Ravon Williams

Sour Diesel, Blue Dream, GG4, White Widow, Durban Poison. These are household names in the weed world. Names that get legacy smokers excited and hopefully provide a blast from the past. These strains are the OG’s in an industry that serve as the parents to many of the new strains we see in the industry now.

With dispensaries having so many strain options at our disposal, picking the right one can feel a little overwhelming. You ever wonder where the heck do these people come up with these names from in the first place? 

Of course, we have landrace strains that are the absolute originals. These are strains that are idolized for their purity and unique traits that were shaped and developed through their natural environments. Most of them are named after the place they were first grown. Below are some of the most popular landrace strains and their origins:

• Acapulco Gold is a rare sativa that comes from the Guerrero Mountains near Acapulco, Mexico. Known for its unique color and spicy honey flavor profile, a true fan favorite amongst the smokers I know over the age of 50. 
• Afghan Kush is a pure indica from the Hindu Kush Mountain range between Afghanistan and Pakistan. 
• Durban (Poison) comes from Durban, South Africa. A sativa known for its uplifting effects, it was brought over to Amsterdam in the 1970s where it was optimized to be fine-tuned. 

Thanks to all the new growers and crosses of strains, we’re seeing new strains pumped out all the time. However, we no longer see too many strains get named after their birthplace anymore. New strain names are hilarious from time to time. Some make perfect sense, such as Purple Kush, named after its parent strains Purple Afghani and Hindu Kush. While others often seem like they were just pulled out of a hat. 

Outside of THC and price point, the next deciding factor when buying weed is strain name. Legacy users see a Sour Diesel or a Gelato on a menu and automatically know what they expect from those strains. But on the other hand, we have new users who know nothing about weed, and for some of them, their introduction to weed is with a strain like Unicorn Poop or Permanent Marker (both of which are really good). Nothing wrong with that, just hilarious to see how far names have come along. 

Despite the funky names of the present, the names of OG’s from the past must have cool naming origin stories. Check out an east coast favorite below:

Sour Diesel

The roots are planted in New York City, where it was a prominent name in the underground scene in the 1990’s and 2000s. This Sativa-dominant hybrid soared to popularity for its distinct aroma and effects. Breaking down the name, we have Sour, which comes from the strains’ sharp and tangy flavor profile. The Diesel was inspired by the strains’ gassy aroma. At the time, it had a gassy profile like no other strain which made it quickly recognizable. This strain will never have a problem selling on any menu ever.

Of course, fast forward to present day and the names get even crazier. New staples of the modern weed world include: Permanent Marker, Runtz, Jealousy, and many more. Permanent Marker was Leafly’s strain of the year in 2023 and personal favorite of mine. 

Permanent Marker

Released in 2022, this indica dominant hybrid is a cross of Biscotti x Sherb Bx and Jealousy. The name comes from the strains aroma, which indeed smells a little like a permanent marker, along with its long lasting effects that resemble the ink from a permanent marker. 

As time goes on, we’ll only see more and more strains developed and bred with interesting names. I suggest you find a strain you like and look up its parents and children to find other strains like it. Looking up a strains lineage is a great way to find new strains you might like and potentially hilarious names.