Smoke the best-selling cannabis strains of 2023
In a sea of nearly 6,000 varieties, what deserves the best? If you flip through an old issue of High Times or ask an OG smoker about their favorite strains from back in the day, you'll get a very different answer than you'll get from a member of the Leafly Nation in 2023. Weed is like wine, fashion, and food—everyone Region has its preferences, unique style, heritage and trends. And what you might call a Michelin star or haute couture isn't necessarily what makes people gasp.
We named Permanent Marker our 2023 Strain of the Year for pushing the boundaries of Gelato family genetics and its massive nationwide wave of popularity. But that doesn't mean weed tastemakers and hype beasts have forgotten the steadfast classics of cannabis creation and culture. The best-selling strains of 2023, based on a review of many (many) dispensary sales dates, show the Leafly nation has a penchant for both the old and the new.
Blue dream
Blueberry X haze
- Creative • Sublime •Energetic
- blueberry •berry •Sweet
- THC 18% •CBD 0%
There are some universal truths that we must accept. Everyone has bought a pair of Air Force 1s, eaten at the Cheesecake Factory, and smoked Blue Dream at some point in their life. This Blueberry x Haze cross was created in Santa Cruz, California in 2003 and is almost old enough to buy an eighth of it at the local over-the-counter, even though its heyday of winning Cannabis Cup titles is over. It endures because it provides solid yields for medical growers and alleviates a wide range of patient symptoms.
As former Leafly contributor and High Times EIC Ellen Holland wrote in our 2021 Blue Dream strain story, “New strains rise and fall quickly, but like it or not, Blue Dream will last forever.”
wedding cake
Triangle Kush X Animal mints
- Relaxed • Hungry •Happy
- Vanilla •Pepper • Sweet
- THC 24% •CBD 0%
We don't want to toot our own horn, but don't we know how to choose them? Wedding Cake, the first seed from Junky Genetics' creations, which we previously named Strain of the Year in 2019, remains popular with cannabis lovers for her remarkable balance of taste and effects. Its Animal Mints x Triangle Kush genetics created the successful blueprint for 2022 and 2023 SOTY winners Jealousy and Permanent Marker – large, healthy buds that exude that mix of sweet and spicy terpenes, paired with effects that provide euphoria without paranoia. We wrote this “wedding cake” in 2019.
Ice cream
Sunset sorbet X Thin Mint GSC
- Euphoric • Excited •Happy
- Sweet • Vanilla • Mint
- THC 21% •CBD 0%
I think former Leafly topic expert Danté Jordan said it best: “The smell? Loud. The taste? Sweet. Gassy. The smoke? Smooth. Wonderful. It's a combination of everything good that cannabis offers, all in one strain, like a cannabis Captain Planet.” You can't have a cannabis session, let alone a cannabis conversation, without gelato popping up; Sherbinksi was in his bag when he crossed Thin Mint GSC x Sunset Sherbet all those years ago. At this point, our 2018 Strain of the Year winner has so many cup trophies, rap song names and progeny lines that there's nothing left to prove.
Grandpa Lila
Mendo Purps X skunk x Afghanistan
- Relaxed • Hungry •Happy
- Dizzy •Dry mouthIs
- THC 18% •CBD 0%
Trends are cyclical, just like cannabis cultivation. Purple weed in all its forms, from lavender to Mendocino Purps, has been in high demand for its unique pigment, grape flavor, and profound pain relief. In a landscape dominated by Cookies hybrids and whatever Seed Junky comes up with next, Grandaddy Purple, or simply GDP, keeps the love of Purp alive. It is a strong indica strain with a centuries-old history; We hope it stays trendy with the next generation too.
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Apple pieces
Sour apple XAnimal cookies
- Relaxed • Tingling •Silly
- Apple •Cheese •butter
- THC 24% •CBD 0%
Surprised? As the “youngest” strain on this list, the Lumpy's Sour Apple x Animal Cookies Apple Fritter cross has taken its place among people's favorite purchases. It's a unique choice – the apple tartness mixes with the airy cookie dough and even cheesy notes to create a brain-tingling concoction. We noted their dominance in a HighLight column last fall and it's clear that 2023 has been a strong year, even as more boutique varieties hit pharmacy shelves.
Sour diesel
Chemdog X Great skunk
- Energetic • Talkative •Creative
- Diesel •Spicy • Skunk
- THC 22% •CBD 0%
At our recent meeting in New York City with sour progenitor Asshole Joe, the East Coast-popular classic strain is actually more of a hybrid than a pure sativa – and we moved quickly to ensure our strain database reflected this. Sour Diesel offers consumers a profile rarely seen in cannabis – turpentine sour funk. And it appears to be poised for a revival, as new collaborations and competitive showcases show us that the more Terps change, the more they stay the same.
Pineapple Express
Train wreck X Hawaiian
- Energetic • Happy •Talkative
- pineapple •Tropical•mango
- THC 20% •CBG 1%
We're not talking about Seth Rogen's mid-'80s stoner comedy, but there's a lot of overlap with fans of this tropical sativa strain. Sativas are tricky – not everyone likes a cerebral high, and they tend to have more sour, citrusy, or chemical-like flavors. Pineapple Express wins because it offers energy without fear and has a flavor that eases the pain of a real trainwreck. And probably because it reminds us of a movie with lots of laughs.
Ice cream cake
wedding cake X Ice cream #33
- Relaxed • Hungry •Sleepy
- Vanilla •Butter •Sweet
- THC 22% •CBG 1%
Let's call it a weed nepo baby. Ice Cream Cake combines Wedding Cake and Gelato #33, a phenomenon also known as Larry Bird, for a generational cup winner full of vanilla, berry and diesel goodness that instantly calms the consumer. This is another success from Seed Junky, proving that the legendary breeders can create strains that appeal to both tastemakers in the industry and the everyday consumer.
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