Pot girl summer. Hot vax summer. Whatever it is—it’s hot, and weed keeps us cool.
But which weed variety do you pick from thousands to chose from? It’s simple—the best ones. This month:
- One purple strain sizzled while a different purp fizzled
- Do-Si-Dos flirts with the top 10 in the West
- Pot that smelled like garlic, sour candy, peach, and peanut butter came out in Colorado, California, and beyond
Only Leafly synthesizes the strain, store, brand, and menu data to paint a big, multi-billion dollar picture, and that picture is wild.
Our advertising-free series, Leafly Buzz, highlights the charting strains, and the hot-hot, new-new in branded flower from the biggest and most influential market, the western US.
Switch out that nasty bong water and add a few ice cubes—let’s gooooo.
Weed strains go up and down in popularity like Korean pop stars. Every month is different. Data grinder breaks down the numbers.
- Purple Urkle ⏫ +233%
- Do-Si-Dos ⬆️ +0.4%
- XJ-13 ⬇️ -21%
- Purple Punch ⬇️ -10%
Purple Urkle
Interest in Purple Urkle is up +233% month over month this summer, thanks to actor Jaleel White and 710 Labs. The Family Matters star and California’s elite flower/hash brand reignited interest in this classic cut of Mendocino Purps from unknown breeders (hippies, most likely). It smells like grape soda and is great for chillin’ out, maxin’, relaxin’, all cool…
Do-Si-Dos
Up just a smidge (+0.4%) in interest, Do-Si-Dos is set to crack the top 10 most popular flower west of the Rockies. Do-Si-Dos will rock OG Kush lovers with its cross of Face-Off OG and OGKB, and its biting fuel meets sweet, purp cookie flavor attack pairs well with trippy, adult cartoons and a bowl of rocky road. Bred by Archive Seeds of Oregon.
XJ-13
Down 21% this month, the aging XJ-13 has eased off its afterburners and entered cruise mode. For years, Jack Herer and G-13 haze has delivered candy-sweet bright and light tastes and daytime effects. XJ’s still great for crankin’ through spreadsheets with notifications off, but it has hit the jetwash of newer more flavorful sativa hybrids like a Strawberry Banana and Papaya.
Purple Punch
Purple Punch popularity fell 10%, as purp fans chased newer grape flavors. Bred by Supernova Gardens out of Larry OG and GDP, Purple Punch still has bag appeal and a delicious, powdery sweet grape and fuel smell. Its indica-hybrid effects are manageable enough to crossfade with a couple brews—just zone out people-watching. A top 10 most popular strain out west, the Punch has plenty of rounds left in her.
New in the Leafly strain database
This August, Leafly’s strain database expands to include these four new crosses. All of them vibrate with on-trend, terpy energy.
Zoap
Deo Farms’ Zoap shows off Oakland, CA’s unrivaled Zkittlez and GSC culture with Zoap—the 21st selection of a breeding project that crossed Rainbow Sherbert V2 and Pink Guava #16 F2.
Zoap smells tropically floral with a chemmy bite that references lye, or soap. Great for firing up the PlayStation 5, Zoap’s blowin’ up in California.
Slow Lane
If you see us creepin’ in the slow lane, go around—we got Connected in the car. Connected Cannabis Co. has a potent indica hybrid for 2021’s GSC lovers. Slow Lane combines Biscotti x Sugar Cone for savory-sweet churro funk perfect for riding a beach cruiser at sunset.
Biskante
Zkittlez plus Lemon Tree, Gelato, and GSC cannot be beat; especially when Alien Labs did the crossing and selecting. Biskante ain’t cheap in California dispensaries, but this elite mix of Melonade x Biscotti reeks of tropical, candied gasoline. It’s top-shelf reserve flower for secret seshing with another aficionado and then dusting an entire bag of goldfish crackers.
Bomb Cyclone
Seth Rogen’s Houseplant brand debuts its first hybrid, Bomb Cyclone, via a legal California delivery service this summer. But anyone can get at that aroma and effect through the parent strains Wedding Cake and Gelato #33.
Bred by Seed Junky Genetics, Bomb Cyclone smells dank, lemony and floral, with a creamy vanilla finish; great for stay-cationing with an extreme weather documentary.
Product highlights of August
New on dispensary shelves—Garlic Breath by Hava Gardens, CO
Savory, garlicky, dank, and funky—Hava Gardens’ Garlic Breath terps don’t lie. The woman-owned and -operated Colorado greenhouse farmers use high-end “living soil” beds, as opposed to bottled nutrients and a dead medium like rockwool. Garlic Breath comes from breeder ThugPug, who combined GMO and Mendo Breath for maximum stank. Expect some ultra-potent, late-night baking and munching.
Spotted at Colorado shops like Blue Heron, as well as Unity Rd., Hava Gardens’ flower also powers akta extracts like this Garlic Crasher live rosin cart.
Rocketing up the charts—Rainbow Belts by LA Family Farms, CA
For lakeside seshes with friends, travel to the top of the rainbow and experience terps that slap nationwide.
A gorgeous look, and smells of wildberry candy, tropical pineapple, perfume, and gasoline, has bags of Rainbow Belts moving across the US this summer. If you love Zkittlez, you’ll love this prettier, tastier upgrade from Archive Seeds, who crossed a superb Z selection back to strain Moonbow (Do-Si-Dos x Zkittlez). California brand LA Family Farms’ entered an exemplary cut of RB in Greenwolf’s Zalympix of July. A Rainbow Belts also took 5th in solventless live rosin at The Emerald Cup 2021.
Belts are beaming all across the West, from California’s Talking Trees to Fweedon Cannabis in Seattle, and Island Herb and PRC-Conway in Washington—all the way to Maryland’s Zen Leaf.
Ballin out—Peach OZ by Wonderbrett, CA
Ball out like Justin Bieber with Peach OZ from Wonderbrett. The singer worth $285 million dropped over $1,000 on flower and edibles in July at Wonderbrett’s new Los Angeles store, including the new dank fruit strain Peach OZ.
Smells of sweet, berry kush give way to smoke with hints of Zkittlez’s syrup, and peach. Dying Breed Seeds of Mendocino, CA crossed OZ Kush and Peach Rings, and Wonderbrett grew and selected a peachy version of it. Best after a fine meal: Use a clean glass bubbler—or roll a fatty J.
Ballin’ on a budget—Peanut Butter Breath, by The Plug, CA
Legal, tested eighth-ounces run an average of $48 before tax in California, Leafly data reveals. That’s still too dang high. Indoor brand The Plug keeps southern California budget shoppers litty in the city with a gang of terpy half-ounces priced at around a Benjamin.
We enjoyed the PB Breath, but look out for other trending types: Ice Cream Cake, Gushers, etc. ThugPug’s PB Breath leads a savory, dank surge in legal cannabis flavors. Pairs great with paid time off lounging—like dolphin-watching from a hammock.
JAY-Z’s Monogram No. 1 handroll
Beyonce has announced a CBD line for your days, while husband JAY-Z slings fat joints for the night. JAY-Z’s Monogram brand No. 1 handrolls stand out for their size, custom handroll look, and rowdy OG and Kush smell. Out for a year now, supplies have ramped up. Ours burned evenly and hit easy-yet-thick—great for blowing smoke rings of kush.
Monogram and California partner grower Caliva do not disclose the strain name of No. 1, but the gassy, piny, lemon kush points to an obvious suspect: OG Kush. Relaxing, euphoric—the handroll’s great for a round of dominoes with the bros. Domino!
What goes into Leafly Buzz?
There’s so, so much more out there, but that’s the list, and we gotta stop somewhere for now. So—who decides what’s in the Buzz? Not the advertisers. Each month Buzz sources include:
- Trying samples
- Dispensary shopping
- Leafly.com traffic data
- Grower interviews
- Leafly staff and reader tips
