What Would You Name Your Marijuana Strain?

What's In a Cannabis Name?

How Do They Name Marijuana Strains? from CannabisNet on Vimeo.

Northern Lights, Trainwreck, Blueberry, OG Kush… you have to admit, part of the fun of being a cannabis user is the crazy variety of strain names out there. Each of these strains not only have interesting names but they also have unique flavor profiles and medicinal benefits that set them apart from one another.

Some cannabis strains seem to have been pulled out of thin air, while many of them also have a story behind it. If you’ve ever been curious where certain popular strains got their name, read on below:

Girl Scout Cookies are a popular strain that’s been around for a long time. This strain was developed by no other than the famous Cookie Fam group of rappers and musicians hailing from San Francisco. That’s where it got its name - plus its sweet earthy aroma also reminds many of the scent of cookies.

Jack Herer was named after no other than its namesake, the famous marijuana activist who also wrote the book, “The Emperor Wears No Clothes”. This strain was developed in the Netherlands sometime back in the 1990’s and later on, Dutch pharmacies recognized its medicinal benefits and began to distribute it.

Bruce Banner is no other than The Incredible Hulk, Marvel’s famous comic book character who turns into a green giant when he gets angry. But we have a feeling that if he got a whiff of some of this stuff, anger would be the last thing on his mind. Bruce Banner was developed by the folks over at Delta9Labs, and this strain has made millions of users happy, euphoric, and creative.

Haze is a name of a group of strains named after the Haze Brothers who were famous in Santa Cruz during the 60’s. The Haze strains continued to evolve and it reached its peak during the 80’s when Nevil Schoenmakers took it to the Netherlands and started to cultivate it for seed. Today there are 4 distinct phenotypes hailing from the original haze strain: silver, gold, purple, and blue.

Skunk is one of the most widely grown strains in the world. This strain is considered to be a poly-hybrid; a mix of 2 Sativa landraces: Acapulco Gold and Colombian Gold together with an Afghani indica purebred. The legandary Skunk strain was originally developed in the 70’s by a group of growers in California known as Sacred Seeds. The group was headed by a man named Sam Skunkman - hence the name. During the 80’s, Skunkman took the strain to the Netherlands and sold some seeds using the name Cultivator’s Choice. The rest of the seeds was purchased by Nevil Schoenmakers who founded The Seed Bank and what we know today as the Sensi Seed Bank.

Kush strains are extremely popular, especially in California where it’s advertised almost everywhere even on billboards and t-shirts. It’s easy to say that this word is overused that many have forgotten, or simply aren’t aware, about the origins of Kush. Strains that have the name “Kush” were originally grown in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which stretches on for 800 kilometers near the Afghan-Pakistan border.

Sour Diesel is an East Coast rockstar strain. Lovingly also called Sour D, this strain gets its name because when it’s grown under the ideal conditions, its pungent smell is reminiscent of… diesel. This strain was developed in the early 1990’s and is believed to have descended from Chem Dawg, Northern Lights, and a Skunk phenotype. Sour Diesel dominated the cannabis scene in New York for almost a decade, and is now one of the most famous strains in the West Coast too.

AK-47 took its name from the Russian Kalashnikov rifle, because it made many feel a “one-hit wonder” effect. Today it’s one of the most famous strains in the world. AK-47 is the result of 4 regional landraces: Thai, Afghan, Colombian, and Mexican. Despite its sativa-dominant nature, the one-hit wonder effect is known to induce users into an intense mellow vibe and a great cerebral hit.

Lamb’s Bread is a legendary strain that many say was actually one of Bob Marley’s favorites. This is a top choice for anyone who wants to experience the closest thing to a Jamaican hit. It’s even been mentioned in many reggae songs. For Rastafarians, cannabis is “bread of the lamb”, synonymous to the gift from Jah, or holy bread of life.

G-13 , well, not many are sure about where this strain got its name. This could easily be one of those that were pulled out of thin air, unless you want to believe the lore surrounding it. There are many myths circulating the internet about the origins of the G-13, some of them even say that it was a legendary strain that resulted after the US government funded research on pot back in the 1970’s. What do you believe?

How Do Cannabis Strains Get Their Name?

Have some interesting stories behind your own favorite strains? Share with us in the comments below!