The best OG strains of 2022

Few strains are more legendary than OG Kush. Typically high in the terpenes myrcene, limonene, and caryophyllene, this powerful yet balanced strain is loved for its reputed physical and mental stimulation. I find she gives me a gassy citrus nose and a powerful, immersive high, so I’m not surprised that the history of this strain is as rich in lore and magic as her effect on me.

As with most iconic strains, the details of her origins depend on who you ask. While there are many rumors and iterations of OG history, it all seems to have started when two breeders, Matt Berger (Matt Bubba) and Josh Del Rosso (Josh D), moved cuttings from what would become OG Kush, made possible – as well as Bubba Kush – from Florida to California in 1996.

“I know there are different versions of his story, so I can only speak from my experience,” said Kenji Fujishima, legendary breeder and head of cultivation at Insane and Dr. Greenthumb, both owned by B Real. “In 1997, it was me gifted Kush Bubba seeds that came from Josh D’s garden,” Fujishima said. “I pheno-hunted the original Bubba. We started growing it in B Real’s garage in 1997 and that eventually became it Bubba Kush as we know it today.”

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He continued, “B Real and I put the ‘OG’ nickname to the test because it was the ‘original’. It had nothing to do with Original Gangster or Ocean Grown. I respect that, for some others they thought it stood for it, but in our camp it said ‘Original’ to set it apart from everything else out there.”

The strain made its rounds in Los Angeles’ underground cannabis scene and quickly became a favorite in the rap world. “When I started touring with B Real and Cypress Hill in the late ’90s, I grew it along the way and introduced it to everyone,” Fujishima said. “We gave Snoop his first ounce of OG.”

As OG’s popularity exploded over the next several decades, so did the strains it spawned. GSC, Zkittles, Headband, and Gelato all descended from cuts of OG, a breakthrough strain that shaped the landscape of modern cannabis.

To illustrate the breadth of this iconic strain, we’ve selected three fantastic cuts of OG Kush to rate and review. However, remember that it always comes down to personal taste and what your unique endocannabinoid system focuses on. Each of these cuts are tried, true, and loved by the cannabis community, so don’t take my word for it. Try them yourself. You can’t go wrong when they’re all winners.

Third Place – True Classic: True OG

True Classic is an LA brand founded by a master breeder in 1996, well before the massive breeder and business brothers of Prop 64 turned black market into middle class. Brands that have been around for so long are always a green flag because you really need to know what you’re doing to weather the prohibition storm and still be pumping fiery weed.

Aside from a few limited edition offerings, the brand is mostly known for their flagship True OG strain. A killer example of OG Kush, these buds are dense, firm, and light green under a layer of red hairs and crystals. They have that crispy, crystalline texture that indicates good weed and is a hallmark of good OG.

The smell is unique, a deep blend of pine sap, Meyer lemon and diesel, with a pepper blast at the end that’s a bit spicier than your average OG. The taste was zesty lemon on the inhale and pine forest on the exhale.

While the other two shades on my list offered a rather sluggish experience overall for me, True OG started out bright and energetic before settling into an overly relaxing, stoned high. While this OG is typically considered an afternoon/evening strain, in my humble opinion she was nuanced, versatile, and perfect for any time of the day or night.

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Second Place – The Cure Company: Alien OG

The Cure Company is among the most reputable indoor growers in the industry, having built an empire from a seed-to-sale model it has been destroying since 1996. Her blooms are striking, beautiful, and meticulously cultivated—especially when it comes to her OG cuts like the famous Marathon OG and the one I’m reviewing today: Alien OG.

Alien OG is a cross between Tahoe OG and Alien Kush. It’s grumpy in the head and melting in the body. The buds are beautiful, fully crystallized in glistening trichomes, a million shades of green, and the smell is overwhelmingly intoxicating. Gassy, ​​spicy lemon and earthy, deep pine. The flavor is the same, with hints of fruit and enhanced citrus on the exhale.

For me, this flower had an extremely relaxing body high with an exciting head high. Physically, I experienced an instant release from anything that was sucking. It created a kind of flow state energy where I was hyper happy and not tired at all, but not the most productive either. Rather than a daytime smoke, this flower was better suited for getting lost in the absence of fear and just drifting contentedly.

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First Place – Insane: Insane OG

Insane is hands down the most reputable celebrity brand of all time. “What makes OG Kush such a popular strain is that there is no other strain like it,” said Fujishima. “To date, there is no other comparable variety that I have grown. Their aroma and structure are so unique. I remember when we grew it at B’s it smelled all over the block unlike any strain I had grown before. It was unreal. OG has a very special gas/pine-like smell and taste that was and still is unforgettable.”

Unforgettable is a great word to describe this special cut of true 90’s genetics, protected and nurtured by Fujishima himself. While Insane OG dominates in myrcene and limonene with caryophyllene like most OGs, it also brings linalool to the party, adding a fruity, floral element to the flavor and high.

I’ve written about this strain a few times because I think she’s really perfect in every way. The flower has a certain vitality, sharp and fresh, and it feels alive to me. The buds I sampled were beautifully hand trimmed and sparkling with trichomes, green leaves, and red hairs.

This was the most robust terpene profile of the group, absolutely stoned and haunting, like a tidal wave of lemon pine pouring out of the bag into an earthy, fruity rainforest. The taste was so light with undertones of citrus and gas, pine and fruity that it was an all-encompassing rainbow of terpene flavors.

The high was physically tingling and euphoric. Mentally I was awake, present, and experiencing an elevated version of reality minus all the crappy feelings that can come with actually experiencing reality. For me, a lover of all things OG, Insane OG was the perfect balance of uplifting and relaxing. And that, in my opinion, is the dichotomy that makes OG Kush so popular in the first place.

But like I said, try it yourself.

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