Good morning, weed lovers and growers. Hopefully, you got a fat tax refund check burning a hole in your bank account.
Because Seed Junky Genetics heats up May with fresh Permanent Marker crosses as feminized seeds. Hot beans from the likes of Doja Pack, Lemonnade, and Archive Seeds sell briskly online worldwide.
We’ve collected the weed seed game’s hottest drops and breeder news—again. It’s Strain News Weekly #4. Let’s dive in.
New in the Leafly Strain Database
We’re adding or updating 1,000 strains in the Leafly database this year. Recent additions or updates include:
- LA Pop Rocks—keeping it candy.
- Grapes and Cream—keeping it creamy.
- Bubba Diagonal—uniting two icons.
- And Oreo Runtz—because why not.
Top strain news
Leafly Strain of the Year 2022 breeder Seed Junky Genetics tweeted on May 9 that a release of new Permanent Marker crosses as feminized seeds drops on Supreme Seed Bank on May 13. They should sell out pretty fast. At its core, this is hyper-advanced Gelato work—destined to win more trophies. The strains are:
- Scratch and Sniff (Gelato #41 x Animal Mints Bx x Permanent Marker)
- RS11 x Permanent Marker
- Banana Cream Cake x Permanent Marker
Here’s a little video:
The California cannabis contest series Transbay Challenge held a qualifier featuring 20 brands. Compound Genetics’ strain Tribute, Fig Farms’ Animal Face, Gas Gang’s Rock Candy, and Zatix’ Blue Guava advanced to the 2023 finals for flower. Hash and Flowers’ single-source Cherry Z and Pasta Farms’ Sherbanger advanced for live rosin. The overall quality made judging the rosins difficult; we got hella faded.
![Tribute—Compound x Sherbinski’s Gelato #41 x Apples and Bananas. Indica hybrid. (Photos by Dankford. Courtesy Compound Genetics)](https://leafly-cms-production.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/25133505/cover-2Tribute-4-Compound-G41-AB-2-copy-1024x576.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=510&dpr=1 1x, https://leafly-cms-production.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/25133505/cover-2Tribute-4-Compound-G41-AB-2-copy-1024x576.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=510&dpr=2 2x)
The LA Zalympix team has released their pot contest’s lineup; among the best things growing in Cali. Judge Kits go on sale May 22. Cast your vote in seven categories: Best Overall, Best Terps, Best Tasting, Most Unique, Best Looking, Gassiest, and Heaviest Hitting.
![The olympics for zaza—Zalympix. (via LA Zalympix)](https://leafly-cms-production.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/11152339/zalympix-smol-593x1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=510&dpr=1 1x, https://leafly-cms-production.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/11152339/zalympix-smol-593x1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=510&dpr=2 2x)
The Emerald Cup announces its 2023 winners on May 13 night in a private event in Richmond, CA. The world’s biggest, most influential cannabis contest had about 300 entrants in the flower category alone.
New releases and restocks
![Guava Gator by Lovin' in Her eyes. (via email)](https://leafly-cms-production.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/11152235/lovin-in-her-eyes-guava-gator-683x1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=510&dpr=1 1x, https://leafly-cms-production.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/11152235/lovin-in-her-eyes-guava-gator-683x1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=510&dpr=2 2x)
Seed Junky Genetics’ crazy Juicee J (Cap Junky x (Gelato 41 x Sherb Bx) regular seeds fetch $350. Find a stud and start a dynasty.
SJG also sells Wedding Cake F2 x KM 11 for $500 for 10 regular seeds.
Doja Pak sells nine ‘limited and very exclusive’ cultivars including OZK x Pineapple-41, and RS54 x Pineapple-41; via Duke of Erb. $250 for 10 regulars. The ZBX2s debuted at Spannabis and sold out.
Bodhi Seeds keeps the strawberries flowing with Strawberry Fantasy.
Sin City Seeds released Seattle Soda x SinMint Cookies—Sinsoda April 14.
Shop highly rated dispensaries near you
Showing you dispensaries nearLemonnade has everything to Medellin on Cookies Seed Bank. Pet the Tiger Paw.
Going fast—Clearwater Genetics candy and dessert work (Oreocake x Now N Later) x Karma Sour Diesel.
Speaking of karma: Karma Genetics sour project NY Amsterdam Sour: JJ Sour D Bx4 x Karma Sour D Bx2. Karma states: “We grew a lot of Sour lines from different breeders to search for one worthy to combine with our legendary Karma Sour D bx2, and finally found a great mom in Topdawg’s Sour D Bx4. She has more diesel than the Karma bx2 line and flowers a bit faster—more rounded buds and still full-on Sour D.”
Happy Dreams Genetics gives Jack lovers Key Lime Jack.
Fresh Coast Seed Co’sflavor of the minute is Burnout (Kid Dynamite x Garlic Icing)
Serge Cannabis surges out a line of Zyrup crosses.
Northern Lights and Haze fan shouldn’t miss NL2 x Tom Hill’s Haze by Crickets and Cicada Seeds.
Get in on Sherbanger wave with Flambanger from Bloom Seed Co.
New from Lovin in Her Eyes on major seed banks: Guava Gator (Grandi Guava x Alligator Wine). Funky tropical fruit, Chem.
Tiki Madman releases his Gary Payton x Jealousy ‘Gary Satan’ line of crosses. King Kong Clones has cuts of it for $250.
Came and went: Mass Medical Seeds’ May 5 release of Sour Chem. Sold out. “Some lean more Sour and some more Chem, and many a perfect mix. This is the gassiest gas, fueliest fuel!”
Don’t miss
Archive Seeds must-buys—Z-Face, Rainbow Belts 3.0, Moonbow 112 IX, and Tar.
Dying Breed Seeds commands $500 a pack for Peach Fuzz.
Cannarado—Colorado’s leading breeder—releases his “Freeze” line this May, with fems of Fried Ice Cream, Grandpa’s Gun Chest, and Magenta Freeze (Y Life x Grape Gasoline) x (FIC x Grandpa’s Gun Chest).
Coming up—Big seed/clone releases
![(Courtesy Romulan Genetics)](https://leafly-cms-production.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/11152709/romulan-fermented-1024x1010.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=510&dpr=1 1x, https://leafly-cms-production.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/11152709/romulan-fermented-1024x1010.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=510&dpr=2 2x)
Romulan Genetics—in collaboration with Offensive Selections—releases Fermented on May 19; berries and gas.
Crockett Family Farms preps the Triangle Kush x Sour Chem cross TriDog.
Solfire Gardens will soon release the Udder Madness line off of Bitties x MindFlayer; sweet and heavy with couchlock.
Symbiotic Genetics prep Kombucha on Horror Seeds—email them to pre-order.
Weed genetics stories of note
First Smoke of the Day: Wonderbrett’s Brett Feldman details the journey.
The Berner415 channel has the 4/20 flashback: 420 Countdown With Erykah Badu at Hippie Hill 2023.
Cannabis contest and genetics event calendar
Right Now—the CA State Fair Cannabis Competition and Awards submission window closes on May 19. [link]
May 13—The Grow Off–Massachusetts clones drop. [link]
May 8—High Times Cannabis Cup People’s Choice SoCal judge kits out May 20. [link]
May 20—Farmer’s Cup–the People’s Choice Competition awards. [link]
May 21—Oregon Leaf Bowl awards ceremony in Portland. [link]
June 17—The Zalympix California awards ceremony in LA. [link]
![Get to the golden bear trophy. (Photo by Justin Abrahams, courtesy of CA Cannabis State Faire)](https://leafly-cms-production.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/11152221/Justin-Abrahams_Golden-Bear-Trophy-smol-1024x683.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=510&dpr=1 1x, https://leafly-cms-production.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/11152221/Justin-Abrahams_Golden-Bear-Trophy-smol-1024x683.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=510&dpr=2 2x)
June 17—High Times Cannabis Cup New Mexico People’s Choice Edition judge kits out. [link]
June 23—The Grow-Off Massachusetts clones out. [link]
June 24—Secret StashGenetics and Culture pop-up in Denver. [link]
July 10—High Times Cannabis Cup People’s Choice Michigan winners announced. Judging underway. [link]
Oct. 7-8—Errl Cup Arizona in Mesa. [link]
Dec. 9—Oregon Growers Cup in Riddle. [link]
May the best weed win!
What is Leafly Strain News Weekly?
The strains are the celebrities on Leafly—and a star is born every day. Send birth announcements for the next crop of zaza to david.downs@leafly.com.
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