Before we jump into our sticky pool of terp data, it’s important to note that Haze, unlike the “cake” and “cheese” strains, has a much broader gene pool and therefore the definition of which strains fall into this category is, well, hazy.
A CBD Haze Craze?
From our “haze” samples, two out of 5 sample products are named “Mango Haze” and, interestingly, both of them show a somewhat balanced THC:CBD ratio. Traditionally, mango hazes are usually high THC and called but these have been crossed with CBD hemp strains to create more of a 1:1. Similarly, the Organic Skunk Haze used in this study was also a more balanced THC:CBD product meaning that 3 out of our 5 samples are “balanced” flower, which we found surprising from a strain that is thought to be a classic “Sativa”.
The 5 samples we tested for this are:
The Terpenes Found in "Haze" Strains
Looking at our Haze samples we wanted to know what exactly gives it that characteristic “Haze” flavor, aroma and effect. Haze is known to have a sweet and often citrusy aroma with undertones of earth and spice. How similar are these “hazes” even after the extensive cross breeding that has occurred? Our test was able to find the top terpenes for these 5 samples.
The chart below shows the top terpenes for these 5 samples.
#1 Beta Myrcene
- The dominant terpene in the sample set is Beta Myrcene, appearing as the top terp for 3 samples and in the top 2 for 4 out of 5 samples. Not a big surprise here as it is the most common terp in commercial cannabis and the “mango” terpene.
#2 Caryophyllene
- The pepper terp accounts for the “spicy” note in hazes and was found in the top 4 terpenes for all our samples and as the top terp in the Organic Skunk Haze.
#3 Ocimene
- This terpene is often used in perfume due to its sweet, floral and spicy aroma, which sounds almost exactly like the profile that Haze is known for. Ocimine was found in the top 5 terpenes for 3 out of 5 samples and was the second most abundant in the Mango Haze. It was found in both “Mango hazes”
#5 Alpha-Bisabolol
- This is a far less common terpene with a floral smell and a growing literature around its pain-killing and anti-inflammatory properties. Found in the top 5 for 3 out of the 5 strains and #2 in the Organic Skunk Haze after Caryophyllene.
Interestingly, limonene was not in the top 5 for the Lemon Haze but was in Ghost Train Haze.
A Hazy History
Haze genetics have quite a long history and are often referred to as the genetic backbone of many hybridized sativa strains we see in today’s markets. Legend often suggests that the original Haze genetics come from two brothers living in Santa Cruz, California in the 1970’s crossing a Mexican landrace with a Colombian landrace, crossing its offspring with an Indian landrace, then crossing those offspring with a Thai landrace and poof, OG haze!
The lore continues that the original Haze genetics were then brought to Amsterdam in the early 1980’s where they were crossed with other prized genetics to create some of the most well-known strains in existence to this day: Neville’s Haze, Purple Haze (with its impact on Jimi Hendrix), Amnesia Haze, Silver Haze, etc.
From there, these classic cultivars have been bred even further to create hundreds of different varieties of haze-derived genetics that we see today. Which means that the definition of this strain family is, well, a little hazy, with a wider variance in terpene profiles than we have seen in our cake or cheese categories.
Stay tuned as we continue this series! Up next: Fuel.
If you’d like to learn more about terpenes, check out our posts about primary terpenes and secondary terpenes.
