Leafly Buzz: 13 Top Cannabis Strains for September 2023
September is a busy month for cannabis on the West Coast. A flood of crop varieties is just around the corner and the hunt is on for Leafly’s crop varieties in October and the 2023 strain of the year in December.
Meanwhile, West Coast smokers remain deep in the barrel of a crashing wave of fresh cannabis flavors. We pursue an ever-changing vision of the latest and greatest, packaged in jars and Mylars.
This month in my heated cannabis column, Leafly Buzz, we examine the rise of a new Mai Tai and catch up on the Euroz trend. We try out some of Alien Labs’ new Planet Red, highlighting premium and affordable options for the classic Gelonade. Get your mills ready – here’s Leafly Buzz for September.
Data grinder
GastroPop
⬆ 24.1%
GastroPop’s Apples & Bananas x Grape Gas cross continues to storm the West Coast. Bred during the Chris Lynch era of Compound Genetics, GastroPop is a royal strain at Compound, powering countless even newer crosses. Reviewers get grapes, apples and gasoline as well as a strong drink from GastroPop. relaxing evening effect. We just saw Sense San Francisco’s GastroPop x Mellowz and wow, stay tuned.
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Donny Burger
⬆ 7.2%
You’ll be out of your league with Donny Burger, this extra potent, offbeat GMO x Han Solo Burger cross from Skunk House Genetics. The savory, meaty, umami corner of the weed industry holds its own as Donny Burger sees a 7.2% increase in views. Reviewers point out the cheese, ammonia and diesel notes in Donny Burger. It is a great heir to Skunk and Chem flavors. Donny Burger is arousing, giggly and damn euphoric – fun for some new missions in Cyberpunk 2077. If you get too high, pet a kitten.
Trop cherry
⬆ 7.8%
Relentless Genetics’ Mt. Trop x Cherry Cookies project, Trop Cherry, hasn’t lost any steam – it’s up 7.8% in monthly views. Snoop Dogg released some Trop Cherry on Death Row Cannabis this January, and we’ve made it both a strain to watch in 2023 and a Strain of Summer – and we’re not wrong. Trop Cherry has more body and character than a Lemon Cherry Gelato and is ideal for work and play during the day.
Mai Tai
⬆ 8.7%
What the hell is going on with Mai Tai? Two things: 1) Hot breeder Clearwater Genetics has hit the jackpot with their Mai Tai #4 (a cross between easy-to-grow Purple Punch x classic Sunset Sherbert). And 2) the Jeeter brand has shipped a fleet of flavored Mai Tai joints to California. This is confusing because there is already an old Mai Tai strain that mixes Maui Wowie x Tutti Frutti. You just can’t resist naming your cannabis strain after the popular tropical drink made from rum, orange, and lime. So that’s what’s going on with Mai Tai, which is up 8.7% in the Western US.
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New to the Leafly variety database
in Euro
Cannarado strain Euroz is set to blow breeders away with a tasty Z-cross that finishes weeks earlier than the competition. Leading Californian clone maker Phinest said Euroz would be ready in 45 days, honestly. “The Euroz is wild,” said Ian from Phinest. “Cannarado told us it was 45 days and we didn’t believe him.” Z and Cake are two killer flavors of the decade, the cross has a surreal appeal and “chops like a champ,” says Cannarado. Here comes the Euroz!
Znackz
The head breeder of the great Californian cloner Phinest, Ian, has his own fancy breeding label called Uncle Dad Vibes, which is a hit with discerning breeders. For example, Preferred Gardens performs well with Znackz – a cross between Chauffeur x Runtz. But what is chauffeur? A good old mix of Z x Sundae Driver x Wedding Cake. I like this. The body and volume of Z on cookies and cakes is a guaranteed win with smokers. Dan from Preferred Gardens made the Znackz selection and it is now a big seller in the Florida medical market.
Permanent paradise
Seed Junky Genetics, the LA breeder of the 2022 Leafly Strain of the Year Jealousy, pushes further into even wilder smells and flavors with Permanent Paradize, a cross between Permanent Marker x Z Bx2. You get the creamy berry scent of a sophisticated Jealousy paired with an improved version of Z (formerly Zkittlez). We expect deep marker fumes and tropical sweets from this guaranteed strong hybrid. Good for the afternoons into the evening.
kiss
We’re watching everything closely, from breeder Deo Farms, maker of Zoap, RS-11, RS-54 and now Beso. Deo Farms is deep into its OZ Kush project with Zoap. Now he’s adding his next big project, The Y – this versatile Cookie Fam strain that he got from breeder Jigga. This is Zoap x The Y Bx2, and if that sounds like algebra, welcome to a real breeding project. Zoap has a floral base and a creamy berry note. The Y powers Gary Payton Cereal Milk, where it enhances the sweet body of the GSC family. Deo Farms keeps Beso and all of his work close, so watch out for counterfeits.
Selection of pharmacies
New on the shelf
Planet Red
by Alien Labs, CA
Planet Red is one of Alien Labs’ newest products and is guaranteed to quickly disappear from shelves this fall. It is a cross between Red Pop x Apples & Bananas #9. And I’ll be damned – it actually gives the Apples & Bananas strain the red soda pop flavor of Red Pop. Faygo Red Pop hit the market eight years ago, but the work of Washington breeder Exotic Genetix really put it on the radar. Be on the lookout for more Red Pop crosses like Artificial Red. Alien Labs maintains its premier reputation with these jars of hot, hot, new, and new.
Burn the charts
RS-54
from Connected, CA
2023 could be the year of RS-54, also known as Studio 54. Bred by Deo Farms, selected by Wizard Trees and grown here by an indoor farm for Connected – this is hype in a glass. Do not open this package in a coffee shop. Lime Sherbert terps ring out and fill the room like dance floor jam. RS-54 is real party grass. To create the “RS” line, Deo Farms started with packs of Dying Breed OZ Kush, made a few selections, and crossed them back together to get Pink Guava. Then Deo added crowd favorite Sunset Sherbert. Wizard Trees selected the 11th and 54th plants from the RS pheno hunt and released RS-11 and RS-54. Wizard Trees also released clones of RS-54, sparking a nationwide wave that is currently still building.
bestseller
Ballin out
Gelonade
from Connected, CA
It’s not the talk of the moment, but we think one of our desert island flavors might be gelatinade. Leave us on the beach with a pound of it and everything else will take care of itself. This best-selling cross between Lemon Tree and Gelato is lemony, syrupy, sweet, thick and aromatic. It’s great for a vigorous wake-and-bake and lasts well into the evening. Leafly reviews for Gelonade began in 2020, but California brand Connected has been selling it since the days of medicine. At San Francisco’s Area 41 dispensary, it’s still a premium luxury product, even though countless brands have marketed the variety. Don’t worry – the authentic, premium Connected Gelonade will keep you going.
Bale on a budget
Gelonade
by Elyon, CA
Step aside, you haters of the legal market. Elyon’s Bag of Gelonade served solid terps for $22 an eighth at The Bloom Room in Pacifica, California. And the budtender said they wouldn’t last long. We smoked this budget-friendly gelatin back-to-back with the Baller cut (above), and we have to say, it holds up! The lemon tree and gelatine terpenes stand up to rougher handling and come into their own in this bag. Elyon is a 5-year-old token grown in greenhouses in the wine region of Sonoma County, California. At Connected, you can also find Gelonade Smalls for $99 per half-ounce, as well as other great value buys.
High note
Lemon trees living resin cart
by PaperPlanes Extracts, CA
The best lemony syrup flavor and hybrid effects come from this new cartridge from Grass Valley, California-based cannabis brand PaperPlanes Extracts. PaperPlanes sets itself apart by growing its own flavors in small batches and flash-freezing freshly harvested flowers on its property. PaperPlanes also performs live resin extraction on-site, keeping the entire process below -80°C. This is single-source, fresh-frozen vape oil that is dewaxed for a smooth hit and contains no false flavors or fillers. So if you’re wondering why it works and feels different, now you know.
And that’s what’s floating around my desk for Leafly Buzz this September. Sign up for the newsletter so you don’t miss any buzz. Next up is our annual Strains of Harvest in October. Good luck hacking!
About Leafly Buzz
So good they steal it—the popular monthly strain review roundup Leafly Buzz is now in its third year. We independently report on the cannabis conversation among connoisseurs, focusing on strains and branded flowers from the Western United States. Reporting includes:
- Review copies
- Shopping at the pharmacy
- Increase visits
- Events
- Leafly search data
- Employee and reader tips and more
Read previous issues of Leafly Buzz
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