Purple Haze

Welcome Unicorns!

Today’s lesson is on a magically potent strain, Purple Haze. Just look at those beautiful violet veins!

Appearance

Purple Haze is a 60-80% Sativa-dominant straing that grows in gorgeous long fern-like stalks. The buds have a deep forest green base color with flairs of orange hairs, and then the green alternates with deep lavender hues close to the stalk. It’s these deep purple veins that came to associate the strain with Hendrix’s classic song in the 60’s and the rest is history.

Lineage

Purple haze traces its lineage to the classic strain Haze crossed with Purple Thai. Haze is a west coast strain developed in the 1960s rumored to have origins in India, Thailand, and Colombia. Purple Thai is a cross between Chocolate Thai (of Thai Stick fame) and Oaxacan Gold. Those famous icky sticky Chocolate Thai buds, dripping with resin, were some of the earliest examples of wildly strong Sativa. Oaxacan Gold was a cash crop staple of the Mexican/Southern California cannabis movement. One of the first pure Sativa strains to reach mass appeal, its long fern-like stalks came to define the classic Sativa shape apart from the rounder more clustered buds of Indica. A “landrace” strain is a genealogy that is known to be associated with a specific geographic area, similar to the “terroir” of a wine. By crossing these three deep-rooted Sativa landrace strains - Thailands Chocolate Thai, California’s Haze, and Mexico’s Oaxacan Gold, Purple Haze became like a super group of sativa rock stars.

Biochemistry

Terpenes are the botanical elements of marijuana that give each strain its distinctive smell as well as unique cognitive effects. The main terpenes in Puple Haze are Caryophyllene (β-Caryophyllene) and Myrcene (β-Myrcene). Caryophyllene is also found in black pepper, cloves, and rosemary. It’s a spicy element associated with heat, strength, and extremely potent flavor. Myrcene is an earthy, spicy substance commonly found in hops, lemongrass, eucalyptus, parsley, and thyme, giving these herbs their earthy, slightly bitter, and intensely aromatic qualities. The combined neurochemical effect of these terpenes combined with the high 21% THC level make this strain a creative powerhouse. The high is extremely energetic and inspirational.