Leafly combines smoking fat doinks with deep data dives to arrive at our unassailable nominees for Leafly Strain of the Year each year. Few share our perch over 9,000 strains in the Leafly database, 8,000 store menus, and more than 10,000 news articles.
Our goal? Amplify a virtuous cycle. Catch a strain that has the juice to define an era, and huck it into the stratosphere.
We also aim for a selection of nominee strains that capture the zeitgeist of any given year. Our model is the Oscars, Tonys, Grammys, or any other award that honors the standouts of any given field—only cooler.
We aren’t opposed to a throwback if the data shows that Americans are taking a renewed interest in the strain, but we tend to focus on strains first reaching the heights of popularity.
Our research includes tracking the changes in a strain’s menu availability, search traffic, and orders year over year across the nation. We also try to pick something that’s dominating the strain conversation and is legit tasty. Past Leafly Strain of the Year winners include Gelato, Runtz, Wedding Cake, Jealousy, Permanent Marker, and Super Boof. And we still stand by Dosidos. (Dosidos is tight!) Advertisers cannot influence a Leafly Strain of the Year pick.
Advertisers cannot influence a Leafly Strain of the Year pick.
The impact of Leafly Strain of the Year
Each year we try to strap a jetpack onto an already high-flying strain. And we have a pretty good track record for it.
How did Leafly Strain of the Year 2024 Super Boof do?
2025 truly was a super year for the boof. It rocketed into our top 10 strains after we named it SOTY, and has been enjoying the lofty heights ever since. Super Boof is our #5 most-visited strain page this past year, and has seen a significant uptick in menu availability as well.
As of January 2026, Super Boof is the ninth most available strain in the nation. Super Boof is available in the vast majority of legal states, ranking #22 in nationwide menu availability. Washington State loves Super Boof more than anyone else, though, stocking it in 762 dispensaries.
Super Boof has also significantly influenced the zeitgeist. Not only is the strain itself crazy popular, but Super Boof crosses have also become more common in 2025, with more and more strains appearing throughout the year.
How did Leafly Strain of the Year 2023 Permanent Marker do?
Permanent Marker killed it in 2024! It became a top 10 strain nationally and stayed there through the end of the year.
We really captured lightning in a bottle with that pick, and a big reason it couldn’t be Leafly Strain of the Year 2024 is because it already won in 2023.
Shop highly rated dispensaries near you
Showing you dispensaries nearPermanent Marker is now in over 2,300 dispensaries on Leafly. It’s ranked No. 139 in menu availability. It’s ranked 6th for traffic to its strain page. Budtenders nationally favored it heavily in the Budtenders’ Choice 2024 survey responses. We’ve seen phenomenal Permanent Marker all year long, as well as new crosses of it.
How did Leafly Strain of the Year 2022 Jealousy do?
Jealousy did numbers in 2023 after we made it Leafly Strain of the Year 2022.
Anyway, Jealousy became the 24th most trafficked strain (by page views) on Leafly in October 2023, up from #98 in traffic one year ago.
Jealousy increased 100% in stores year over year from 1,313 stores in Oct. 2022 to 2,553 in Oct. 2023. It’s now the #93 most menu-available strain in the US, up from #319 a year ago.
Jealousy or its hybrids also took home at least four awards in cannabis contests in 2023.
For orders, Jealousy is the 48th most-ordered strain in the US now, up from #339 one year ago.
Leafly Reviews per month on the Jealousy Strain Detail Page jumped up 9X from a year ago.
Lastly, Jealousy or its hybrids also took home at least four awards in cannabis contests in 2023. Shout out some brands growing epic Jealousy in the comments.
Thank you to all the phenomenal breeders, growers, stores, budtenders, and smokers powering this golden age of cannabis.
For all the nominees who didn’t make the cut and the overlooked talent, remember what The Boss says:
“You can’t start a fire sittin’ ‘round cryin’ over a broken heart.”
Stay hungry, weed creators. We can’t wait to smoke the transcendent new things ripening in those grow rooms.
