7 High-Energy Strains to Help You Get Active and Fight Fatigue

(Gillian Levine for Leafly)

Certain cannabis strains can provide a good deal of energy, allowing you to keep active and crush the fatigue keeping you down. This realization can be life-changing for those susceptible to daytime lethargy, whether that comes from depression, stress, insomnia, a genetic predisposition, or another reason. Getting out of bed can seem like a monumental task when fatigue itself is a force of gravity, but the right strain can provide a boost of motivation to get those legs moving.

Maybe fatigue isn’t a problem and you just prefer a good energizing strain in lieu of a morning cup of coffee, or to pair with hiking or exercise. Finding the perfect strain for you often requires a good deal of experimentation, but this list should give you a good jumping-off point.

Find More Strains & Products at Your Nearest Dispensary

Durban Poison

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Late one night, I was struggling to finish an article and my eyes were beginning to heavy. I fired up my vaporizer, loaded some Durban Poison, and breathed in the sweet and spicy vapor. Within minutes, I found myself hammering away at the keyboard with resurrected creativity and engagement. To no one’s surprise, this uplifting strain is known to contain high levels of the energizing cannabinoid THCV.

“Durban Poison is like the “espresso” of cannabis. The raciest sativa I know of, it’s a stimulating and clearheaded high with no trace of numbing or “stoning.” It wakes you up, cuts through the bleary fog and leaves you clearheaded and bright, gives you energy to go and seize the day.” –MrTibet

Jillybean

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The moment you unscrew the lid on Jillybean’s jar, the room fills with a sweet fragrance of oranges, honeyed mangoes, and sweet wildflowers. The aromatherapy provided by Jillybean is just a bonus to the uplifting effects that make your mind soar with newfound inspiration.

“Great daytime fix for when you need to be social or productive. Gives a nice uplifting head buzz, but doesn’t ever weigh down your body. Leaves you motivated, happy, energetic, and focused.” –vinylvixen

Harlequin

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Some people are sensitive to THC. It can make them anxious, paranoid, sleepy, dizzy, or dry out the mouth and eyes. Luckily, not every energizing strain contains high levels of THC. Take the high-CBD sativa Harlequin for example. This strain provides a weightless sensation with very minimal psychoactive effects, making it an excellent choice for any tasks that require clearheaded cognition. Plus, it’s great for treating pain.

“During my daily workouts I smoke a little Harlequin before strength training. It keeps me focused through the pain and helps to maximize my workout. It keeps me up and feeling good on my days off (I work graveyard shift).” – naturallyjass

Chocolope

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My go-to favorite for staying active, Chocolope is a fiercely cerebral strain whose uplifting effects will keep motivation flying high. Its earthy flavor pairs perfectly with coffee, and it just so happens that the strain’s energizing effects complement each other nicely. Long touted as the perfect “wake-and-bake” strain, Chocolope will leave you feeling unencumbered and motivated to take that long hike or hit the gym.

“A great all-around daytime strain, Chocolope eases my worries and helps me get stuff done that I would be otherwise too stressed to handle. All of a sudden doing laundry, cooking, cleaning and running errands doesn’t feel like too much. This strain lifts the weight of the world off my shoulders and makes me want to do stuff!” – PhantomSpaceman

Ghost Train Haze

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This speedy strain is best saved for cannabis veterans and heavyweights. With a THC content high enough to put this strain on our list of strongest strains, you can count on quite the euphoric ride when you hop aboard the Ghost Train. For those of you who can hang with this extra-potent sativa, expect a trippy buzz that inspires appreciation of your surroundings, especially while outdoors.

“When I smoke this, I really want to get up and go on adventures. I feel aware of my surroundings and can even focus very well. But, at the same time, feel very chill and carefree. Carefree is the best word to describe the feeling. You just feel ALIVE. You feel perfect.” – Shock_T

Green Crack

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I had to do it. I had to include Green Crack because despite having an eyebrow-raising name, this sativa is a godsend for those of us who need a giant kick in the butt to get active. Though the raciness of its high can be too much for the paranoia-prone, imbibing this sativa in a comfortable setting yields astonishingly stimulating effects. You’ll find your body humming with liveliness, fueling your desire to get out with friends and lose yourself to nonstop laughing fits.

“OMG, this stuff made me want to rearrange my furniture for four hours. LOVE IT!” – itsmemsj

XJ-13

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I can hardly resist snagging this sativa-dominant hybrid when I see it on the shelf. Led by an astoundingly pungent aroma of lemon, lime, and tropical fruit, XJ-13 is as much a pleasure in flavor as it is in effect. XJ has a way of simplifying life, encouraging you to let go of stress and emotional baggage. Unencumbered by mental weight, XJ-13 leaves you buzzing with newfound energy and allows you to take genuine pleasure in conversation, art, and activities.

“This instinctively feels like an amazing strain for those with social anxiety as it brings your energy levels and creative thinking up. This may be a new favorite for the sativa lover in me.” – Koensayr

Lead image: Sara Dilley/Leafly

chocolope durban-poison exercise ghost-train-haze green-crack harlequin jillybean strains xj-13

Dave Hogate

The best is time tried “Acapulco Gold”
- P.J. Rafter
  
  Indeed, that *instant* buzz and the intense head zooming off of your shoulders into the stratosphere thing ─ the big, fluffy snow-white pistils that quickly changed to a pure golden color… happy daze, indeed?
  
  Did I mention the small stature (for a Mexican sativa) and its perfect symmetry?
  
  Had it a few years until cops took it off of me back in ’98…
- B. Alvn
  
  i’m sure part of the reason it was (is still?) so good is the fact that, like Maui Wowie, Panama Red, Humboldt County Skunk, and other classics, it is grown outdoors in climates and conditions that make the plant happy. despite all the hype, outdoor-grown, unforced, organic weed is just always way better in every way, and most of the stuff around nowadays is grown indoors and forced to bud with lights and all that. sure, they may get more THC, less seeds, bigger buds, and such, but they are missing out on a broad spectrum of nutrients and natural sunlight, wind, rain, temperature variations, and such all that have to have an effect on the result.
  
  a good analogy might be those “cardboard” tomatoes you can buy 365 days a year compared to something grown in gramma’s garden naturally, and picked when actually ripe…in short, there is no comparison whatsoever!
  - Bakari Kamau
    
    You have literally no idea what you’re talking about. This comment is so chock-full of hippie nonsense and it’s cringey as hell.
    
    “sure, they may get more THC, less seeds, bigger buds, and such…”
    
    Yes, they will grow a plant that’s superior in literally every way that matters to the end consumer. Way to negate your argument before you even get started.
    
    “…but they are missing out on a broad spectrum of nutrients and natural sunlight, wind, rain, temperature variations, and such all that have to have an effect on the result.”
    
    What “broad spectrum of nutrients” can’t be either found in a bottle or generated in the soil by microorganisms? Natural sunlight is just a certain spectrum range — easily emulated by LEDs, and can be improved upon by boosting UV-B. Wind can be made with fans. Rain is just water. Temperature variations can be created at will by upping the ventilation or turning on AC. Literally everything you named can be recreated indoors, with greater precision, tailored specifically to a plant’s genetic traits.
    
    You wanna know what’s great about organic buds? They’re more sustainable to grow. That’s it. That’s the only fact-based argument you can make. Everything else is made-up hippie lies.
    - Fun Please
      
      Sunlight is not easily emulated by LEDS
      You don’t know what you are talking about, dolomite
- Hep Yo
  
  Definitely NOT the best strain for the article’s avowed theme “to get you active”.
  
  Spending two hours noting every detail about a flower is not “getting active”. 🙂
Scotti Myers

BLUEBERRY DYNOMITE
Sylvia Jordan

I really like the Sativa Sour Diesel, but definitely will try these two.
- Allamakee
  
  If you haven’t tried it yet, do try Durban Poison. It is the best strain for energizing, bar none. Harlequin is good, but I find that if you do more than two hits, couch-lock is inevitable.
  - Avery
    
    It’s my #1
  - Chris
    
    Keep wanting to try durban poison, but definitely ghost train haze is good and lemon cake is slightly underrated but I love hazes and sour diesel. Even got some mids that were a sativa that i believe was originally from Mexico and that was great in edibles for energy too
  - Sylvia Jordan
    
    Really, wow excited to try Harliquin, because Harli-Tsu does not do that, that’s strange Harlequin is a very high CBD percentage and it should not keep u on the couch. I just tried Durban Poison and love it. Mad energy, and no on the couch for me. Still gonna try the Harliquin. I did. Like Green Grack, that definitely left me on the couch, but I was smoking crumble not the flower.
turnipmagee

Some good ones here. I’ll add Panama, Oaxacan, Colombian, Thai landraces.
For hybrids – East coast Sour Diesel, ECSDH, SSSDH, SSH & SLH.
- Chris
  
  Yup most hazes are pretty good for energy and definitely thai but sour diesel is a mainly sativa hybrid that is high in thc but gives a good clearer headed high with lots of energy
- B. Alvn
  
  i spent a couple of weeks in Oaxaca one time and bought a full zipper…man that shit is just electric…never did forget it, and to think i got screwed because it was mostly just shake with a lot of stems, seeds, and very few nugs. i can’t imagine what a cola would have been like, but i was still happy for my (what was it?) 15 bucks or whatever it was! ;-D
Bryan

I can’t believe Super Lemon Haze did not make the list. One of the most euphoric and uplifting strains I have ever had. White Fire is another good one that is more of a 50/50 but is still very uplifting. Agent Orange will have you bouncing off the walls as well.
- Chris
  
  Or sour diesel is another great strain for energy to get through a long day
- Dom B. Lemcke
  
  seriously? this info makes my day! Super Lemon Haze (they call it Princeton in the pharmacy here in Germany) is one of very few strains, that I can technically get with a prescription!!
  if what you say about that strain is true, you cannot even imagine how happy you got me!
scarfaceflamz

the only thing on that list thats in my area is harlequin i havent tried it yet
ANGELA

hi everyone im new to all of this and learning a lot.thank you. i need an energizing strain and going to my first dispensery tomorrow. i need energy like no ones business. any suggestions?
- Travis West
  
  Green crack or Amnesia Haze are great for that 🙂
- B. Alvn
  
  If you really need energy, I recommend a form Chinese tea called Puerh …I mean you could of course mix it with whatever else 😉 but Puerh tea much different than thse old Lipton teabags many people think of as tea… You can eat it and stay energized all day too, as they do in Himilayan countries…
  - jayrey
    
    wtf?
toc001

Green Crack but also Kilimanjaro. Intense.
Karen Bornson Harrington

Thanks for the info. Just picked up Harlequin. Happy to know that I made the right choice.
Happy 420!
Gloria Arguinzoni

Any recommendations for a very low THC, good energy strain? I am new to this. Ok, with high CBD.
- Etidorhpa
  
  Did you not read the article? Go back and read about Harlequin.
  - BSTV
    
    Hey. How do you know about Etidorhpa? That’s a very obscure book. I have a first edition I got in Cincy.
    - Etidorhpa
      
      First edition must be rare. I read that 1992. I learned about in a biography about Gordon Wasson.
- Susanna Withers
  
  I am also trying to find a high CBD low THC strain that provides energy, and it’s really nice to have a list of at least five in your pocket, especially if you live in a state that was only recently licensed and your choices are super-limited. (Etidorhpa, how about being helpful instead of biting her head off? Sure, Harlequin’s on the list, but it’s also the only high-CBD one listed and its THC level isn’t mentioned at all.) Gloria, ACDC and Pineapple Kush are two I can think of off the top of my head, but check out allbud.com. It lets you organize search results by CBD content. So this search I just did will give you a list of energizing strains with the highest CBD content ones near the top. It’s not always totally accurate but it’s still super handy. Good luck! Let me know if you find a good one.
  
  (PS While you’re surfing, check out this article. Has some info about all the other components of cannabis strains like CBN, CBG and terpenes that we tend to forget about, but a lot of people think that terpene content has more to do with the effects that certain strains produce than just the THC/CBD and indica/sativa ratios. Interesting stuff.)
  - Ramesh Dvindra
    
    Nice response, and thanks for the additional resources. I do get paranoid easily but am searching for an energising flower. I know there are not guarantees and trial and error is the way, but any shortcuts are appreciated. I love that you can search by CBD content. Many of the menus I read do not provide ratios.
    - R Stone
      
      I have narcolepsy & I fight to stay awake during daytime hours, so energizing cannabis helps but I get paranoid & anxious behind the high THC. My solution is microdose whatever I choose to try (small amounts & light hits) take one hit & wait for a little bit & see where it puts me. Often I will get a comfortable zip from a single hit but 3 is over the top. I also keep a high CBD strain such as “Yummy by Mr Nice” 19.25% CBD .75% THC on hand & add a bit to my Grapefruit, Sour Diesel, Durban Poison, or Green Crack to take that paranoid edge off.
      - Stephanie Ennis Quire
        
        High from Kentucky, R Stone,
        I too, have Narcolepsy n TRULY can empathize; the more I research the more hope I feel hope…
        know ur not alone
      - Dom B. Lemcke
        
        I wsuffer from MS and have severe fatigue attacks. it looks kinda like narcolepsy. lately, I’ve been trying around with this drug for narcoleptics, modafinil – I believe it’s called Vigil in the US. that really didn’t help too much. unfortunately, my insurabce refuses to pay for medical cannabis, instead they want me to take THC/CBD sprays, or THC drops – it sucks, u can’t reduce cannabis to one or two single components! that’s what the pharma indusry wants, THC pills and never let anyone use those evil plants… you guys in the US are so lucky, but that’s about the only regard! 😉
      - kim
        
        What do you mean “but that’s about the only regard”? USA is the best country in the world. That’s why everyone is trying to get in. You are being unnecessarily rude. Didn’t your parents teach you any manners?
      - Gmoo
        
        USA! USA! USA! 🇺🇸 🇺🇸
      - Dom B. Lemcke
        
        Yeah, you tell yourself that! Trust me, soon the poorest of our poor, people on wellfare and early-pension will make as much as the median American income.
        I bet, zou have never left the US_ It isn|t as great as zou think and each and everz European with healthcare is much happier than zou and those of zour ilk (ignorant and/or stupid people).
        Trump’s America is “naziland 2.0”.
      - commonsensebeliever
        
        You can buy CBD oil,that has so little THC in it, it is safe for children and pets, as well as THC oil. That way, one can finely tweek the amounts of them to get the desired effect. CBD oil is made from Hemp, not MJ and legally sold places where even medical marijuana is still not legal.
        BTW, I live in the US and President Trump is working hard to maintain our rights and freedoms, especially freedom of speech, religion, personal privacy and freedom to own a gun, which the liberal Left want to take away. The Liberals want a dictatorship where the government controls everything…that is fascism and what the Nazi wanted. I am sorry you are getting the wrong information from the main stream media networks who have aligned themselves with the Liberals and are spreading lies and liberal propaganda. They are on the offensive as President Trump has been investigating politicians in our federal government as he promised he would do and a whole lot of them know they’re about to be arrested. Dozens of them have already resigned or announced they would not run for office again when their term was over since President Trump took office.
  - Alon Wolf
    
    Just now stumbled across this article and read it and the comments, including yours.
    Your comment is several months old, so you may not even this, but just wanted to say you come across as a real class act.
    You are good people.
    - Susanna Withers
      
      Hey, thanks. That’s really nice. 🙂
- andrew drick
  
  3D CBD by leafs by snoop. At the dispensary I get it from I believe its 3% THC and 6-8% CBD. It is a Sativa. I hope you have luck finding it in your area 🙂
bestmarijuanaproducts.net

high
Jewy McJew

For anyone fighting fatigue and brain-fog, Green Crack (or Green Cush) is the gold standard by far BUT be carefull… it is difficult to grow and rarely turns out well. The best I have ever had was from Tilray many years ago. However, the same company’s production the next year did not have the same anti-fatigue properties. I have not found the same incredible strand and have been ‘chasing the dragon’ ever since.

If anyone finds a good source for anti-fatigue Green Crack Sativa, please share!
- Truth Space
  
  Plan to grow some Green Crack from seed this spring. Going to flower out a clone from each seedling that I propagate, hoping to find a nice mom with that high energy phenotype.
  
  It’s part of my plan to find three strains. 1.High energy. 2.Sleep inducing anti-spasm 3. High CBC for pain relief, low THC
The Dude

I don’t have access to some of these. But, I really like Bruce Banner for this, plus a lower THC Goji OG that came and went pretty quick. La Grieta Verde IS strong but doesn’t crack my head open too bad. 😉
Tina Ince Dare

I have tried green. Crack, golden goat I find them to be similar. I like them both but prefer the green crack. I am new at this s. I allow an hour after I smoke to see how I am gonna do. I do have some issues at first but not huge. I have a tad bit of paranoia, my mind races a bit and I have a hard time concentrating at first….but it all subsides. The results are very helpful I get very focused and energized. I love fixing my make up and hair now before it just was a pain! Literally. I use my mj for pain of fibro and it works pretty good but I still use my Tramadol once a day. I also have ADHD, menopause and a little depression and these control things pretty darn good. Feel free to comment 🙂
Kc0623

First off, I’m new and having a devil of a time getting my docs to prescribe mj for fibromyalgia and chronic back pain. I know I need to lose weight, and anything that gets me moving without pain crushing me is a must. I am not a good for smoking, with a history of asthma/allergy and bronchitis. I would like to get on the CBD capsules for the pain. Will it also help me get moving?
Thanks for any help you can give me.
- Alyssa Claar
  
  I also have autoimmune issues and fibro and, like you, have asthma. I did a lot of research and use sublingual CBD oil from Hempworx. Organic and made in the USA. Hempworx.com/lyssabrec
- Dom B. Lemcke
  
  I suffer from Multiple Sclerosis – MS – and unluckiely, I live in Germany where medicinal cannabis is a thing since March, but our insurances won’t pay, they search for reasons, make them up to not payl even though the law says they have to – patients have to drag them to court first!
  instead of bud, they want to give us THC solo drops or THC/CBD spray, but not thise “evil plants” (the pharma industry can’t profit enough from).
  
  my personal opinion is, always use plants and plant material and do not try to single out one or two active components – it is kind of perverse!
  cannabis has the great effects that it has, because 60k (known + many unknown) cannabinoids, terpenes, cbd and a load of other components are working TOGETHER in SYMBIOSIS!
  an oil/pill/spray or capsule that only contains ONE or TWO of the better known components simply CANNOT work as wholly as those pseudeo drugs the pharma industry created to make more money!
Adepeju Oluyemisi

As someone who is now shifting over to using the pen what would be the best option? I usually do dry which works best for me. Not sure of the strains because all that I have used has done the job for me. Thanks in advance for your help
bon69

I really hope to try some Green Crack someday. Sucks living in Texas because you get what someone has, that’s it, no choices.
Bill Cosgrove

Are or is there anything like the old school 60s 70s thc% strains available now. I am a cancer survivor who was told his cancer was stage 3 with 12 out of 18 lymph nodes positive for cancer at 32 they told me I had less than 10% chance to survive 5yrs but because I was so young and had just completed 9yrs active duty 4 years prior to my problem I was in otherwise great condition and health they were going to put me literally through the most I could stand in regards to treatment. I died on the operating table and was revived but what we were told would be 1 possibly 11/2 hours surgery turned into 6 + hrs 36 Radiation treatments and a yr on 5FU and luekovoren high dose chemo. Not even counting the never ending tests that I had to be subjected to. I’m sorry about the story but the point is I’ve made it 20 yrs this September 1st which is fantastic since i got to bring up my 2 sons and getting ready to celebrate my 32nd marriage anniversary but I went through awful recovery for over a year and was on opiates for over the first 6 yrs very high dose and quantity until I went to detox and stayed off the mess for over 5 yrs but was in misery until even a addict specialist psychiatrist I was seeing all along sent me to pain management for help. I did have a few years where things seemed to even up but then other long term problems started with scar tissue radiation caused a lot of damage to my GI TRACT DEPRESSION ANXIETY I’ll tell you it was worse for me than Desert Storm now I am on way stronger mess than I was when I stopped 14 yrs ago and restarted around 8. I thought things would be better with pain specialists taking care of me and not just my oncologist prescribing and maybe I am. Here’s the funny thing. I can take opiates that would kill people and the don’t help with the pain almost at all. They are planning to put a pump in my body to continuously infuse meds into my spinal cord which I’m not crazy about but I need some quality of life. Punch line finally I have gotten my Med marijuana card twice and I try useing it to help me feel better but I have always even as a kid been a pot pansy I even got sick and vomited from it. I thought you weren’t supposed to get that sick from it. I get very panicky to the point of anxiety attack and then pass out. CBD helps some but I do need more to help with pain mental status. I truly appreciate all your indulgence for going on like this but although I am so grateful to have been here to raise my sons and be with my wife it’s starting to wear me down I’m tired of all the different meds and tests and Drs. And just not being able to sleep when I should passing out after days then feeling so bad from pain. I believe Mary can help I just need to find the right combination of what to take daytime out and about and night time sleep. Also all of this has destroyed my lets say marital obligations does Mary have effects on that either way. I know there are others out there with similar nightmares maybe even some other vets. Does anyone feel they could advise. Mainstream docs don’t even mess with it I couldn’t even believe my pain management did but I can’t get the pump if I choose to until I finish a bunch Of consults and tests that will take probably at least end of year and I really want to see if THIS CAN WORK FOR ME INSTEAD AND STOP THE MEDICINE CRAZY TRAIN. HELP PLEASE.
- AddressTheBaphomet
  
  Honestly it’s very rare and hard to find strains like the one’s you have seen in the 60’s 70’s and 80’s. A lot of the strain’s produced and advertised on the market today in this era pack a lot more THC than you have seen back then. They also produce a more intense high and get you baked a lot longer. I honestly think if you start smoking/vaporizing weed strains specific to your health needs you will see a big improvement in your life. It all starts with a change and a visit to your local dispensary. Let them know what health concerns you have and they will measure and find the best route for you as to handling those issues. Good luck on the journey my fellow brother, keep fighting.
- yiehom
  
  “I died on the operating table and was revived”
  
  Mein Gott! Please get yourself some RSO asap
perbre

Re: high energy strains. I live in San Francisco so I am pretty spoiled by the hundreds of different (and ever-cycling) strains available on any given day. Im impressed at how quickly (since the january legalization) all of the dispensaries have transitioned into full servive stores. Going to a recreational dispensary is now analogous to visiting a botique wine store. Anyway,. I’ve been looking for energetic strains for as long as I’ve been able to legally purchase. I’ve found the well known ones… Jack Herrer, Durban Poison, Red Congolese etc. But wasn’t until yesterday I found my fave strain of all time. Cracker Jack. Which is Jack Herrer X Green Crack. If you can find it, get it. In fact, I should buy myself a larger quantity before it gets sold out….
- jayrey
  
  Jack Herer**
B. Alvn

I know that Skunk strains and seemingly somewhat similar hybrids such as Trainwreck aren’t pure sativa but man did they help me get through my computer programming classes in college..energy, focus, and (reasonably) clear-headedness… That was the 90s and I know there are a lot of new strains I haven’t tried but if some of these are better in those regards it would be off-the-hook. Now that it is legal and by happy coincidence I’m moving back to Calif in a month I can’t wait to try some of these out while I finish my next book. Good article, great website, thanks
GeneCali

#1 Medical, Social, Wellness Enhancing, and just about All around Everything strain is Blue Dream.
A True Hybrid of Impeccable Lineage.
Fun Please

Jilly Bean, yes please
James McGill

NY Diesel, where is that shit at?
Monica Sheehan Tague

Nothing that is advertised here is EVER available in Florida,. Drives Me crazy.