This may be niche, Leafly Nation, but walk with me. There’s an old children’s rhyme I remember as a little girl that went “make new friends / but keep the old. One is silver / and the other’s gold.” It’s a nice mantra—don’t forget your old friends when you inevitably, in life, meet new people.
I think the same should be said for weed. The 2020s have so far shown remarkable innovation and growth in the strains bred, grown, and sold across the country. But does that mean we should abandon the old faithfuls that got us through tough times, all those years ago? I say ‘No,’ and it seems like you do too, Leafly Nation, because our 2024 bestsellers look a lot like our 2023 bestsellers. Here’s the rundown.
Blue Dream
- Creative • Uplifted •Energetic
- Blueberry •Berry •Sweet
- THC 20% •CBD 0%
Listen, if you don’t want to keep seeing Blue Dream top the list, stop buying it! The Blueberry x Haze combination out of Santa Cruz, CA, may bore many cannasseurs, but it still offers whimsy to those willing to give it a chance. It still has tasty, skunky blueberry terps and the unique euphoria of the Haze family. Plus, it still offers patients an aid for both mood enhancement and some minor aches.
Apple Fritter
- Relaxed • Tingly •Giggly
- Apple •Cheese •Butter
- THC 24% •CBD 0%
Winner, winner, Apple Fritter. This Lumpy’s cross of Sour Apple and Animal Cookies has climbed the ranks year after year, taking the coveted #2 spot on our list, plus some cup wins. Does it have what it takes to overthrow Blue Dream? Maybe. Leafly reviewers revere it for its palate of “sweet, but also has this funky, pungent dankness,” and effects that impart a “true, psychedelic happy euphoria.” Time will tell if this heady hybrid will reach the heights of #1.
Gelato
Sunset Sherbet x Thin Mint GSC
- Euphoric • Aroused •Happy
- Sweet • Vanilla • Mint
- THC 21% •CBD 0%
“I got gelato in the air / I got money everywhere” raps Young Dolph in his 2017 song Gelato. Gelato is a strain for winners—it’s played some role in nearly every Strain of the Year (including its own crown) we’ve ever anointed. But it’s not just the awards circuit that loves Gelato. People love it, year after year. It helps that many phenotypes exist to provide nuance to what started the “candy gas” trend. Check out the best dozen with our The 12 best Gelato crosses of all time.
Wedding Cake
- Relaxed • Hungry •Happy
- Vanilla •Pepper • Sweet
- THC 24% •CBD 0%
Even the snobbiest weed head can’t deny the allure of Wedding Cake—who doesn’t love cake? Wedding Cake has been on our most-sold and most-searched-for strains for years now, and the foot stays on the pedal. Since we dubbed it Strain of the Year in 2019, its legacy has increased exponentially with offshoots like Ice Cream Cake, Purple Push Pop, and E85 with cult followings of their own. As Matt Jackson writes in Top 12 Wedding Cake strains of all time, Wedding Cake has made its name due to its “prismatic, colorful buds and blend of vanilla, fuel, and doughy flavors.”
Granddaddy Purple
Mendo Purps x Skunk x Afghanistan
- Relaxed • Hungry •Happy
- Dizzy •Dry Mouthiest
- THC 18% •CBD 0%
Purple will never die. While its heydays of popularity and access have long ended, plenty of consumers coast to coast still seek it and its strain progeny out. Jeffrey Oropeza of Oakland’s Dark Heart Nursery told us about GDP’s allure back in 2021, saying it “has always been held in high esteem due to its dark coloration and taste, but its effect is what makes it truly special…GDP just simply makes things stop hurting.” That combination of niche terps and pain management fits right in at the end of a tumultuous year.
Durban Poison
South African landrace
- Focused • Energetic •Uplifted
- Pine •Earthy • Sage
- THC 20% •CBD 0%
I’ve been writing these bestselling strains lists for a couple years now, and I’ve never seen so many sativas on the list. Durban Poison is the sole landrace strain here, and the most intensely uplifting and energizing pick of the bunch. Durban Poison comes from South Africa, and has been growing in American soil for decades. It has a unique peppercorn nose, so sharp and skunky that it nearly burns the nose.
Pineapple Express
- Energetic • Happy •Talkative
- Pineapple •Tropical•Mango
- THC 20% •CBG 1%
Let’s get it straight—the movie Pineapple Express predates the strain, and not vice versa. The onus is on the strain then, to match the zany, full-bellied laughs that come when watching Seth Rogen, James Franco, and a supporting cast of comedians get into increasingly dangerous (and thus hilarious) situations due to the weed that smells like God’s, well. Pineapple Express the real strain is Trainwreck x Hawaiian, a blend of tropical tang and turpentine. A review from 2010 calls it “The dopest dope I’ve ever smoked,” and one from 2024 says it’s “the king of strains.
Strawberry Cough
- Uplifted • Energetic •Happy
- Strawberry •Sweet •Berry
- THC 19% •CBG 1%
Ring the alarm! Strawberry Cough has entered the chat. This strain, despite its many years in stores, still carries mystique. It’s not entirely clear who initially bred it, and its genetics may or may not be Strawberry Fields x Haze. Either way, it still intrigues consumers to this day, whether it’s to lift the fog of anxiety or enjoy its skunky berry terps.
