Get to know three of our favorite classic summertime cannabis strains – and learn how to pair them with your special summer activities expertly.
Sometimes you can’t beat the classics. Especially during summer when school’s out-style nostalgia sends us hurtling into the arms of familiar favorites. Those perfectly broken in cutoffs. The scoop of vanilla soft serve. Watching 80s movies on the lawn. Summer is the ultimate nostalgic season.
And this is certainly true when it comes to cannabis! While there are days when you want the biggest, baddest, newest strain on the market, sometimes you feel like hanging with a familiar friend. Summer and classic weed strains go together like PB&J – or like sunscreen and the beach.
To celebrate the spirit of summer, we’re highlighting three classic strains, perfect for pairing with your favorite summer activities.
Durban Poison
Durban Poison is a pure sativa (or as pure as a sativa can get these days) from Durban, a South African port city (hence the name). The strain is a certified classic with a history dating back to the late 1970s! People say High Times columnist Ed Rosenthal first discovered Durban Poison, but like most things in cannabis, the truth is somewhat hazy. Still, we know that Rosenthal was in South Africa in the 1970s looking for new cannabis genetics, so it’s possible he located Durban seeds and started cultivating them.
Because Durban Poison is a “landrace strain,” it doesn’t have a complicated history of cross-breeding or mixing and matching with other strains. Instead, its genetics go back to an era when cannabis strains were closer to nature and experienced little human intervention. As a result, it’s a true cannabis classic!
It’s a sweet, aromatic, uplifting, and energetic strain which is why we think Durban Poison is perfect for your summertime Colorado activities.
Pineapple Express
Most likely named after the classic 2008 stoner film of the same name (for which Seth Rogan claims he and co-writer Evan Goldberg rolled over 100 cross-shaped joints), Pineapple Express was an early breakout hit of California’s legal dispensary scene.
This sativa-dominant hybrid is a blend of Hawaiian and Trainwreck. It includes a touch of CBD that gives it an extra potent power to relieve generalized aches, pain, and minor anxiety.
The pineapple isn’t just in the name, either! Fans say pineapple express has a distinctively fruity aroma, with notes of mango, green apple, and, you guessed it, pineapple. In addition, pineapple Express’s terpene profile includes caryophyllene, which gives it a spicy, clovey bite, and humulene, which lends a herbal scent.
Like Red Headed Stranger, Pineapple Express is an energy-stimulating strain that boosts creativity and mood while creating a relaxing, energetic full-body high that lasts all day long. It has a higher and more variable THC content, meaning it’s ideal for laid-back lounging on a pool floaty, or relaxing with your favorite classic summer flick. Do you have to smoke Pineapple Express while watching Pineapple Express? Nah, but we bet it’s a lot of fun!
Lavender Jones
Unlike the pop culture inspiration behind our first two classic weed strain lineages, Lavender Jones got its name the same way that kid in your elementary school with the hyphenated spot on the seating chart did – by taking one each from its parents.
Lavender Jones is a dreamy blend of Purple Urkle (hence, Lavender) and Casey Jones. This balanced hybrid is rumored to be a Colorado original, and its unique, floral flavor and perfectly balanced effects give us some serious hometown pride.
This classic strain comes on like a Sativa, elevating mood, relieving tension, and boosting creative inspiration. After the initial upswing comes the Indica kick, a seriously relaxing sensation that washes warmly through the body for the perfect full-body high.
We love indulging in Lavender Jones on weekend afternoons when we’re in the mood to meditate and unwind. This happy strain will lift your spirit while keeping nerves calm and the mind at ease, making it the perfect companion for an afternoon in the sunshine.
What’s your favorite classic cannabis strain? And what are your favorite summertime activities? Drop by and tell us; we’d love to know.