cannabis strains

Between Girl Scout Cookies and Lemon Haze, Bubble Gum and Northern Lights: The selection of cannabis strains in today's world is huge. And when we say huge, we mean it. Countless strains, each with its own phenotype, and it feels like new ones are being added every day, because today's world is starting to legalize cannabis and in many countries like Spain, Holland and some US states there are highly ambitious breeders who are constantly creating new, potent crosses. And then there are those delicious names... Who could resist Honey Cream, Blue Cheese and Rainbow Sherbet? We certainly couldn't. Whether for home growing or as a basis for your next trip to Amsterdam: it doesn't hurt to know a little bit about the cannabis varieties of this world. So go ahead!

Cannabis subspecies: Indica, Sativa and Ruderalis

No matter what strain, it can always be classified as either Indica, Sativa or Ruderalis. Most of you will probably be more familiar with Indica and Sativa – Indica is considered a sleep aid and Sativa is a stimulant – and may have never heard of Ruderalis. This is because Ruderalis genetics have only experienced a boom in recent years, as breeders find that they can cross these genetics with Sativa or Indica and thus autoflowering cannabis strains were able to create: the automatics, autoflowers, or in short: autos. Ruderalis is not as potent when it comes to taste or effect, but crossed with more potent sativas and indicas you can create fascinating new varieties that are ready to harvest within a few weeks. Many of the traditional and well-known sativas and indicas are now also available as automatics: White Widow Auto, Northern Lights Auto, Granddaddy Purple Auto, etc.

By the way, did you know that …

... the popular belief that "sativas energize, indicas sedate" is just that - an opinion? This can be useful as a guideline for the effects of most cannabis strains, but it does not apply across the board. As an example, we can take Amnesia Haze (a relaxing sativa) or Trainwreck (a more energizing indica).

How many types of cannabis are there?

The simple answer is many. No one can answer this question with any certainty, as the list is growing faster than ever before, but it is safe to assume that there are currently around 7000-10000 different cannabis varieties. However, a precise calculation also raises the question: Do further developments of individual varieties count as a separate variety? Or not? And what about the phenotypes of a single variety? Depending on which mother plant you get seeds from, it is quite possible that different grows of the same cannabis variety will result in plants that are similar but also have significant differences. So you see, it is not that easy to determine the exact number of varieties. However, there are a few that definitely have to be mentioned in an article about the different strains. These include...

Cali Weed: Strains

Cali Weed is actually not a separate cannabis strain. It is an umbrella term for many different varieties that originally come from California or were bred there. The reason why they have earned their own name and are almost seen as a separate variety is that they are considered to be particularly potent and genetically high quality. This is partly due to the ideal weather conditions there, which are simply perfect for growing weed. Lots of sun, always. The famous and popular Cali weed varieties include:

• OG Kush: A sativa-indica hybrid that produces euphoric, refreshing and sometimes relaxing effects. Tastes of earth and citrus. 
• Girl Scout Cookies (GSC): Mutti of many other varieties, tastes like cake and ensures a lot of relaxation on the sofa. But it is a hybrid!
• zkittlez: Tastes like its name and is known for its relaxing effect.
• Lemon Haze: Another classic, it spreads strong citrus aromas and its sativa dominance allows for a lot of creativity.

All these varieties are also known for their high THC content of at least 20%, popular and sometimes feared. If you are not that experienced, you should take it a little slower with these cannabis varieties and test the waters with 3 slow hits. For these 3 slow hits, we can use our Vaporizer recommend!

Old cannabis strains

Old cannabis strains are not really a class of their own. Rather, this term is used to make a distinction between the "newly" bred, modern strains and a handful of "old" strains that form the basis for all of today's strains. These include, for example, very classic, popular strains such as Haze and Afghani, but also those known as "Old Amsterdam": Skunk, Amnesia Haze, White Widow and a few more. If you look at the parents of various strains, you will often notice that strains such as GSC, NL (Northern Lights), Blueberry, Kush or Skunk form the basis and have been combined with other genetics to create new strains. Cookies Gelato, for example, combines two of the largest strains in the world: GSC and Gelato. Or Wedding Cake: a combination of GSC, crossed with Cherry Pie.

But if you are looking for a list of oldest cannabis strains you are looking for, here it comes:

Ooooh, is that purple? Cannabis strains with a kick of color

Again and again you see hemp varieties that take on distinct purple or pink colors as soon as they are in the Flowering stage Not only does this look nice, but it also clearly indicates various factors. Firstly, it could be that your loved one has become too cold.

Temperatures that are too low can cause the flowers and leaves of some varieties to take on a dark purple color. But that doesn't necessarily mean that there is something wrong with your plant - if it's a robust variety, it will cope well with the temperature. At the end of the day, cannabis is and will remain a weed - it will grow and thrive under any circumstances. But there are also types of cannabis that are always purple in color - most of them can be recognized by their name: Purple Haze, Granddaddy Purple, Pink Mist, Pink Runtz... you get it.

This purple color is due to a very specific active ingredient that the plant produces, namely anthocyanin: a plant substance that is also found in other purple fruits and berries. It is an antioxidant and gives everything it grows in a deep purple color. In addition, cannabis varieties that can produce this substance always have a berry aroma. Otherwise, you can purple cannabis strains However, neither a stimulating nor a relaxing effect can be said, because the production of anthocyanins works completely independently of whether it is a sativa or indica, or which terpenes and cannabinoids are still present in the plant.

And your favorite cannabis strain?

Over time, most people find a strain that they prefer. Either by chance or through targeted testing. Finding the right cannabis strain(s) for yourself is definitely an adventure that is full of joy, but one that you should also take some time for - and often it changes again after a few months and you suddenly have a new favorite strain. And that's completely fine, after all, you don't need the same thing in every phase of your life... Which cannabis strain is right for you?