OG Kush

OG Kush is a world renowned strain with a consistently high potency (20%-25%) and a reputation that is nothing short of legendary. That's not surprising, as many experienced smokers will list it among their favorite strains. In addition to being popular and having won numerous Cannabis Cup awards all over the world, OG Kush is also one of the most interbred strains on the market, with countless cuts and hybrids carrying the name and its derivative genetics. While the 75% indica/25% sativa composition is expected, a moderate degree of genetic variety within the OG Kush genepool may result in possible variations.

The true OG Kush plant has large, dense buds that form in a structure consistent with the indica variety. Depending on the phenotype and growing conditions, colors can vary from yellowish green to purple. The buds themselves are generously covered in trichomes, creating the appearance of frost covered nugs that are incredibly sticky to the touch. The smell of OG Kush is pungent and expansive, resembling the natural woodland scents of pine and earth.

The experience that OG Kush produces is more cerebral than it is physical. It begins with a head rush that awakens the user to their surroundings and stimulates the senses. There is a sensation of euphoria and mood enhancement, without anxiety or racing thoughts that typically accompany pure sativa strains, especially with comparable potencies. Being the uplifting strain that it is, OG Kush is best enjoyed during the day or early evening. It is a strain that lends itself exceptionally well to the user's mood and mindset, making it wonderful for livening up social events or enhancing activities ranging from playing video games to exercising, or even having sex. OG Kush has medical applications as well, capable of relieving anxiety, depression, helping people with ADD, or even providing effective pain relief.

When combusted, OG Kush tends to give off harsh and cough-inducing smoke, capable of stinging the sinuses and make one's eyes water. The taste resembles classic indica flavors with hashy and spicy undertones. There is also a lengthy after-taste. With larger doses, OG Kush has the potential to induce paranoia, as well as to produce some dry mouth.

Capable of being grown indoors or out, OG Kush reaches up to 3.5 feet in height and requires a consistent temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Its cultivation calls for some gardening skills, as the larger leaves at the top of the plant need trimming to allow light to reach the flowering nodes located on the lower branches.

Despite its global popularity, the origins of OG Kush are widely debated, but California is considered the birth place of the strain. Many seed suppliers list it as a cross between Hindu Kush and Chemdawg, but the more likely lineage is a 3 way cross between Chemdawg, Lemon Thai and Pakistani Kush. What isn't being debated, however, is the fact that this renowned strain has played an integral part in the genesis of many famous OG based strains we know and use today.

It is said that in 1993, a breeder named John from Grass Valley, California shared a remarkable cut of Chemdawg with another breeder named Harold (nicknamed Putz) from Sunset Beach, California. Putz proceeded to cross the Chemdawg cut with a cross of Lemon Thai and Pakistani Kush, and by 1995, the result of this 3 way cross was circulating in Southern California, impressing everyone who encountered this amazing new bud. It was Putz who coined the "OG" moniker, intending to describe that the strain was "Ocean Grown" and not derived from a mountainous region, as someone was inferring at the time. The short-hand version of the name he coined stuck and its been used ever since.

In 1996, Putz stepped away from the booming California cannabis scene and gave his remaining stock and seeds to 3 friends and growers: Mike (Mad Dog) from Downey, California, Jerry (Cowboy) from Dibble Creek, California, and Bob (beans) from Salinas, California. Growers from San Fernando Valley, California acquired seeds from Mike and went on to create the original San Fernando Valley cut, a sativa-dominant phenome with more energetic effects, compared to the original. Another breeder in Orange County, California acquired another cut from Mike and proceeded to cultivate what was to become Larry OG, a popular strain that is still prominent in the area.

Meanwhile, Jerry the Cowboy bred his original cut with an indica male from Humboldt County and working with this genetic combination developed a pheno that resembled the original Chem Dog in smell, taste and effect. Remarkably, it was a pure indica and became known as the West Coast Dog. It was Bob Beans who subsequently took the West Coast Dog strain and bred it back to a Pakistani Kush male, then crossed a male of that product with the original OG cut Putz had gifted Bob. This final crossing resulted in what became the original Bubba OG.

Some additional (and popular) cuts spawned from OG Kush's building blocks include:

•Tahoe OG, introduced by a breeder named Swerve who sourced the cut to the Lake Tahoe area in the 90's, which is where John from Grass Valley obtained his early genetics as well.

•Ghost OG, from a cut that found itself to a member of the Overgrow forum (the largest cannabis grow site up until 2006) named "Ghost" who distributed his variant of the strain.

•Abusive OG, which was another cut that was introduced into the cannabis community by a grower named "Abusive," a fellow member of the Overgrow forum.

•Diablo OG, which was a strain that was also bred in the San Fernando Valley region of Southern California in the late 90s that went on to become a local favorite.

•Private Reserve OG, a strain that is very popular on the west coast is said to be derived from an OG cut brought to the scene by a breeder named ORGNKID.

•HA OG, a cut that came from Orange County, bred and distributed by the same crew that developed the Larry OG pheno.

•Poison OG, created by a breeder named O.Gkushman, who grew the strain from a seed he discovered inside a pound of OG that he got back in '96.