Best Cannabis Strains in 2021

Staying on top of the latest cannabis trends is what we do here at March and Ash. Check out what strains are at the top of the list so far in 2021. Written by Tom Searcy

GMO is not a genetically modified plant in this case, but it is probably one of the most popular strains, if not the most popular Indica-dominant Hybrid right now. It’s broad lineage makes it hard hitting and extremely potent. This indica is sometimes known as Garlic Cookies, a cross of the potent ChemDawg and the popular Girl Scout Cookies strain. Looking back one generation from its parent strains, we find Durban X OG kush and Sour Diesel x OG Kush. Spicy Durban, Double OG, and Gassy Sour D. Simply put, all of the strains that make up GMO are known to create heavily sedating effects with uncomparable flavor.

GMO’s aroma is sometimes compared to the culinary holy trinity - garlic, mushroom, and onion; which is another reason this strain has earned its legendary name. When opening a jar of GMO cannabis, the user is immediately slapped in the face with a strong sour foot smell, while others compare it to a mixture of burnt rubber and fast food. ChemDawg always expresses itself as gassy and spicy, and is the true backbone to the GMO flavor. But when it is blended with Durban’s herbal peppery terpenes and the classic earthy pine scents of OG Kush, it results in one of the most flavorful, powerful, and all around amazing strains to ever be packed in a bowl.

GMO’s appearance is usually dense, dark green buds with purple hues. This ultra potent strain’s terpene content contains Limonene, Myrcene, Caryophyllene, and Humulene. Its effects are heavy all the way around, a great strain for sedation or sleep aid. It also finds good use as a pain reliever, and for inflammation. With a mentally uplifting high that creates euphoric space, this is the perfect bud to smoke at the end of your day.

Wedding Cake aka Pink Cookies aka Birthday Cake

When you start with great building block strains, the resulting lineage evolves into even better strains, and Wedding Cake is a testament to this idea. The child of Girl Scout Cookies (GSC) and Cherry pie, this hybrid has remained popular with its unmistakable pungent peppery, yet sweet creamy vanilla flavor, complete with citrus aromas.

Wedding Cake has earned its place among the new exotic dessert strain wave, which has taken the industry by storm in the past couple of years with strains like Sherbert, Biscotti, and Ice Cream Cake. The age of cookie crosses is upon us and cultivators everywhere are taking advantage of the OG Kush x Durban Poison profile that makes Girl Scout Cookies such a timeless strain. It is stable, usually tests high in THC, resistant to pests and mildew, and produces some of the most desired flavors in hybrids and indicas on the market. Imagine crossing the heavyweight GSC with the legendary Grandaddy Purple (GDP) and Durban (Cherry Pie). The resulting grandchild, two generations later to grandaddy purps affair with Durban, is Wedding Cake. Its sweet, pungent, citrus flavor comes from its Durban lineage, while the GDP sweetens its overall taste.

Its effects are described as euphoric, increased heaviness and sedation. While the body stays in a relaxed state, however, its cerebral effects are speedy, creative and “tuned in.” This is the perfect strain to relax with, as its dominant terpene limonene makes it a great stress and anxiety reliever. Wedding cake may also be used for chronic pain, migraines, and inflammation. With so many perfect unions down its parental line, Wedding Cake is the perfect name for this frosty hybrid that can be found in some form on the lineup of most cannabis dispensaries.

Of the classic strains, Silver Haze is probably one of the oldest and most well known. Its frosty trichomes over light green nugs give it a shimmery silver hue, hence the name. Pioneered by Sensi Seeds Farms, this cross of NL #5 and Haze is a sativa lover's dream.This full sativa is uplifting, energizing, and euphoric, characterized by a piney, menthol, floral, and sweet aroma.

Photo courtesy of Cannabiotix.

This champion strain has brought home High Times cups in ’97, ’98, and again in ’99. With an 8-week flower period and high yield, Silver Haze has made its way into gardens in one form or another. Its popular child strain, Super Silver Haze, is the result of crossing Super Skunk #1. Super silver haze won the High Times cup in 2005 for best sativa.

Silver Haze has a fast paced, racy high and puts users in a giggly, happy space. It is great for an active, on-the-go smoker because it will not weigh you down or end the high in a couch lock state. The extreme sativaness of this strain is known to create feelings of paranoia in some users, so beginners should beware. It creates a talkative, happy high for most people, though, and will keep the smoker uplifted until the end of the high. Its diverse terpene profile contains Myrcene, Caryophyllene, Limonene, Linalool, Pinene, and Hummelene.

Cookies crosses are here to stay. Biscotti is the result of great pheno hunting, repeated testing, and a solid understanding of cannabis lineage. First created by Berner and his Cookies brand, this 20/80 indica-dominant hybrid has made waves in the modern cannabis market. While Runtz, Sherbert, and Gelato are some of the most popular exotic strains, Biscotti takes dessert weed to a new level.

Its lineage comes from the stable Girl Scout Cookies pheno Thin Mint Cookies crossed with South Florida OG and Gelato 25. Gelato was born from the cross of Sunset Sherbert and Girl Scout Cookies. Gelato has become one of the most solid breeding cookies strains of the decade, with brands like Connected and Alien Labs banking on it as their main building block. It is no wonder, as the reliable cookie genetics have expressed themselves in many great phenos. Most dispensaries carry at least the Gelato 41 and 33 phenos, the 33 sometimes going by the name Larry Bird, a nod to the NBA all star’s jersey number.

Identified by its dense cookie nug structure, Biscotti’s buds are dark green with purple hues, sometimes looking entirely purple. With so much Girl Scout Cookies in its lineage, it’s no surprise that this sweet, flavorful bud has an earthy, buttery, and gassy taste. Its sweet gassy flavor coats the mouth on inhale and leaves a cinnamon spice on the exhale. Users report a powerful head high that clears the mind, resets the brain, and creates a cerebral buzz that lasts for hours. A great aid for relaxation, sleep, or just a general blissful feeling, Biscotti also creates a calming body high.

Experts speculate there is a 9-10 week flowering period, but not enough is known about this strain to be sure. Biscotti is exclusive to the west coast, and because it is a part of the Cookies family of strains, it is not available as a seed or clone.

This strain is an indica-dominant hybrid. Sometimes called strawnana for short, it is the love child of Crockett’s Banana Kush and the strawberry pheno of the Bubblegum strain. Bubblegum is a sativa-dominant hybrid with unknown lineage, but its effects are reported as being uplifting and its flavor sweet, a nod to the namesake. Combining the Bubblegum strain with Banana creates a tropadelic punch flavor with heavy banana overtones throughout. The high expresses itself in a happy, content, and sometimes inward exploratory state of mind. Because of its reported effects to create a space of floaty euphoria within the mind, it is a popular strain for creatives.

While Strawberry Banana’s flower time is between 8-9 weeks, it does not produce a big yield. To best preserve this plant's precious resins and terpenes, many companies choose to utilize this strain in concentrates, and it truly is a dabbers delight. Strawberry Banana translates into concentrates well because of its resinous trichomes, which in turn create higher yields for extractors.