THE STRAINS ISSUE
GSC A balanced hybrid boasting a long-lasting high, GSC, formerly known as Girl Scout Cookies, is parent to a wide swath of popular pot strains. The unique flavors of vanilla and mint cookie dough, plus a light lavender scent, are passed onto the offspring resulting in many beloved crosses.
GELATO Gelato #33 a.k.a. Larry Bird, is a Bay Area Cookies/Sherbinski staple named for its sweet and creamy scent and flavor. This strain is relaxing yet uplifting, and those effects along with the bright orange hairs and unique frosty purple tint make it perfect for breeding new berry-flavored varieties with euphoric qualities.
L INE AGE / OG KUSH X DURBAN POISON F 1 DOMINANT TE RPE NE S / CARYOPHYL L E NE , MYRCE NE , LI MO N EN E PARE NT OF / SHE RBE RT, GMO COOKIE S, ORANGE COO K I ES , D O - S I - D O S , B I RT H DAY CAK E, O R EO Z, GRE ASE MONKE Y, THIN MINT COOKIE S, PL ATINUM COO K I ES
L I N E A G E / S U N S E T S HERBET X THI N M I NT C OOKIES D O M I N A N T T E R P E N E S / C A RYOP HYLLENE, LIM ONENE, HUM ULENE PA R E N T O F / R U N T Z , BISC OTTI
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ZKITTLEZ
MODERN BREEDING STRAINS
Bred by 3rd Gen Family, Zkittlez burst onto the scene with a tropical punch of lemon, grapefruit and ice-creamesque bouquet. Anecdotal evidence shows the indica-dominant effects help treat PTSD and depression. As a forerunner of the Runtz line, Zkittlez’ legacy as a wellspring of wonderful weed is undoubted. LI N EAG E / ( G R APEFR U I T X G R APE APE) X MY S T ERY MALE D O MI N AN T T ER PEN ES / CARY O PH Y LLEN E, LI N ALO O L, H U MU LEN E PAR EN T O F / R U N T Z, W H I T E R U N T Z, MELO N AD E
leafmagazines.com
Cannabis breeding started thousands of years ago in Central Asia when seeds from the best plants were chosen every harvest year after year. The resulting plants spread throughout the world via human migration and eventually acclimated to different altitudes and environments. These became the original landrace Afghan, Indian, Southeast Asian, African and South American varieties used for flower and hash production over millennia.
IN THE U.S., crackdowns on imports of marijuana spurred aspiring farmers back home to plant their own seeds. Hippie travelers collected magic heirloom beans to bring home and used those plants, as well as various bagseeds, to create the original building blocks of the modern Cannabis gene pool including Skunk, Northern Lights and Haze. Further law enforcement operations forced a few enterprising bud breeders to the relative safety of Amsterdam, where the first seed companies were born in the 1980s using just a few distinct bedrock strains to create the hybrids that fueled the indoor growing revolution. The descendants of those strains became the building blocks of our present day poly-hybrids, but an ever-more-sophisticated clientele of connoisseurs, aficionados and medical patients demanded new and improved terpene profiles, flavor palates and potency levels. These days, a new breed of genetic material is being utilized to create flavorful strains for discerning palates and a marketplace constantly chasing the new heat. Whether gassy or fruity, the breeders of today are taking things to the extreme – making new and improved varieties using the following modern breeding strains.
MAR. 2022
DO-SI-DOS This amazing indica-leaning strain from Archive Seed Bank has a calming effect and provides pain relief for people with migraines and nausea. Cannabis expert TH Caeczar describes the singular scent as “freshly baked lemon curd and mint pastry aroma with shortbread cookie undertones.” Do-Si-Dos and her descendents tend to pair well with a couch or bed. L INE AGE / OGKB CUT OF GSC X FACE OF F OG BX1 DOMINANT TE RPE NE S / L IMONE NE , CARYOPHYL L E NE , LI N ALO O L PARE NT OF / DOL ATO, PE ANUT BUTTE R BRE ATH, DOSI S H ER B ET, W H OA- S I - W H OAS
GG4 Bred by the late great Josie Wales of GG Strains, the awardwinning GG4 (formerly known as Gorilla Glue #4) tests at an astonishing 30% THC! The earthy and piney buds announce themselves with a pungent and tangy smell that fills the entire room. A few puffs of these greasy nuggets is perfect for light sleepers and insomniacs seeking a full night’s sleep. L INE AGE / ( SOUR DU B B X CH EM S I S ) X CH O CO LAT E D I ES EL DOMINANT TE RPE NE S / CARY O PH Y LLEN E, MY R CEN E, LI MO N EN E PARE NT OF / ZOOKIE S , G R EAS E MO N K EY
STORY by DAN VINKOVETSKY @DANNYDANKOHT/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by JUSTIN MCIVOR #JUSTINCANNABIS
