SAN FRANCISCO—Millions of top-shelf weed smokers in the western US aren’t hibernating for the winter: We’re lighting fires! The future of cannabis still happens here first, and the top shelf keeps getting higher.
Wiz Khalifa’s namesake strain launched in late January in Cali. And dispensaries added Pancakes to new menus across the West.
February also signifies the beginning of cookie sales season in America, where thin mint remains the number one flavor. No surprise: breeders, growers, and tokers have followed suit. We trend-spotted six—six!—hype strains sporting ‘mint’ in their genetics this month.
Here are 12 of the hottest weed strains and branded flower products for February. This is Leafly Buzz.
Data Grinder
Strains are the real celebrities on Leafly, and every star either rises or falls over time. Put down your sextant, Leafly Buzz’ Data Grinder calculates what’s shining bright like a diamond.
Khalifa Kush
Classic, high-grade OG lemon fuel power never goes out of style. Wiz Khalifa’s Khalifa Kush launched at Cookies stores in California, and heads rushed out to stuff seven grams in that blunt. Consequently, search interest shot up 82% month over month. Can your brand ambassador do that?
Pancakes
Pre-game for Sunday brunch, then go nuts on that sweet menu—the Pancakes strain keeps stacking fans. It’s a Cookies and Seed Junky Genetics cross of London Pound Cake #75 x Kush Mints #11 that can smell like blueberry pancakes. Search interest perked up 25%, because, look, we already warned you, 2022 means ‘mints’ crosses for days. So act like you know.
Falling this month, two classics that pack great energy but lack novelty. White Widow tripped down 18% month over month. Green Crack fell off 10%.
Recap:
- Khalifa Kush—⏫ 82%
- Pancakes —⏫ 25%
- White Widow —🔽 18%
- Green Crack —🔽 10%
New in the Leafly Strain Database
Pink Certz
Weed generates $20 billion in legal revenue. We’re not just smoking grass here. We’re on an olfactory odyssey—a spirit journey to the terp frontier. As such, Pink Certz smells like hyper-flavorful pink candy mint. Since it’s from market-leading breeder Compound Genetics, it’s also a visual stunner. Combining The Menthol x Grape Gasoline, Pink Certz hits like an instant mental vacation that gets your head back in the game; it’s super-versatile for day or night. Minty, grape, candy, and gas terps? You just gave the base description for that Zaza in 2022. These flavor combos are set to take home boxes of cannabis trophies this year and next.
Jealousy
Once you’ve tasted the view from that mountaintop, you can’t just smoke reggie in the valley. Win the cookie sales season with this platonic ideal of GSC in ‘22. Seed Junky Genetics of Los Angeles’ Jealousy combines two perfect versions of Sherbert and Gelato—because that’s what folks crave. If you want to know what the heavy weed influencers are smoking at the Zalympix exotic pot contests in the heart of LA’s concrete jungle—it’s this. Jealousy offers everything you’d hope from a JBeezy selection, perfect for flexing on Instagram. Just watch out for the evil eye, because Gelato haters gonna hate.
Strawberry Remedy #9
Exotic is more than just GSC genetics endlessly folded back on each other like a croissant. It’s about taking risks and winning awards with new creations to heal the masses. Oregon’s Chalice Brands placed first in the Oregon Growers Cup with Strawberry Remedy #9—a rare new 1:1 THC:CBD flower for the high-strung loved one in your life. Skip that high-THC tachycardia with this cross of Dragon Desert Frost x Strawberry Fields. It tastes like a fresh strawberry smoothie for a relaxing, daytime, anxy-free yoga sesh.
Forbidden Mintz
Up in Washington, we’re watching Freddy’s Fuego for new, on-trend indoor crosses all winter long. First up: Forbidden Mintz, a blasphemous mix of Forbidden Fruit x SinMint Cookies. Bred by SinCity Seeds, Forbidden Mintz slays fruit-forward with sweet cherry undertones, loud mango, passionfruit, and a hint of pine. Skip straight to dessert with this reflective, chill hybrid indica.
New on dispensary shelves
Zkittlez Mintz, 3RC, WA
Washington’s award-winning Three Rivers Cannabis (3RC) offers some after-work smoke as a reward for putting up with the b.s. You get a sweet grapefruit upfront and a creamy gas finish on this SinCity Seeds cross of Animal Mints x Zkittlez. It’s all-natural connoisseur craft to help you get through those short, bleak days.
Rocketing up the charts
Gator Breath #3, Jungle Boys, CA
Grab some wild terps and THC for watching trippy sci-fi; like HBO’s “Raised by Wolves” season 2. Gator Breath #3 prowls all across California via Eaze; distributed by HERBL, who did a deal with LA’s Jungle Boys. Gator Breath #3 mixes Motor Breath with Triangle Kush Bx1 for some nostril-clawing gas! Hissssss!
Ballin out
Pineapple Fruz, Seed Junky, CA
Splurge on this tropical staycation for your brain. Pineapple Fruz offers up sweet, floral, velvety, peaches, apricot, and pineapple terps. It’s perfect for capping a crazy hike with some major flavor. Pineapple Fruz combines an elite selection of Animal Mints bred with an elite selection of Zkittlez (Animal Mints bx1 X Zkittlez bx1—bx1 here is a breeding term pronounced ‘backcross’.) Seed Junky keeps unpacking and unlocking the terps in both blockbuster genetic lines.
Ballin’ on a budget
Jealousy x Kush Mints, FloraCal Farms, CA
Can’t afford Khalifa Kush at $75 out the door with tax? Fair. Wiz’s go-to cultivator FloraCal Farms keeps it real with this $40 eighth of hot-hot new-new Jealousy x Kush Mints. It’s got a perfect look and epic cookie and mint terps, and tons of strength. Roll guilt-free party doinks you’d proudly share. FloraCal Farms grows AAA-grade for middle-class tax brackets.
High Note
PAX Era Live Rosin Lemon Cake
Super-tasty, super-strong, and solventless—for the masses. The US pod system leader PAX Era figured out how to squish terpy, potent, consistent rosin into vape pods. Launched this February with 11 small-batch strains, we liked the Lemon Cake for its lemony, sweet, creamy, rich, and smooth hit. It’s perfect for sneaking relaxing rips at the family function this President’s Day holiday. PAX Lemon Cake came from a rare cross of Vietnam landrace X Skunk #1 X Thai x NL5.
That’s it. See you next month. Smoke the weed you want to see in the world!
About Leafly Buzz
Oft-copied, never co-opted—Leafly Buzz remains a popular, monthly editorial product of Leafly News. Independently reported without fear or favor, Leafly Buzz captures the connoisseur cannabis conversation, focusing on strain and branded flower news west of the Rockies. Reporting includes:
- Secret shopping in stores
- Breeder, grower, distributor, and retail interviews
- Leafly search data
- Staff and reader tips, and more.
Got corrections, clarifications, tips, or news? We’re here to serve at buzz@leafly.com.
