History • Genetics • Flavor •
• Understand Your Taste • Expand Your Experience •
Explore the History
Perhaps no circumstance has impacted the history of cannabis in the United States more than the outright prohibition that took shape in the 1920s. The criminalization of marijuana gave rise to the black market; the black market necessitated a culture of secrecy common amongst smugglers, traffickers, and users, alike. This culture of secrecy shadowed many aspects of our cannabis legacy. None more so than the origin stories of the many wild species, landrace varieties and subsequent cross-bred heirloom strains that spread across the globe. In lue of a formalized scientific taxonomy for cataloguing the world’s cannabis genetics, “strain” names emerged as monikers to denote genetic lineage. At their essence, strain names embody the who, what, where & when, and typically reflect an individual's subjective experience. One toker’s Thai Stick was another's Vietnamese Landrace. One smoker's Acapulco Gold is another’s Columbian Gold. One midnight joker’s “Hydro” is another's “Crippy”. Therefore, any attempt to look back over the last 100 years of cannabis prohibition in an effort to identify the “genetics” of any particular cannabis varietal presents a challenge of weaving through a rich but equally ambiguous cultural narrative. Faced with this challenge, we’ve embraced the deep well of genetic “strain” names that have proven, over the last 40 years, to be most meaningful amongst cannabis insiders. Resulting in the House of Cultivar Family Tree. It is not meant to be a definitive or rigid telling. It is merely our perspective informed by our nearly 25 years having the great fortune to cultivate such a profound plant. While we recognize that our approach may invite debate, we encourage the dialogue and hope that the effort is appreciated by the oldest of heads and is educational to the newest of enthusiasts.
House of Cultivar Families
Gas Packs
“GAS” is arguably the most often used term to describe cannabis smell and flavor since the early 1990s. Strains with a “gaseous” terpene profile have come to dominate the world of breeding and consumption due to the searing impression left on the olfactory nerve and potent kick to the dome after your first exhale. Given the exhaustive, diverse and momentous varietals that are deserving to be included amongst the "Gas Pack", we've divided them into 5 sub-families: CHEM DIESEL, THE OGS, KUSH BERRIES, COOKIE DOUGH, & GLUE TRAP. Each sub-family references genetic lineage and/or shared flavors and taste. Each member of The Gas Pack tells a story that spans more than 40 years of genetic breeding.
Flavor Notes: Sour, Garlic, Effervescent, Pine, Roasted, Doughy, Burnt, Rubbery, Earthy, Blackberry
Strains Include: Chem 91, GMO, Florida Triangle Kush, The Last OG, Bubba Kush, La Confidential, GG#4, Grease Monkey, G.S.C., Gelato
Floral & Haze
Legend has it that the Original Haze was created in Santa Cruz, California in the 1970s by the Haze Brothers and Sam the Skunkman. It is believed that they first bred a Mexican Landrace with a Colombian Landrace. Select females from the initial crosses were then pollinated by Thai Landrace males. From those seeds the Original Haze was discovered. Since then, Haze has become the proud parent of countless hybrids around the globe, passing on its genetics from Colombia, Mexico, Thailand, and South India. Owing to their sativa dominant characteristics, haze strains typically require 10-12 week flowering cycles to reach full maturation. The smoking experience for many of these varietals can be described as high-energy, creative, and uplifting.
Flavor Notes: Spicy, Nutty, Floral, Anise, Sandelwood, Nutmeg, Hazelnut, Almond, Citrus
Strains Include: Pink Prosecco, Green Queen, Dread Bread, Durban Poison, Ghost Train Haze, African Haze, Pineapple Thai
Purps & Pie
Generations of cannabis enthusiasts can fondly remember the first time they laid eyes on a nug that presented the dynamic juxtaposition of a purple calyx, bright orange pistils, and covered in frosty white trichomes. Deep, dark, purple hues are still the most celebrated cannabis aesthetic and continues to influence consumers desires in regards to bag appeal.
Such beloved characteristics are believed to have descended from pure indica Afghani landrace varietals. Folklore further suggests that these Afghani cultivars proliferated throughout the Pacific Northwest, and Northern California before making their way to the Netherlands in the 1980s. Along the way these cultivars became more broadly known as "The Purps" and were regionally identified as names such as Mendocino Purps, UW Purple (aka UW Purp), Tacoma Purps, etc.
We draw our inspiration for the Purps & Pie family from the powerhouse of dank, purple, sweet, and tart strains that have emerged over the last 40 years of breeding.
Flavor Notes: Tart sweetness, Blackberry, Grape, Fig
Strains Include: Mendo Purps, Grape Ape, Granddaddy Purple, Cherry Pie, Purple Punch, Sugar Berry Scone
Fruit Trees
There are few plant species in the world that express the diversity of smells and flavors cannabis has to offer. While many less informed individuals think of cannabis as being singular in its skunk-y aroma, true enthusiasts have enjoyed an ever expanding array of bold, vivid flavors that have emerged in recent years.
The Fruit Trees family is less focused on a shared genetic lineage, but rather the commonality of fresh, creamy, fruit notes.
Flavor Notes: Fresh, Creamy, Strawberry, Pineapple, Banana, Peach, Apricot, Watermelon
Strains Include: Watermelon Soda, Lemonhoko's Blueberry, Afghan Peach, Strawberry Banana, Panky Rang, Strawberries & Cream
Citrus & Sap
Just like you can not stop the sun from shining, the bright limonene terpene of the Citrus and Sap family can not be mistaken in the flowers. Its lineage runs deep into the cannabis genetics of the 1970-90s breeding and was heavily mixed with the Skunk variants of the time. The modern iterations of these classic genetics still have meaningful impact in popular current strains like Mimosa, Smarties, and Tropicana Cookies.
Flavor Notes: Zesty, Piney, Orange, Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Skunky
Strains Include: Orange Skunk, Ice Cream Man, Golden Lemons, Tropicanna Cookies, Orange Apricot MAC, Glazed Apricot Gelato
