Best Marijuana Strains

Determining the best strains of all time is like trying to pick the best songs of all time. There’s an endless amount of factors, epic contenders, and at the end of the day, it all comes down to a matter of taste. However, like songs, certain varieties of flower undeniably shine above the rest. These strains, regardless of their current availability, have shaped the modern market and today’s popular products.

One of the most incredible things about cannabis is its unending versatility. Its ability to morph into a mind-bending amount of varieties is what makes this meditation on the best strains possible, yet it’s also what makes it difficult for strains to maintain their original high and integrity. Once a strain becomes popular, versions are hybridized and grown by a multitude of growers and brands, flooding the market with flower that may not even resemble the original cut.

Genetics get watered down over time and cross-bred into oblivion. As with NY Sour Diesel, which revolutionized the cannabis market in NYC in the late ’90s and early 2000s, great strains are ephemeral. While still popular, the Sour Diesel you’re picking up at your local dispensary doesn’t hold a candle to the original cut Manhattanites were paying $100 a gram for in 2007. However, not all legendary strains have faded over time. Many of those that made this list are alive and well and readily available.

To determine the best strains of all time as well as what makes a strain “great,” we spoke to some of the most knowledgeable experts in the weed industry and the growers behind the strains themselves.

What makes a strain great?

While there are numerous factors that contribute to a strain’s greatness, the defining characteristic of a great strain is the smell.

“It’s all about the terpene profile,” says Aaron of DNA Genetics, a weed legend responsible for some of the most famous strains — LA Confidential, Tangie, Holy Grail Kush just to name a few — and sought-after genetics in the world. “Flavonoids, terpenes, aroma, smell, taste. Those are the most important things to me right off the bat.” 

Chiah Rodriguez, the second-generation cultivator behind River Txai Farms, a Mendocino operation distributed by Arcanna Flowers, puts an equal emphasis on the flower’s smell transferring to the flavor of the smoke. When asked what makes a strain great, Rodriguez shared, “High terpenes and something that has a unique nose and kind of hits you in the face when you open the drawer.”

She continued, “Once we’re done growing a new strain, I like to roll it into a joint and do a dry hit — that to me is the most fun part. It’s important in this dry hit that you’re tasting what you’re smelling. If the flavor carries through when you smoke it, that’s indicative that you have something really good.”

In addition to a stellar terpene profile that carries into the smoking experience, a balanced cannabinoid profile is key as well. For Julia Jacobson, CEO of the Mendocino-based, environmentally-conscious brand Aster Farms, potency comes second to a great cannabinoid profile. “For me, it’s really not just about potency,” she said, “it’s about the actual balanced effect that I’m getting. And it’s about having a really deep high, as opposed to that kind of superficial thing that you get when something’s been juiced for potency. For us, it’s looking at the strains that are not only high in THC, but also have a really positive, kind of radiating effect, with terpenes that offer a more complex high.”

The final contributing factor that can make a strain great is its influence on the weed world at large. These strains rose to popularity because of their unique terpene profiles but went on to be cultural phenoms in their own right, helping to shape products and crosses we enjoy today.

Check out some of the best strains of all time — according to experts.

NYC Sour Diesel

With its astronomical price tag, cult following, and stellar terpene profile, NYC Sour Diesel revolutionized the NYC weed world when it exploded on the scene in the late ’90s. To discuss the importance of this strain, we went straight to the source and spoke to the man behind the legend, AJ Sour Diesel.

“The Sour Diesel was a bag seed that came from Chem Dawg in the mid-90s,” said AJ. “Some people, myself included, put it out there and made a lifestyle out of it … It just blew up and became a cultural icon.” He continued, “It was a specialty product because New York had a specialty market that allowed for that product to exist. It probably couldn’t have existed in many other places because there wouldn’t have been a market and opening in the market for something like that. It was a very expensive product compared to what else was around, and what was coming from Canada, California, and other places.”

Maui Wowie

Aside from being a personal favorite, Maui Wowie made the list of a number of our experts. With a piney, peppery profile and a high that’s equal parts uplifting and stress-neutralizing, it’s the perfect strain for daytime use.

When Aster Farms’ Julia Jacobson’s tolerance to NYC Sour Diesel was getting too high to properly benefit from its effects — which tends to happen when you smoke the same strain every day for 12 years — she turned to Maui Wowie for support.

As she elaborated, “Maui Wowie was my go-to to when I had to wean off the Sour because my tolerance was getting too high. Since I’ve been in California, I would say Aster Farms’ Maui OG is my newest everyday go-to because it has that radiant effect, allowing me to live my life and do all the things I want to do while still feeling high and getting the medicinal benefits I’m looking for.”

Tangie

Next up we have the breezy, tropical strain behind the recent surge in flower with an orange, citrusy nose. A cross between California Orange and a Skunk hybrid, Tangie has been a hugely popular strain in the past few years for its euphoric, uplifting high and tangerine dream profile.

To break down why Tangie is so special, who better than the man responsible for the strain itself — Aaron of DNA Genetics. “As the guy who pushed Tangie out into the world, I’m going to throw it on my list,” he said. “Though I don’t personally love Tangie, I love all the wow factors it has. I would say it checks every box in terms of factors that make a strain great.”

He continued, “There’s the aroma, the appearance, the flower structures, the concentrates that it makes. I mean, she brought orange back into the world. That orange flavor, that tangerine taste and smell; before this, it was lacking in the market, and wouldn’t have existed without her.”