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The 10 Most Popular Marijuana Strains to Start 2018

As we march into 2018, here’s a look at the most popular marijuana strains on the  market.

In the U.S. marijuana is now legal in eight states for recreational use, and dozens for medical purposes. Using data collected by Leafly, below is a list of the top 10 most popular marijuana strains for the start of 2018.

Anyone who has consumed cannabis for any amount of time will likely find Blue Dream’s placement on this list unsurprising (especially those in states with legal marijuana stores). This sativa-dominant strain has remained one of the most popular for years, and is a mainstay in almost all marijuana stores and dispensaries. The popularity of this strain – a cross between the indica-dominant Blueberry strain and the sativa-dominant Haze strain – is well earned, with it’s smooth, uplifting high, and it’s delicious blueberry-tinged taste and smell.

Sour Diesel is another long-term mainstay of the cannabis world. With Super Skunk and Chemdawg lineage, this strain is best known for its strong diesel-like smell, and potent, energetic high.

This hybrid – a cross between OG Kush and Durban Poison – has bursted onto the scene in recent years. With it’s excellent taste and smell, and its powerful high, this relative newcomer has quickly become more popular than legendary strains like OG Kush and White Widow.

Despite an unfortunate name Green Crack is a growingly popular and respected strain. It has an extremely energetic high and powerful body buzz, and its sweet, ofttimes citrusy flavor and smell make it stand out from the crowd.

OG Kush is known the world around. The classic combo of Hindu Kush and Chemdawg has an earthy and piney flavor, and has one of the most sought after marijuana strains for years.

As far as indica-dominant strains go, Granddaddy Purple is one of the most vaunted. An excellent mix of Big Bud and Purple Urkle, this strain has a sweet, often berry-like flavor. Most people know this strain for its dense, kiefy nuggets.

Jack Herer – named after the legendary activist and author – is a sativa-dominant cross between Northern Lights and Shiva Skunk. It has a piney smell and flavor with a backdrop of citrus, and a smooth, even high.

White Widow’s popularity is due to its energetic, uplifting and powerful high; its uniquely earthy flavor and smell also help it stand out. This strain is a mix between South American Sativa and South Indian Indica.

Gorilla Glue #4 has shot into prominence over the past few years. It won the 2014 Los Angeles and Michigan Cannabis Cups, as well as the High Times Jamaican Cannabis World Cup. Given its status as a balanced and tasty hybrid, it’s likely to remain popular for years to come.

Bubba Kush is a powerful indica-dominant strain that has remained popular for years, and doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.

Top 10 Marijuana Strains So Far in 2017

Here’s a look at the 10 most popular marijuana strains so far in 2017.

Marijuana StrainsMarijuana is now legal in eight states, with medical marijuana legal in many more. This increase in legal access to marijuana hasn’t prevented some of the top marijuana strains over the past couple decades from retaining their popularity; legendary strains like OG Kush and Jack Herer remain some of the most popular around. However, relatively new strains like Girl Scout Cookies and Green Crack have also become consistently popular options.

Using data compiled by Leafly, below are the top 10 most popular marijuana strains so far this year:

Blue Dream, a sativa-dominant hybrid, is well deserving of its massive popularity. The brilliant cross between the indica-dominant Blueberry strain and the sativa-dominant Haze strain has a smooth, even high that buzzes through the body. The taste and smell is that of sweet blueberry, with hints of pine and citrus.

For many cannabis consumers when they think of a good sativa, they think of Sour Diesel. The popular strain, which has Super Skunk and Chemdawg lineage, is known for its strong, diesel-like smell. The high is energetic and uplifting, which makes it great for daytime use and wake-and-bake sessions.

This cross between OG Kush and Durban Poison is known for its sweet smell. It’s also known for its excellent taste and uplifting high. This hybrid tends to be high in THC, and has been the recipient of numerous cannabis cup contests over the past few years.

green crackDespite an unfortunate name that doesn’t do the cannabis movement any justice, Green Crack is an extremely popular and well-loved strain. In fact, it’s widely considered one of the most energetic sativa strains available, and with sativas all the rage in recent years, its popularity is unsurprising. It has a sweet, ofttimes citrusy flavor and smell.

OG Kush, with its earthy and often piney flavor, is known the world around. The classic combo of Hindu Kush and Chemdawg is aone of the most sought after marijuana strains, which has been the case for many years. Few strains have a status as legendary as OG Kush.

For those who like indica-dominant marijuana strains, it doesn’t get much better than Granddaddy Purple. A brilliant mix of Big Bud and Purple Urkle, this strain has a sweet, often berry-like flavor, and dense, kiefy nuggets.

White Widow is another one of those strains that nearly all cannabis consumers have heard. Its energetic, uplifting and powerful high is well known, as its uniquely Earthy flavor and smell. This strain is a mix between South American Sativa and South Indian Indica, with the results being an excellent hybrid.

jack hererJack Herer – named after the legendary activist and author – is a sativa-dominant cross between Northern Lights and Shiva Skunk that has a legendary reputation in its own right. It has a piney smell and flavor with a backdrop of citrus, and a smooth, even high.

Gorilla Glue #4 has shot into prominence over the past few years. It won the 2014 Los Angeles and Michigan Cannabis Cups, as well as the High Times Jamaican Cannabis World Cup. According to Leafly, this well-balanced hybrid; “delivers heavy-handed euphoria and also relaxation, leaving you feeling “glued” to the couch. Its chunky, resin and also kief covered buds fill the room with pungent earthy and sour aromas inherited from its parent strains, Chem’s Sister, Sour Dubb, and Chocolate Diesel.”

According to Leafly, “Bubba Kush is an indica strain that has gained notoriety in the U.S. and beyond for its heavy tranquilizing effects. Sweet hashish flavors with subtle notes of chocolate and coffee come through on the exhale, delighting the palate as powerful relaxation takes over. From head to toe, muscles ease with heaviness as dreamy euphoria blankets the mind, crushing stress while coercing happy moods. Bubba Kush exhibits a distinctive, bulky bud structure with hues that range from forest green to pale purple.”

Trump OG Marijuana Strain Overview

Trump OG is an excellent indica with a great smell, making its name quite ironic. And don’t worry, it doesn’t care what race you are.

trump og
Trump OG. (Photo: SC Labs)

Trump OG is an indica-dominant strain with an average THC percentage of around 20. It has a strong head and body high that makes it perfect for insomnia or those just trying to get some sleep; also perfect for relaxation sessions.

This strain is a mix between OG Kush and Presidential OG, and has an earthy smell with subtle hints of pine and citrus. The taste isn’t quite as pleasant, with the citrus and pine hues not really coming through, but it’s far from bad.

The top effects of the Trump OG marijuana strain are:

  • Relaxation
  • Increase in appetite
  • Potential sleepiness

Some of the top medical ailments it helps with are:

  • Pain
  • Headaches/Migraines
  • Insomnia
  • Lack of appetite
  • Stress and also
  • Anxiety

Where to find it

If you live in a state where cannabis is legal for medical and/or recreational purposes, you might want to check out Leafly’s strain finder. This feature can use your exact location to find the closet cannabis store or dispensary to you that is currently carrying the Trump OG marijuana strain; you can also look for a variety of other strains.

Click here for the strain finder.

Obama Kush Marijuana Strain Overview

With President Obama preparing to leave office, here’s a look at Obama Kush, the marijuana strain named in his honor.

obama kush

Obama Kush hit the cannabis scene several years ago, and has been a pleasant mainstay ever since. A cross between OG Kush and Afghani, Obama Kush is sweet in flavor and smell. It’s also referred to sometimes as President Kush or Presidential Kush. This is likely the name that will become more popular for it with Obama leaving office; though some will likely keep the name Obama Kush in honor of the soon-to-be former president.

Flavor and Smell

  • Sweet
  • Earthy
  • Grape-like

Top effects:

  • Relaxation
  • Happiness
  • Euphoria
  • Increased appetite and also
  • A strong head high

Some of the top medical ailments it helps with are:

  • Pain
  • Stress
  • Lack of appetite
  • Headaches and Migraines
  • Depression and also
  • Insomnia

Reviews:

At the time of publication this strain has 389 reviews on Leafly with an average score of 4.4 out of 5 (8.8 out of 10).

Where to find it

If you live in a state where cannabis is legal for medical and/or recreational purposes, we recommending using Leafly’s strain finder.

This feature can use your exact location to find the closet cannabis store or dispensary to you that is currently carrying the Obama Kush marijuana strain; you can also look for a variety of other strains.

Click here for the strain finder.

OG Kush Marijuana Strain Overview

OG Kush is one of the most well-known marijuana strains on the market. Here’s a look at why it’s reputation has been so high for so long.

og kushOG Kush, with its earthy and often piney flavor, is known the world around. The classic combo of Hindu Kush and Chemdawg is also one of the most sought after marijuana strains.

According to Leafly, the top effects of the OG Kush marijuana strain are:

  • Relaxed
  • Happy
  • Euphoric
  • Uplifted and also
  • Hungry

 

Medical properties:

OG Kush is well-loved among recreational cannabis consumers; but it’s also vaunted for its excellent medical properties. Its heavy and immediate head-high is excellent for a wide variety of conditions.

Some of the top medical ailments it helps with are:

  • Stress
  • Pain
  • Depression
  • Insomnia and also
  • Headaches

 

Growing information:

Although OG Kush isn’t incredibly difficult to grow, it’s also not one of the easiest. Below is some growing information specific to this strain:

      • Has a 56 day flowering window with a medium yield
      • Typically requires a dry outdoor climate to grow to its full potential and also..
      • Gets best results when not confined to pots

 

Where to find it

If you live in a state where cannabis is legal for medical and/or recreational purposes, we suggest you check out Leafly’s strain finder; this uses your location to find the closet cannabis store/dispensary to you that is currently carrying the OG Kush marijuana strain. Click here for the strain finder. You can click here for information on a different strain, Hindu Kush.

Girl Scout Cookies Marijuana Strain Overview

Girl Scout Cookies has quickly become one of, it not the most popular marijuana strains. Here’s a look at why.

Girl Scout Cookies Marijuana Strain
Girl Scout Cookies marijuana strain. (Photo: Medical Jane)

If you’re a cannabis consumer, you’ve likely heard of the Girl Scout Cookies marijuana strain; there’s also a good chance you’ve tried it. The cross between OG Kush and Durban Poison is known for its sweet smell. It’s also known for its excellent taste and uplifting high.

This hybrid marijuana strain tends to be high in THC, and has been the recipient of numerous cannabis cup contests.

According to Leafly, the top effects of the Girl Scout Cookies marijuana strain are:

  • Happy
  • Relaxed
  • Euphoric
  • Uplifted
  • Creative

 

The top medical ailments it helps with are:

  • Stress
  • Pain
  • Depression
  • Insomnia
  • Lack of appetite

 

Growing information:

  • 60 day flowering window with a typically low yield of 25 to 30 grams per plant
  • Prefers moderate amounts of fertilizer
  • Trains well as a multi-branched plant or with sea of green (SOG) operations

 

Where it can be found:

If you live in a state where cannabis is legal for medical and/or recreational purposes, we suggest you check out Leafly’s strain finder; this uses your location to find the closet cannabis store/dispensary to you that is currently carrying Girl Scout Cookies marijuana strain. This can be found by clicking here.

 

May not have a future in the legal marijuana industry – at least in name:

Recently Oregon officials banned the use of the name Girl Scout Cookies as a marijuana strain. They argued they it appealed to kids. Whether or not that’s true, it’s possible that other states will follow suit. If they don’t, it’s quite possible that it could become a copyright issue which could prevent its use. However, the solution is easy; simply rename it to something else. Or, as many have suggested, simply use its acronym GSC, which many already know and use.

Indica or Sativa: What’s the Difference?

What are the differences between indica and sativa marijuana strains?

(Photo: Leafscience.com)

When purchasing marijuana, you might notice that strains are separated into three types; sativa, indica and hybrid, which is a mix of the two. These different species have varying effects when consumed; they also grow slightly differently.

Indica Marijuana Strains

Indica strains tend to have a much stronger “head high” than sativas; this results in a relaxed experience that’s excellent for insomnia and pain relief. Most people find indicas a little too heavy to take during the day; at least if you plan to do much more than hang out at home and play video games (not necessarily a bad thing).

As a plant, indica marijuana strains tend to be shorter and wider than sativa plants, growing between 3.2 to 9.8 feet tall. Indica marijuana plants flower considerably faster than sativas, and are more easily influenced by an alternation of light cycles.

Below is a list of some of the most popular indica marijuana strains on the market:

  • Northern Lights

    Pineapple kush.
  • Pineapple Kush
  • ICE
  • OG Kush
  • Blue Mystic

 

Sativa Marijuana Strains

Sativa strains tend to be more popular than indica strains, especially among new consumers. They tend to have a much more energizer and uplifiting high; this makes it suitable for daytime use.

Although sativa strains aren’t as strong or “heavy” as indica strains, they still have vast medical value; they are particularly useful for anxiety, increasing appetite, reducing nausea and a large number of other things.

As a plant, sativa marijuana strains are taller and thinner than indica strains; in some cases they can reach up to 20 feet in length, though are more often somewhere between 8 and 12 feet.

Below is a list of some of the most popular sativa marijuana strains on the market:

  • Maui Waui

    Chocolope. (Photo: AllBud.com)
  • Chocolope
  • Laughing Buddha
  • Strawberry Cough
  • Amnesia Haze

 

Hybrid Marijuana Strains

Hybrid marijuana strains are a combination of sativa and indica. This may be a 50/50 split, or it may be more of an 80/20 split.

Below is a list of some of the most popular hybrid marijuana strains on the market:

  • Tahoe OG Kush

    Girl Scout Cookies.
  • Death Star
  • Mango Kush
  • Girl Scouts Cookies
  • Bruce Banner