We use cookies for certain features and to improve your experience. See our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy to learn more

Leafly

Shop legal, local weed.

Open
advertise on Leafly
ShopDeliveryDispensariesDealsStrainsBrandsProductsCBDDoctorsCannabis 101Social impact
  • Sign in
  • Create account
  • Strains
  • Shop
  • Shop
  • Delivery
  • Deals
  • Dispensaries
  • CBD Stores
  • Brands
  • Products
  • Learn
  • Cannabis 101
  • News
  • Leafly Learn
  • Science of cannabis
  • Doctors
  • Social impact
  • Lab partners
  • Download the Leafly App
  • Advertise on Leafly
    • Leafly.comUSA flag
    • Leafly.caCanadian flag
    • Leafly.deGerman flag
  • Help
  • News
  • Cannabis 101
  • Growing
  • Strains & products
  • CBD
  • Politics
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science & tech
  • Industry
  • Reports
  • Canada
  • Podcasts
  • Leafly Lists
Strains & products

Top strains of 2020: Runners-up to Strain of the Year

Pat GogginsPublished on December 10, 2020 · Last updated December 3, 2021

Now that the cat’s out of the bag and the Leafly Strain of the Year for 2020 is out in the world, let’s talk about some of the weed strains that didn’t make the cut, but were on the shortlist.

These five weed strains, plus three honorable mentions, have been trending all year, and their flavor and chemical profiles reveal something about the tastes of weed smokers in 2020. 

As with picking the Strain of the Year, Leafly used a combination of data and editorial expertise to narrow down the finalists. We looked at what’s popular in stores and in different regions of the country, and how strains performed the past year. Our independent review excluded any input or influence from outside parties, as well as the Leafly sales team.

If our Strain of the Year wasn’t your top pick—or even if it was—check out these trending strains to see what else smokers have been lighting up in 2020. 

Related
The Leafly Strain of the Year 2020 is—Runtz!

GMO Cookies

gmo cookies weed strain
GMO Cookies. (Cream of the Crop Gardens)

Don’t let the abbreviation for “Garlic, Mushrooms, and Onions” or its nickname, “Garlic Cookies,” deter you. GMO Cookies is a one-of-a-kind strain, for sure. Often described as a “savory smoke,” when you think about this strain, think sweet cookies drenched in gas – a result of parents GSC and Chemdog. 

This strong strain has a classic indica feel that won’t get you moving anytime soon, so don’t count on it. Sweet strain and gas lovers alike usually love GMO Cookies, and with two popular parents, it’s no wonder it keeps stinking up the charts in 2020. 

Buy GMO Cookies

Ice Cream Cake

ice cream cake marijuana strain
Ice Cream Cake. (Aeriz)

Ice Cream Cake proves that smokers still love sweet strains. Crossing Wedding Cake (last year’s Strain of the Year) with Gelato #33 (a phenotype of 2018’s Strain of the Year), Cookies are in its lineage and dessert strains are still in.

Shop highly rated dispensaries near you

Showing you dispensaries near
See all dispensaries
  • Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
  • Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
  • Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
  • Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
  • See all dispensaries
See all dispensaries

Ice Cream Cake has been popular pretty much since it came out and has been lurking around our list of top strains ever since, eyeing the Strain of the Year trophy. But really, what’s not to love?

It’s sweet and easy, with a creamy flavor and hints of vanilla; plus it’s got a classic terpene profile full of limonene and caryophyllene. 

Buy Ice Cream Cake

Slurricane

slurricane marijuana strain
Slurricane. (Meraki Gardens)

This relative newcomer to the charts has taken the strainosphere by storm. Slurricane crosses Do-Si-Dos and Purple Punch, so it’s got, you guessed it… more GSC in its roots. But deep in that Purple Punch there’s some Granddaddy Purple that shines through with a subtle grape and berry taste.

Extra sweetness comes from its Do-Si-Dos parent, and despite its name, Slurricane has a smooth relaxation that comes on slowly – probably something to do with the OG and Granddaddy Purp deep in its family tree.

This smiley indica will get you relaxed after a long day and make you not want to get up—not like you’ve got a giant stone on your lap, but more like a purring cat you don’t want to bother.  

Buy Slurricane

Original Glue

original glue marijuana strain
Original Glue. (Leafly)

Good ol’ Original Glue, aka Gorilla Glue, or GG4, is alive and well in the strain world. Original Glue co-creator Joesy Wales passed away in 2020, but his legacy lives on and is thriving.

Named for its trichome density and stickiness—lore has it a phone stuck to Joesy’s hand after trimming the stuff, hence “glue”—Original Glue is a workhorse, and breeders have crossed it with anything and everything, including: Superglue, New Glue, Sister Glue, Purple Glue, Cookie Glue… the list goes on.

Original Glue has become a new standard with its sharp, distinctive diesel taste and hints of chocolate seeping into strains all across the spectrum. One-of-a-kind, it continues to stay at the top of the charts.

Buy Original Glue

MAC (Miracle Alien Cookies)

MAC marijuana strain
MAC, aka Miracle Alien Cookies. (Aeriz)

The sweetness of GSC is everywhere, explaining why MAC has been steadily climbing the charts for some time now.

Boasting an impressive ancestry with GSC, Chemdawg, Starfighter, and Alien Technology, Miracle Alien Cookies is known for sending smokers into outer space. This powerful strain’s a solid daytime high, great for feeling euphoric and relaxed, but also productive.  

Known for dense, frosty nugs, high amounts of the terpene limonene give MAC a citrusy, orange taste, which mixes with a gassy musk. 

Buy MAC

Honorable mentions

These strains didn’t make the top set but weren’t too far behind, so we want to show them a little love, too. Expect to see more of them in 2021.

mendo breath marijuana strain
Mendo Breath. (Matrix NV)
sundae driver marijuana strain
Sundae Driver. (Aeriz)
mimosa marijuana strain
Mimosa. (Maven Genetics)

Mendo Breath

Breath strains were hot in 2020, and Mendo Breath led the pack. Descended from OG Kush Breath, leave this one for the end of the night. 

Sundae Driver

Granddaddy Purp makes another appearance, buried in the FPOG genetics of Sundae Driver. This relaxing strain is great for chilling out on a Sunday afternoon with not much to do.

Mimosa

Another Purple Punch cross, Mimosa’s been a solid contender for a year or two now. Mimosa stands out because it’s high in the terpene myrcene. Give this one a toke for some sweet citrus and fruit punch flavors.

Shop highly rated dispensaries near you

Showing you dispensaries near
See all dispensaries
  • Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
  • Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
  • Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
  • Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
    Loading...Loading...
  • See all dispensaries
See all dispensaries
gmo-cookiesice-cream-cakeleafly strain of the yearmacmendo-breathmimosaoriginal-glueslurricanestrains
Pat Goggins
Pat Goggins
Pat Goggins is a former Leafly senior editor who handled the site's informational Cannabis 101 and Learn section content, as well as health and science, and growing articles. When not fixing typos or reading a book, you’ll probably find him on a boat or in the mountains.
View Pat Goggins's articles

The latest in Strains & products

  • Why only cannabis from the NSLC meets Nova Scotians’ high standards image
    Why only cannabis from the NSLC meets Nova Scotians’ high standards
    Leafly Staff
  • Product Picks for this Memorial Day Weekend image
    Product Picks for this Memorial Day Weekend
    Anna Elliott
  • Leafly’s top 12 THC seltzers of 2025 image
    Leafly’s top 12 THC seltzers of 2025
    Leafly Staff
  • WATCH: How landrace strains are changing weed tourism image
    WATCH: How landrace strains are changing weed tourism
    Lindsay MaHarry
Get good reads, local deals, and strain spotlights delivered right to your inbox.

By providing us with your email address, you agree to Leafly's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.



Stay In Touch

Receive updates on new products, special offers, and industry news.

Something went wrong, please try again.

By providing us with your email address, you agree to Leafly’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Leafly mobile app
Get high for less.
Download the Leafly app.
Download Leafly: Marijuana Reviews on the App StoreDownload Leafly Marijuana Reviews on Google Play

Business Solutions
  • List your store
  • List your CBD store
  • List your brand
  • List your practice
  • Business log in

About Leafly
  • About us
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Investor relations
  • Contact us
  • FAQs
  • Accessibility

Dispensaries in
  • Los Angeles
  • Seattle
  • Portland
  • San Francisco
  • Toronto
  • Detroit

Privacy & Terms
  • Terms of use
  • Commercial terms of use
  • Privacy policy
  • Do not sell my personal information

* Statements made on this website have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Information provided by this website or this company is not a substitute for individual medical advice.


© 2025 Leafly, LLC
Leafly and the Leafly logo are registered trademarks of Leafly, LLC. All Rights Reserved.