Top 10 Strains to Look Out for in 2018

Today’s cannabis is not you’re the product your parents enjoyed. Street dealers are pushing stronger strains to hold onto their market. And, that’s enough reason to question the quality of what used to be a “dime bag.”

If you put yourself in the position of the dispensary owners in the increasing number of legal states, you see what pressures they are working under.

For instance, they must assure the quality of the cannabis strains they have on their shelves. But, to stay competitive, they must stock up on new product and brands.

Top 10 strains to look out for in 2018

Like any business, dispensary owners will find demand differing from store to store, even in the same part of town. It will take some retail savvy and a lot of work to stay current on what the public wants and what they might want if they knew about it.

There isn’t much agreement on the “best” strains, but there’s a lot on the internet about the best high-THC strains, the best high-CBD strains, and the best strain for this or that medical condition.

But, we can list some things to look for this year:

  1. Wonder Woman: The 25-29% THC in this strain will hit your head hard and leave your body buzzed. A particularly beautiful plant, Wonder Woman sports deep green leaves, red hairs, and bright white buds. 
  2. Aurora Indica: This cross between Afghan and Northern Lights is loaded with THC and CBD for a potent experience. Thick with light purple crystals and deep purply buds, it will knock you for loop with a fruity stone. Sweet smelling and tasting, it serves your medical needs, too. It’s easy to grow at home.
  3. Blueberry Widow: This brilliantly colored, cobalt blue plant produces one of the most popular strains from year to year. The blueberry scent is woodsy as well. It might remind you of childhood days berry picking. A great stress reliever, its couch-lock high will make your euphoria last. Fast growing, it produces high yields when grown indoors.
  4. Purple Kush: This kush has been leading “top 10” lists for a long time. It’s 75% Indica with a 27.5% THC for smooth grape taste. Medical cannabis dispensaries recommend Purple Kush for anxiety, depression, insomnia, pain, and spasticity. It soothes medical symptoms while leaving you buzzed and euphoric.
  5. Sensi Star: Another pretty plant, it grows light purple crystal and red hairs. 90% Indica, Sensi Star delivers a 20% THC punch. You relax deeply into a euphoric experience. Citrus and earth tones soothe anxiety, appetite loss, depression, insomnia, migraines, and pain while sharpening focus and creativity.
  6. Jock Horror: A green Sativa-dominant hybrid, Jock Horror offers 24% THC for a lingering high with only 1% CBD. The impact is almost totally cerebral, but it may treat anxiety, depression, and chronic back pain.
  7. Sour Girl: Cross Sour Diesel with Girl Scout Cookies, and you get Sour Girl. Created by the Citizens Research Alliance for Therapeutics, it is marketed as organically grown. High Times lists this one among its list of “Strongest Strains on Earth.”
  8. Motorbreath #15: A hybrid mix of Chem D and SFV OG, Motorbreath #15 is a short and plump plant with an award-winning head and body high. THC 28.20% and CBD 0.15 offer relief from many physical and emotional troubles.
  9. Ice Wreck: At 27%-plus THC, Ice Wreck combines genes from Ice and Trainwreck. A balanced hybrid, Ice Wreck is still one of the most potent strains on the market. There will be a quick cerebral spin and a slow-3acting full-body relaxation.
  10. I-95: This one smells of skunk and gasoline. Super pungent and potent, this hybrid is bred from Star Dawg with Triangle Kush and Legend OG. Lemony sweet and strong smelling, I-95 leaves users happy and euphoric and sleepy and relaxed.

But, there’s even more —

You are going to see attempts to brand strain as local and artisan. They should appeal to the “buy-local” and boutique shoppers.

  • Alaska must supply its canna-tourists who take cruise ships to shop cannabis dispensaries at certain ports. Alaska should be the last place you would think of cannabis. The client is not typical of cannabis climes. But, you might keep your eye out for Alaska (Sativa), Alaska Thunder Fuck, and Matanuska Tundra.
  • Oregon has just perfect cultivation conditions in the Cascade Mountains. Experimenting and doing things new is part of the Oregon culture. So, you might try Oregon strains such as Mt. Hood Magic, Obama Kush, or Space Candy.
  • Washington has been at cannabis development for a while. Its perfect ecosystem raises cannabis strains that are increasingly popular. You might check out UW Purple, Cannaman Coffee, and The Cake.
  • California is the source of some exotic cannabis strains. You will find indoor and outdoor farms throughout the state because, while the climate varies, it all suits agriculture. Some California bred strains include Diablo, Strawberry Cough, and Snowcap.
  • Michigan saw cannabis cultivation long before medical cannabis was legalized. Now, some of the most popular strains come from Michigan breeders. The products include Michigan Skunk, Tupac, and Cyanide Kush.

Of the top 10 strains to look out for in 2018, many continue to win awards in the multiplying competitions. At the same time, the best branded seed sources remain in The Netherlands and Spain, not surprising because they cannot domicile in the U.S.

Writing for Wired, Katie Palmer asserted, “Cannabis is becoming an economic force, and more legal. Someone, somewhere, is going to do this work—to figure out how to modify weed with the same ease that Monsanto tweaks corn. She believes that only Steep Hill of Oakland has the data base to pioneer cannabis genetics from this point on if the U.S. is to dominate strain development in the future.

So, while the focus has been in developing more potent THC strains, the canna-economy will increasingly demand more “sophisticated” and versatile strains to serve both medical and recreational use.