Leafly Buzz: 12 Hot Strains to Smoke in 2024
America's 40 million monthly pot smokers continue to push the limits of flavor and awesomeness in 2024.
We've reviewed the data for 7,514 varieties and more than 6,000 menus and have to say: We're proud of you, Leafly Nation. We see you buying up new varieties and using them up in bulk – a signal to stores to buy more, to growers to plant more, and to breeders to continue selection.
Every January, the Leafly Buzz column expands its focus from the West Coast flower rush to what will triumph in the new year in the United States. We've put together a short list of hot, grower- and smoker-tested all-stars.
Leafly Buzz's 12 hot strains to smoke in 2024 all shine in the garden and in the bag. They are contemporary extensions of popular trends. They are the highly refined and remixed strain families such as Cookies, Z, OG Kush, Blueberry, Sour D and Tangie.
Get ready for a Wonka-style journey through gardens full of candy, fuel, fruit, funk, desserts and even hamburgers. Here are Leafly Buzz's 12 hot strains to smoke in 2024.
Blue lobster
Blue Lobster shines on both coasts in 2024 and is truly a standout when it comes to extra pretty weed with flavor and strength. Chris Lynch of Cipher Genetics (formerly Compound Genetics) bred and selected this cross between Eye Candy and Apples and Bananas. Maine Trees has perfected cultivation. Blue Lobster buttered up judges on both coasts in 2023 – from Zalympix on the East Coast to Ego Clash in Mendocino. Grown to scale by Umma Sonoma, grab this coveted top shelf. It will fetch the highest price worldwide this year.
“It’s a beautiful variety and we enjoy growing it,” said Giancarlo of Umma in Santa Rosa, California.
Tropical outbreak
Behold, Leafly Ratings' first ever 100-point strain – Tropical Burst from Seed Junky Genetics, maker of the Leafly Strain of the Year 2023 Permanent Marker. It is Z, perfected by crossing (Orange Push Pop x Banana Cream Cake) with Zkittlez bx2. Read the full review notes. See also: Giraffe P #2.
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Tea time
In 2024, LA breeder Wizard Trees continues to conjure up candy happiness with Tea Time, a cross between the runner-up Leafly strain of 2023, RS11, and Z. Tea Time tempts you with tea, spices, tropical sweets and creamy sorbet notes, underlined with fuel. The strong hybrid effects are ideal for hobbies and fun from midday to evening. Wizard Trees releases several flowering varieties in California and their seeds are shipped internationally. Tea Time was selling when we visited Zaza flower shop GOAT Global in Westwood.
Pablo's revenge
Everyone loves Wedding Cake and Kush Mints. If you're looking for something trendier in 2024, look for Pablo's Revenge, the cross between Animal Mints and Sherb Cake from breeder Tiki Madman. Traffic to strain sites is increasing significantly, but it's just starting to enter the legal realm. Pablo's Revenge won gold in Michigan in 2023 and three awards in 2022. Expect minty and cakey smells and tastes that are far more potent than the 25% THC on the bag. Tiki Madman says they have sold out of several Pablo's Revenge seed lines – the F1, the Bx and the Fems. More will follow in summer 2024. See also: Devil Driver, Tiger Cake.
chimera
Tulsa, OK, breeder Beleaf's crazy-frosty cross between White Truffle and The Creature is called Chimera and will be available in more and more stores in 2024 (Peanut Butter Breath and Glue Project). BeLeaf is well respected throughout the industry and is a co-signatory. Chimera growers say the plant popular in Colorado is a hybrid with notes of port, orange Tic Tacs and butter scotch.
Hawaiian snow cone
After back-to-back wins at the Transbay Challenge Finals in LA in October and the 2023 Ego Clash in Mendocino County in December, expect to learn a lot more about Hawaiian Snowcone. This project from Tiki Madman and Big Al's Exotics combines a lot of delicacies: Z and Lemon Cherry Gelato on one side and Hawaiian Plushers (Peach Ringz x Lemon Gushers) on the other. Moon Valley Cannabis crushes small amounts of indoor ground plants, while Xotic Flavorz grows large quantities in hoop houses. See also: Lemon Cherry Gelato, Zatix Blue Guava.
Triple Burger
The wave of savory burger strains is strong in 2024 and we're seeing rapid performance from Triple Burger – the GMO and Double Burger cross from breeder Skunkhouse Genetics. I would expect this bag to smell like burnt horseflies and cartilage in the best possible way. These burgers as well as GMOs are really reminiscent of Chem and Skunk. Very relaxing and powerful – don't operate any heavy machinery at the Triple Burger.
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Blueberry cupcake
Even fans of the best-selling Blue Dream strain need some love. For 2024, discover the Blueberry Cupcake – a cross between the easy-to-grow Blueberry Muffin and Humboldt Seed Co's best-selling Wedding Cake. It will grow great and taste like a real blueberry cupcake, and will be available in hundreds more dispensaries in the coming months to be available.
Cadillac Rainbow
Take Runtz to a fancier place with Michigan breeder 3rd Coast Genetics' Cadillac Rainbow – a cross between Runtz and Pure Michigan. We're interested in everything from Pure Michigan, this blackout strain from Oreoz x Mendo Breath. Cadillac Rainbow has that enticing synthetic new car scent of sweet dessert with a savory GMO backing that sticks to your palms. It tastes as hearty as a wedge of beef brisket – a good after-dinner highlight to watch the sunset. Michigan's marijuana scene is now second only to California's.
Gary Payton and Crosses
Gary Payton achieves Hall of Flame status in 2024 while still at the peak of his career. The 2019 cross between The Y and Snowman from breeder Powerzzzup offers top-notch GSC work that brings the Cookies brand to every corner of the world. Gary Payton counts numbers from small amounts of indoor living soil to mega-series.
“It was an absolute joy to grow this plant,” said indoor soil grower Joe Snow of Snowtill, who has just added Gary Payton to his range.
Gary Payton is now the 11th most viewed strain page on Leafly. Eight hundred and seven stores added GP in 2023, and we forecast 1,000 more in 2024.
Great boof
For fans of Tangie, we can't deny the impact of Blockberry (aka Super Boof) from breeder Blockhead. This Trop Cookies project introduces a whole new generation of orange Tangie terps, but with a cookie back—kind of like dipping Chips Ahoy in orange juice. It also grows like a champion, which is why it gains the upper hand. We've made Super Boof a strain to keep an eye on in 2023 and named it the 2023 Leafly Strain of the Year. Super Boof ranks 9th in traffic growth since January 2023. Will Super Boof claim victory over everything in 2024? We look at the Cannabis Cup winners and the sales charts.
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Cap Junky
Here you go, gas fans. Another hot strain in 2023 that took second place for the best – Seed Junky Genetics is releasing fresh clones of Cap Junky in Michigan this winter, pouring fuel on a fire cross of Capulator's Alien Cookies and Seed Junky's Kush Mints. For Sour Diesel and Animal Face lovers, Cap Junky maxes out the THC resin and can deliver a loud, sour, strawberry opening note and sticky, pine-like buds. It grinds sweet and sharp like freshly peeled bark and smokes gently in the throat with a mean, biting taste of Pledge and Pine Sol. Cap Junky has increased its store presence tenfold to over 1,000 in a year, so now it's your turn to start the rocket.
And that's a dozen varieties that will hit the market in 2024. We are of course looking forward to even more. Glitter Bomb, Zoap, Sherbanger and Mule Fuel explode. Help us turn it into a Baker's Dozen with 13 hot flavors you should check out by filling out this one survey question.
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