to a menu stocked with daily deals. 101 Grobic Ct, Fairfield.

Colorado

Winter-proof: The Buzz dispensary has a drive-through in Colorado. (Courtesy The Buzz)

The Buzz—Grand Junction, CO. Opened Nov. 9. The arrival of the Buzz makes a total of seven retail dispensaries now operating in Grand Junction, Colorado. Family-owned and operated, The Buzz — the chain’s fourth store to open thus far — boasts a menu of unique strains at “competitive prices” made even more convenient thanks to the store’s drive-through option. 1022 N 3rd St, Grand Junction.

Connecticut

Sweetspot Farms—Stamford, CT. Opened Nov. 11. Founded by two Stamford natives, Sweetspot Farms prides itself on its “community-focused values, local discounts, and a commitment to consumer education.” Sweetspot’s second location also features an “innovative digital bud bar” and “licensed pharmacists on staff and available to answer questions.” 111 High Ridge Rd, Stamford.

Illinois

Mystic Greenz—Belleville, IL. Opened Nov. 6. You can cross Belleville off the list of cities in Illinois without a cannabis dispensary. Since early last month, Mystic Greenz has saved locals the drive to Collinsville or Sauget by offering quality cannabis products in Belleville proper. The location is the fourth for Mystic Greenz and is run by store manager Tabitha Brinkman: a lifelong Belleville resident. 360 S. Green Mount Rd, Belleville.

Massachusetts

(Courtesy EMBR)
(Courtesy EMBR)

EMBR Cannabis—Springfield, MA. Opened Nov. 27. More than $2 million was invested to build Springfield, Massachusetts’ first dispensary fully constructed “from the ground up.” Now open for business, EMBR represents the final product of a reclamation project that saw a long-time vacant lot transformed into a new dispensary that is also set to feature new green space in the form of a forthcoming “pocket park.” 461 Boston Rd, Springfield.

Michigan

Mango Cannabis—Lansing, MI. Opened Oct. 21. Known for their chain of medical dispensaries in Oklahoma, family-run Mango Cannabis has expanded to Lansing, Michigan to open its first retail location. With a second store set to arrive in Waterford early next year, Mango Cannabis is landing with a splash in the form of a new, 4,000-square-foot “flagship superstore” that features “sleek design elements” and an “intentionally minimalist layout” intended to “showcase products as the focal point.” 5620 South Cedar St, Lansing.

Simply Loud—Detroit, MI. Opened Nov. 1. Detroit’s newest dispensary is proudly Black-owned and absolutely stocked. Visit Simply Loud and choose from hundreds of products, including “260 types of vape cartridges and disposables” and “150 kinds of infused prerolls” while enjoying an interior “unlike any other dispensary in metro Detroit” complete with “stylish Herman Miller furniture” and sculpture work from local artists. 216 E. Milwaukee Ave, Detroit. 

New Jersey

Hashtoria—Newark, New Jersey. Opened Nov. 13. It was a true party at the grand opening for Newark’s newest dispensary, Hashtoria. That tends to happen when your shop is co-owned by Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon and Charlamagne Tha God, who both turned out to celebrate the debut of an adult-use cannabis retail space which is set to “evolve into a premier consumption lounge” early in the new year. For now, customers can enjoy loyalty rewards via the Hashtoria app and marvel at the physical space: the result of a collaboration with award-winning architect Rachael H. Grochowski. 799-805 Broad St, Newark.

Main Street—Highland Park, New Jersey. Opened Nov. 22. Main Street was created “with the intention of bringing a truly local feel to the cannabis business.” That makes sense considering the store’s owners include both second-generation and third-generation Highland Park residents.  Providing an “upscale establishment” located in the suburbs of New Jersey, Main Street’s menu features a curated list of premium cannabis products available for purchase seven days a week. 311 Raritan Ave, Highland Park.

New York

Northern Lights—Canton, NY. Opened Nov. 14. Northern Lights is a family-owned and operated dispensary named for its location in northern New York. Serving residents of St. Lawrence County and the greater Canton area, Northern Lights offers a menu ripe with all the latest brands to hit the market. The dispensary’s current offerings include premium products from the likes of Camino, Jetty Extracts, and Rolling Green. 51 Main St, Canton.

Strain Stars—Riverhead, NY. Opened Nov. 29. Clocking in at an impressive 14,400-square-feet, Strain Stars’ new location in Riverhead marks the second store for the chain previously credited with opening Long Island’s first dispensary — in Farmingdale — last summer. Strain Stars also puts a big emphasis on local community, having recently donated $100,000 to Farmingdale State College to help establish a new endowment. And get ready to browse because the Riverhead location boasts “nearly 2,000 products, including flower, concentrates, edibles, topicals, vaporizers and accessories.” 1871 Old Country Rd, Riverhead. 

Did we miss any? Leave a comment with a new one.

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Leafly Buzz: 12 top weed strains of November

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Let’s put a punishing election month behind us and get back in that joyful warrior pose. 

Leafly Buzz—our hit West Coast fire flower roundup is back for Turkey Day and the holiday season. We’re talking rip-rorious, indoorious beasts. Plus, some truly stunning sungrown.

Here’s what we’d bring to a fancy feast all winter long. 

Here’s Leafly Buzz for November 2024.

Data grinder

Here’s the highlights of the West Coast’s monthly change in traffic to the strains in our 5,000 strain database (Sasha Beck/Leafly)
Which strains are on the move in Leafly’s 9,000-strain database? (Sasha Beck/Leafly)

We broke out our calculators, plugged into the Leafly strain database, and ran a scan for zaza. Here’s what the stats tell us.

Durban Poison

Durban Poison from Whitethorn Valley Farm - via Farm Cut (David Downs/Leafly)
Durban Poison from Whitethorn Valley Farm – via Farm Cut (David Downs/Leafly)

Short, cold, wet days got you down? Some Durban and coffee will help you get the house ready for visitors. The classic sativa comes in flower, vape, and sometimes single-source edible format. We could all use a pick-me-up. Durban moved into the No. 12 spot from 16 across the Western US.

Glitter Bomb

Compound Genetics Glitter Bomb. Indica hybrid. (David Downs/Leafly)
Compound Genetics Glitter Bomb. Indica hybrid. (David Downs/Leafly)

We said that the strain Glitter Bomb would blow up in 2024 and yeah, it’s at No. 30, up from 33rd in October. Glitter Bomb is among the blingiest tree from breeder Compound Genetics. This relaxing herb has a loud, grape-fuel taste. It’s a cross of Grape Gas #10 to OGKB Blueberry Headband.

Piescream

This is that ‘impress your hometown friends’ weed. Piescream’s a mix of Wedding Pie x (Gelato #33 x Cherry Limeade F5) for a candied cherry lime pastry dessert flavor. Piescream has been organically climbing the charts for the past two years. It’s now a top 500 strain on the West Coast and one of our favorite Thanksgiving smokes. We just saw a phenomenal cut of it from Sense cannabis in SF. Piescream also won six medals at the California State Fair Cannabis Awards 2024. You can’t have Thanksgiving without Piescream.

Dante’s Inferno

Dante’s Inferno is peak Instagram weed. (Courtesy Freddy’s Fuego)
Dante’s Inferno is peak Instagram weed. (Courtesy Freddy’s Fuego)

Oreoz x Devil Driver is the Budtenders’ Choice of Maine 2024 and it has cracked the top 100 across the western US, landing at 84; for when you need that crazy bag appeal, crazy potency, with a dessert and melon note.

Other chart news:

Related

American budtenders’ best strains of 2024

New in the Leafly strain database

Leafly adds or fixes 1,000 strains in its database each year. Here’s some of the new-new. (Sasha Beck/Leafly)
Leafly adds or fixes 1,000 strains in its database each year. Here’s some of the new-new. (Sasha Beck/Leafly)

Tropical Juice Box

Award-winning Southern California indoor growers Team Elite Genetics has come out of their lab with a grip of new crosses. Smoking up quick at our house—Tropical Juice Box, a cross of Orange Juice and Pearadise #4. Expect a delicious, tropical fruit smoothie layered with flavors of citrus, sugar, mangos, & pear.  A nice, mood-enhancing sativa high also includes mellow vibes and body relaxation.

Dulce Con Gas

Fresh in the Leafly database, the Terphogz seeds catalog—popularizers of the Original Z. Notable this month—their new collaboration with Kounter Kulture—Dulce Con Gas. It’s a savvy mix of Lemon Cherry Gelato x Crop Duster and the packs run a stiff $300. LCG remains a top 5 national best-seller, and Crop Duster is a reported Daily Driver x Chem D cross that’s extra-pungent. Take 10% off with code LEAFLY (Leafly gets an affiliate fee for purchases). 

Detroit Diamonds

Compound Genetics releases 26 new crosses to its hit, blingy weed Eye Candy. We’re eying Detroit Diamonds for a strain that drills down into pure aesthetics. Detroit Diamonds is (Pure Michigan x Baby Shark) crossed with Eye Candy and should be a killer.

Sour Peaches

Sour Peaches is yielding some of the best hash the folks at Purple City Genetics are smoking this winter. It’s a cross of their hit hash dumper Moroccan Peaches and the classic New York strains AJ’s Sour Diesel. Sour Peaches grows into huge plants with a 6 to 7% hash yield—so keep an eye out for it. It should hit hybrid and strong with a sour caramelized sour peach note. 

Picks of the dispensaries

New on shelves

Mandarin Cherry Tree by Sticky Fields

Impress your sesh with arguably the most lip-smacking strain around—Mandarin Cherry Tree grown by industry icon Sticky Fields, Mendocino County, CA, and sold by Solful across Northern California. It’s a Mandarin Tart crossed to a volunteer Sticky Fields calls Cherry Tree, with thick mandarin, cherry, and lavender notes. The rare linalool-dominant strain comes hand-picked from the full-sun run at 26% THC. Limited batches.

Burning up the charts

Nova Cane by Team Elite Genetics

Need to get comfortably numb? This Novacane strain from more-than-living soil growers Team Elite Genetics in California went fast at our house in November. It’s Squirt x Kush x Grandma’s Cookies, bred by T.E.G, with a smell like blue raspberry sour gummies and a 50-50 hybrid effect on mind and body. A three-time Cannabis Cup-winner.

(Sasha Beck/Leafly)
(Sasha Beck/Leafly)

Best-sellers

Ballin out

Empanadas Diez by A Golden State

Empanadas Diez. (David Downs/Leafly)

A Golden State grows large-scale indoor buds up in Shasta County, CA. Leading off their holiday lineup is Empanadas Diez—a Purple Churro x Cinnamon Horchata cross. When you want to chill after dinner and pre-game for dessert, hit this dessert strain with notes of banana bread, elote, berries & cream.

Ballin’ on a budget

Sour Diesel by Alpenglow

Plenty of great Sour Diesels have come in with the harvest. But the standout is a Sour Diesel Bx4 bred by Garden of Grease Seeds in Oregon, and organically grown by Alpenglow as outdoor, living-soil, full-term. Half-ounces of it sell out the door at Solful for $100, making it a killer, best-selling, budget option that won’t stick around. Just make sure you have the right mindset and place for taking it. It’s 31% THC. “It’s freaking strong, you got to be careful. It’s just zippy.”

High Note

(Sasha Beck/Leafly)
We end with something fuerte. (Sasha Beck/Leafly)

Storz and Bickel Venty

two black handheld vaporizers standing vertically on a white table. the vaporizer on the left shows a temperature reading of 180 degrees and an orange "up" and "down" arrow
The name “Venty” references the 20 liters of air per minute this pocket Volcano can heat. ‘Venti’ is Italian for 20. And it’s got vents. Get it.
(Courtesy of Storz & Bickel)

Get your flu and COVID shots, even if you’re strong like bull. You can save yourself a secondary infection, and a second week in bed. If you already got bit by this year’s bug, consider giving your sinuses and lungs a smoke break with a flower vape. Flower vapes heat, instead of burn bud for the same effects. The makers of the famed Volcano vaporizer have a new, portable ripper called the Venty. You can pack it thick and full, it heats up in seconds and it rips pretty substantial clouds with big effects. The battery life is outsized as well. Another medical-grade best-seller from German leaders Storz and Bickel.


OK—that’s Leafly Buzz for November 2024, full of trees we’d personally pack during our ‘cousin’s walk’ before dinner. You bring the breath mints.


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 strains and branded flower of the US West. Reporting includes:

  • review samples
  • dispensary shopping
  • grow visits
  • events
  • Leafly search data
  • staff and reader tips, and more

Read back issues of Leafly Buzz

‘We’re copywritten, so don’t copy us’

Growers, breeders, brands, stores—got buzz for Leafly? We’re all ears. Email us at david.downs@leafly.com



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12 best cannabis strains of harvest 2024

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It’s time to roll up the thickest joints, pack the biggest party bowls, and charge the Puffco for oversized dabs.

Millions of weed lovers nationwide have record amounts of flavors and pounds to smoke through this fall and winter. Bright, hot sun and no wildfires mean the full-sun outdoor weed crop in America’s Emerald Triangle simply killed it this year. Drying rooms have overflowed into guest bedrooms, growers report, and the flavors have never been more advanced.

“It’s been a great season. Everyone is bringing their A-game,” said Mia Moore, retail sales director for Redwood Roots—an Emerald Triangle brand packager and distributor.

“Everything honestly looks fucking amazing. It was a wonderful year!!!” said owner and farmer Mary Polson at Seed 707. “I’m stoked about everything. I can’t wait to smoke it.”

How does Leafly pick just a dozen exemplars? We smoke hundreds of strains, walk the fields, and talk to farmers. We ask the cloners that stocked the fields in spring, and the buyers vetting all the pounds to pick out gems this fall. We survey the biggest, best, most influential growers, and probably spend too long liking bud photos on Instagram.

Here are 12 top cannabis strains of Harvest 2024.

Related

How to order weed delivery online with Leafly

Stone cold classic

Blue Dream

(David Downs/Leafly)
(David Downs/Leafly)

Just in time for an anxious fall, the anti-anxiety hybrid Blue Dream is back on top out west.

This 1990s Santa Cruz, CA strain goes through waves of peak interest and decline. In 2024, it rides a tide of nostalgia sweeping through the stoner nation.

“Blue Dream is back and better than ever. It’s flying off the shelf at 17% THC,” said Eli Melrod at California’s leading outdoor store Solful.

Farmer/retailer Marjo Lak at Humboldt Nation said “Blue Dream is huge. It just flies off the wall. Haze, too.”

Blue Dream is a model outdoor variety—withstanding the test of time and trends. A top outdoor strain has to work outdoors, and not just inside. It has to yield. It must withstand weather, stress, mold, and pests. It must dry and cure true without turning into hay. It has to trim up nicely and sparkle in the bag. That’s Blueberry x Haze.

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A whole host of nostalgia strains are coming in strong this year. See also: Acapulco Gold, Panama Haze, Green Crack, or Maui Wowie.

Undisputed crowd favorite

LCG Fritter 

Lit Farms LCG Fritter grown by Honeydew Farms (Photo courtesy Honeydew Farms)
Lit Farms LCG Fritter grown by Honeydew Farms (Photo courtesy Honeydew Farms)

Farmers again over-grew Lemon Cherry Gelato and bulk prices will be brutal, growers say. Northern California remains awash in this type of Gelato #33. Why? LCG has become the Taylor Swift of trees. So-called ‘candy-gas’ tasting dessert strains are the dominant genre in the market. LCG typifies what customers craze. It’s got that loud creamy berry smell, pretty look, and stress-killing indica hybrid effects. This year, large-scale outdoor farmer Honeydew touts its cross of LCG to Apple Fritter—LCG Fritter—which should add some tart, pastry notes to the LCG. So many LCGs and friends await your grinder. See also: Miracle Candy, Jelly Donutz

Modern crusher

Governmint Oasis

Governmint Oasis bred  by Purple City Genetics. (Courtesy PCG)
Governmint Oasis bred by Purple City Genetics. (Courtesy PCG)

GMO Cookies x Gush Mints aka Governmint Oasis has hit big yet again this year, said the leading clone provider Purple City Genetics of Oakland, CA.

“Governmint Oasis continues to crush for people. Just inundated with pictures of huge plants.”

Auryn, Purple City Genetics

Both the GMO and Gush Mints set records for fatness in the fields, and combined with the perfect weather this season—expect a crazy, gorgeous, bumper crop of this potent, versatile hybrid to drive prices through the floor. Berkeley Patients Group advertises 3.5 grams for $7—that’s $7, not $70. 

Perfect for before a big meal—Governmint Oasis leaves folks tingly, hungry, and relaxed.

New zaza

Ridgelion 

Ridgelion. (Photo by Ginja Club, courtesy Ridgeline Farms)
Ridgelion. (Photo by Ginja Club, courtesy Ridgeline Farms)

One of California’s most award-winning outdoor growers Ridgeline Farms is excited to debut this new cross of Ridgeline Lantz to Cookies’ top cat Cheetah Piss. 

Ridgelion came out next-level beautiful,” said Ridgeline’s Jason Gellman.

Lantz is Runtz crossed to Ridgeline’s proprietary Green Lantern. Cheetah Piss is Lemonnade, Gelato, and London Poundcake.

Ridgeline leads the way with a slew of Lantz crosses, including the superb Blackberry Caviar (Grape Gas x LANTZ); and Blueberry Caviar for Woody Harrelson’s LA lounge, which specializes in outdoor.

Top hasher

Honey Banana

Hash rules more and more of the flower market these days, and as much as half of all cannabis flowers get frozen instead of dried. Leading the pack of hashers are strains like Papaya, Wilson, as well as Honey Banana. Though it’s this old cross of Strawberry Banana and Honey Boo-Boo from this old-school brand Elemental Seeds. Many breeders now work with it. Hit or miss as dried flower, Honey Banana shines as live rosin with a pronounced honeyed banana smell and taste. It’s considered a good ‘washer’—meaning the flower yields upwards of 5% hash when agitated by ice water and seized through a fine screen.

“It did great outside,” said Harry at hashmaker Errl Hill. “It’s becoming a standard—everyone kind of got that one. If it doesn’t yield, people won’t wash it over and over, year after year.”

Sour waves

Double OG Sour 

(Courtesy Rebel Grown)

Maybe it’s the bitter election. Maybe it’s New York’s ‘sour’ influence making itself known. Maybe we all just want to feel something again. Either way—2024 has been a banner year for Sour Diesel-related weed. Our pick goes to Rebel Grown seed’s Double OG Sour. It bested the competition in California to win 1st place at the Emerald Cup 2024. Double OG Sour grew well outside on both coasts—built off the time-tested genetics of OG Kush and Sour Diesel. It’s (OG Kush X (OG x Sour) F5). It’s green, pungent bud with lemon, pine, fuel, and sour notes; and zingy hybrid effects.  There are so many good sours to get at this year. 

See also: Booney Acres’ Sour Bears (Symbiotic Genetics’ Kombucha #6 x Sour Diesel BX3), Sour Trop x Lime Sour (from CHA Genetics), PCG Sour Peaches (AJ’s Sour x Moroccan Peaches), and classic Headband.

A Z to beat

4 Z’s

4 Z’s bred and grown by Lempire Farmaseed. (David Downs/Leafly)

The tropical taffy candy-smelling and lip-smacking strain Original Z offers some of the best indoor tree around. But it can be tricky outdoors, where one must harvest it early to avoid mold in the spongy bud. Medical marijuana-era brand Lempire Farmaseed has persisted into the recreational age with their standout 4 Z’s. It’s this killer cross of Dirty Z x ZOZ back-crossed to the Dirty Z. See? Four “Z”s. Easy. That’s the kind of intense Z work that pushes the culture forward.

Lempire’s Wes tells Leafly: “The selection we bred is brighter, faster, and highly resistant to pests and mold. The terps lean heavily towards the Original Z but retain the neon chunk of the Lem OG, and finishes in an amazing 40-45 days. Lab results hit high in THC and shops love the 4 Z’s.”

4 Z’s stood out among the crowd at Hall of Flowers in Santa Rosa, CA in September, and it’s so heartening to see a true legendary grower/breeder on fully legal shelves.

Rose’s moment

Whitethorn Rose and crosses 

Huckleberry Hill Farms’ award-winning, floral-smelling, and tasty sativa hybrid Whitethorn Rose is the belle of the harvest ball this year. After breaking out over a series of Emerald Cup wins, Whitethorn Rose has made its way into many gardens and the first crosses of it are starting to hit as well. Whitethorn Rose is a selection from a cross of Paradise Punch x Lemon OG but it smells completely different than a punch or an OG. It’s got this floral, rose, funk with a sweet terpinolene back. Sick of the LCG ‘candy-gas’ dominance in weed, seek out this increasingly popular strain, as well as all its new crosses. See also: Ridgeline Rose (Whitethorn Rose x Lantz); Country Rose (Whitethorn Rose x Canna Country 38).

New and influential

Pineapple Mojito

Weed diversity improves even more this season with the new Pineapple Mojito from California State Fair award-winning Higher Heights in Mendocino, CA. Both the grower Nate and buyers like Eli Melrod at Solful are psyched about this loud, modern pineapple and mint weed. Higher Heights has been laser-focused on breeding unique stuff through his Broze line, into his Carambola, and now the Pineapple Mojito. Unpack the world-class selection going on here. Pineapple Mojito is Carambola x Lemon Limez from Enzo the 420 Nomad. Lemon Limez is (Sour Diesel x Biker Kush) x Key Lime Pie. Carambola is (Sunburn x Green Tea) x Brozé with a crazy-loud citrus/incense/myrrh/gas smell. Nate always selects for terpy loudness and feel-good effects, and his unique work commands 3 to 4 times the going rate for outdoor in 2024.

Savory counter-point

Ooh Mami

Savory weed like GMO Cookies has a special, stanky place in our hearts. This year’s savory to search for comes from Phinest—one of California’s biggest cloners out in Sacramento. Originally dubbed “Gravy” by its creator Cannarado of Colorado. Phinest renamed it Ooh Mami to help it sell better. Ooh Mami mixes Lemon G, OG Kush Breath, and Sour Kush smells “exactly like a bowl of warm turkey gravy” with a sour lemon finish. Super-weird. It washes great for rosin and carts. Ian at Phinest describes it as “a 3-day pho broth with shameless amounts of hoisin sauce added in. Big yielder, beautiful giant sun worshiping monsters.” Ooh Mami—Daddy like.

One of a kind terp

Strawberry Pop

Strawberry Pop. Grown by Talking Trees. (David Downs/Leafly)

Ready for a different candy strain? Check out Talking Trees’ Strawberry Pop—a selection of Red Runtz bred by Washington breeder Exotic Genetix. Exotic Genetix Mike crossed Red Pop into Runtz, but we didn’t get any of the Runtz, rather a record amount of the strawberry soda pop flavor—a refreshing surprise. One hit and we’re back in Kansas City, MO sipping on a tooth-crackingly sweet strawberry soda to wash down some barbecue. Love it. “We just harvested our 2nd round and it’s more fire than the first,” said Talking Trees’ Matt Weston. See also: Booney Acres’ Redvine (Tractor Fuel #14 x Strawberry Meltshake #24).

Best effect

Canna Country 26

Canna Country #26. (David Downs/Leafly)

The best herb comes down to the effect, and one standout from 2024 will always be the proprietary Canna Country #26 from Canna Country. Why? It has such a great color and smell and the effect beats about 90% of the weed out there. Canna Country says “She is So cool,” and describes the high as “Texturing perception,” with a “hug from grandma” high. Facts. Canna Country 26 grows into gorgeous, purple, outdoor weed that reminds us of old-school Afgooey, and Jah Goo. You can smoke it from breakfast till dinner, and it’ll always feel right, and never make you anxious or edgy like many other modern maximum-THC strains will. Canna Country 26 is Forbidden Fruit crossed to the breeder’s proprietary Cherimoya.

And that’s a swing through some of the best and brightest trees from the fields this harvest season. The pace of innovation keeps accelerating, so we’re bound to leave something out when we have to settle on just 12 out of the hundreds or thousands of strains out there. Did we miss a bona fide champion? Make your reader’s choice below.


Reader’s choice: Pick a top strain of the 2024 harvest

What strain crushed it outside for you? We’ll add a 13th strain based on reader responses to make it a cool baker’s dozen harvest strains.



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