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

Zkittlez strain grower Royal Budline wins $40,000 on 4/20

David DownsPublished on April 26, 2023 · Last updated March 8, 2024
Bloom Seed Co Maple Fumez. (Courtesy Bloom Seed Co.)
Bloom Seed Co Maple Fumez. (Courtesy Bloom Seed Co.)

Good afternoon aficionados, gardeners, farmers, breeders, and dispensary buyers. Our tolerance is Starship-high after 4/20 on Hippie Hill, plus judging dabs for The Emerald Cup. Today, we’re smoking on some fresh Pledg from Sherbinskis, Zkittlez from MOCA Humboldt, and East Coast Sour Diesel from UJ.

Online and across the US, a deluge of new candy, peach, gas, and tropical terps await you. The weed universe’s expansion keeps accelerating, just in time for warmer weather. The 4/20 sales, strain debuts, clone drops, and contests feel like drinking from a flamethrower. But we faced it, distilling this fat dab of cannabis genetics intelligence for you. Presenting: Leafly Strain News Weekly #3.

Jump to a section
  • New in the Leafly Strain Database
  • Top strain news
  • Hot seed & clone drops to scoop
  • Upcoming seed/clone releases
  • Weed genetics stories we liked this month
  • Weed contest calendar
  • Quote of the week
  • What is Leafly Strain News Weekly?

New in the Leafly Strain Database

New or refreshed strain detail pages:

  • Jungle Sunset from Seed Junky takes you on a sweaty cruise.
  • Turtle Pie from Turtle Pie hits that dessert note.
  • The Lemon Runtz strain adds more lemon to Runtz—never a bad idea.

(Strain creators who want to get listed can email us.)

Top strain news

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rkive Reserve (@rkive.cultivation)

Grower Royal Budline, rosin-maker Have Hash, and melt-maker Hash Muppits each took home a $40,000 purse on April 20 on Hippie Hill as winners of the first King of Z Hill competition, sponsored by Sticker Farmer. Twenty flower strains entered, but King of Z Hill went to “Royal Z”—Royal Budline’s Zkittlez cut. Second place in flower: Floraflameca’sFish Scale (Menthol x Biscotti). 

Zalympix Michigan saw Candy Fumes by grower Rkive take Best Overall. A Sherb Pie took second, and a Titty Sprinkles came in third.

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

The ZalympixEast Coast contest gave Gotti’s Zkittlez x Zoap the Best Overall title. Maine Trees’ tasty Blue Lobster took second, Epiphany-grown Apples and Bananas made third.

(Courtesy Zalympix)
(Courtesy Zalympix)

Growers hoping for a winning bean lined up around the block and overnight in downtown LA for Masonic Seed Co.’s Free Seed Day. Special freebies came from Compound Genetics and DNA Genetics.

Surfr Seeds’ strain Point Break became a High Times Strain of the Day. Get barreled with Surfr’s new: Mega Sour OG crosses.

read more Strain News Weekly

Hot seed & clone drops to scoop

Z work

Moonbow meets Face Off in Archive Seeds Tar. (Courtesy Archive)
Moonbow meets Face Off in Archive Seeds’ strain Tar. (Courtesy Archive)

The global titan Archive Seeds lays down Tar (Moonbow #112 x Face Off Bx1), for when you love that candy but need that gas. Twelve regular seeds cost $250.

Trop Cookies scions Bloom Seeds heightens the confection wave with new crosses of Candy Fumez (Z x Sherbanger). Plus, sales on Sherbanger gear, Papaya Fuel, and Sherbanger F2; and don’t miss Black Maple.

Get tropical with Raw Genetics’ 4/20 sale on Rainbow Zlushiez x Tropical Runtz. Or grow big with GMO Pie (GMO x Georgia Pie).

Related
Leafly Buzz: 13 top cannabis strains of March

Lemon desserts

Exotic Genetix crosses Lemon Cherry Gelato to Falcon-9 with Yikes; “fruit, flavor, and fun touches of candy fuel.”

Oakland grand slammer Grandiflora offers Lemon Cherry Gelato work Grandi Candi, and Eastmont.

The Cali cloners at Phinest point to the sweet and gassy Limoncello Runtz.

Lemonnade has fresh Medellin crosses on Cookies Seed Bank—like Peach Tea (Medellin x Georgia Pie) for your sweet tooth.

Gas station

Golden Coast Genetics’ Fun Zone art. (Courtesy Golden Coast Genetics)

Seed Junky Genetics’ of LA has Bubba Octane x SJG OG in the latest on Neptune Seedbank.

Golden Coast Genetics wants to take you to the Fun Zone (Super D Fire x Albert Walker OG).

Breeder Skunk House serves up PapaBurger (Papaya x Modified Banana) x Donny Burger; creamy, sweet papaya burger funk that dumps for hash.

On April 25, noted Oregon breeder Wyeast Farms released crosses of Cold Snap (Biscotti x The Menthol). I’d try Cryo Wolf, the Zuyaqui cross. $200 per pack of 10 fems. Maybe you can be the next King of Z Hill.

Vintage

Cosmic Wisdom, Michigan Purple Haze. (Courtesy Cosmic Wisdom)
Cosmic Wisdom’s Michigan Purple Haze. (Courtesy Cosmic Wisdom)

Romulan Genetics keeps it vintage with Communion S1—(Grapestomper OG x Durban Poison) x Romulan.

Mass Medical Seeds recommends Watermelon Hashplant, a pure sativa landrace from Bodhi with smells of watermelon, rank, gnarly citrus, and chocolate.

Michigan breeder Cosmic Wisdom—maker of Banana Twerpz—released a vintage Bubba Hindu, as well as a “devastatingly strong” Michigan Purple Haze (Purple NL2 Haze x Pure Michigan 2.0).

Peach, please

Ethos Peach Crescendo. (Courtesy Ethos)
Millions of peaches: Ethos Peach Crescendo. (Courtesy Ethos)

Fidel’s, of hash hole and flower fame, has seeds with Pure Sativa. Squeeze the Peach Tart (Peach Oz x Pomelo x Gelatti x Kushmints).

Crockett Family Farms’ latest includes Peach Perfection—a strain called Juice (Shishkaberry x Tangie) crossed to Peaches. We’re hearing great things about this Shishkaberry.

Ethos Genetics automates peach terps with Peach Crescendo Auto RF3.

Art of the week

RAPID UNSCHEDULED DISASSEMBLY pic.twitter.com/aW80FWAFY8

— beeple (@beeple) April 21, 2023

Upcoming seed/clone releases

Cannarado—Colorado’s leading breeder—releases his “Freeze” line May 1, 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).

Solfire Gardens will soon release the Udder Madness line off of Bitties x MindFlayer; sweet and heavy with couchlock.

Symbiotic Genetics has Kombucha crosses coming soon on Horror Seeds.

shop seeds near you on Leafly

Weed genetics stories we liked this month

First Smoke of the Daypodcast with special guest Raw Genetics talking about the making of Stuffed French Toast, and White Zlushiez.

Leafly hash reporter Jimi Devine interviews Fig Farms’ Keith on breeding and growing; for the new Hearst podcast Smoke & Bridges.

Weed contest calendar

Winner, winner, or no dinner.

Right Now—the California State Fair Cannabis Awards submission window remains open. [link]

High Times Cannabis Cup New MexicoPeople’s Choice Edition judges kits available. [link]

May—The Grow Off–Oklahoma clones drop in May. [link]

May 5—Cinco de Higho May 5 in San Francisco includes a qualifier round for the next Transbay Challenge by Jimi Devine. Tickets are on sale now. [link]

Related
All of 2022’s Cannabis Cup winners and where to buy them

May 8—High Times Cannabis Cup People’s Choice SoCal product submissions are due. [link]

May 13—The Emerald Cup awards ceremony in Richmond, CA. [link]

May 21—Oregon Leaf Bowl awards ceremony in Portland. [link]

June—The Zalympix California awards ceremony planned. [link]

June 23—The Grow-OffMassachusetts clones out. [link]

Raw Genetics GMO x Georgia Pie. (Courtesy Raw Genetics)
Raw Genetics GMO x Georgia Pie. (Courtesy Raw Genetics)

July 10—High Times Cannabis Cup People’s Choice Edition Michigan winners announced. Judges’ kits are available now. [link]

Oct. 7-8—Errl Cup Arizona in Mesa planned. [link]

Dec. 9—Oregon Growers Cup in Riddle, OR. [link]

May the best weed win!

Quote of the week

“PSA: Don’t use a grinder. Use your fingers and save the seeds.”

—@thejessebarney
Candy Fumez crosses got us dizzy. Bloom Seeds Co Candy Payton. (Courtesy Bloom Seed Co.)
Candy Fumez crosses got us dizzy. Bloom Seeds Co Candy Payton. (Courtesy Bloom Seed Co.)

See you next time with more fresh flavors.


What is Leafly Strain News Weekly?

Leafly Strain News Weekly is the reporter’s notebook of Leafly News Senior Editor David Downs, focused on the core of cannabis culture—the genetics. It’s like Politico Pro, but a lot cooler. Got strain news? Email us.

Never miss a Strain News Weekly—sign up for Leafly Newsletters, download the app on iOS/Android, and turn on push notifications.

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
adult-use cannabisCaliforniaEventsflowerGrowinggrowing newsIndustryseedsstrain news weeklystrains
David Downs
David Downs
Leafly Senior Editor David Downs is the former Cannabis Editor of the San Francisco Chronicle. He's appeared on The Today Show, and written for Scientific American, The New York Times, WIRED, Rolling Stone, The Onion A/V Club, High Times, and many more outlets. He is a 2023 judge for The Emerald Cup, and has covered weed since 2009.
View David Downs's articles

The latest in Strains & products

  • 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
  • Star signs and cannabis strains: May 2025 horoscopes image
    Star signs and cannabis strains: May 2025 horoscopes
    Carmen Ramirez
  • Create your perfect strain with the new STIIIZY Bar battery image
    Create your perfect strain with the new STIIIZY Bar battery
    Leafly Staff
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.