What OG Kush is
OG Kush is a hybrid, but sources disagree on which way it leans. Leafly lists it simply as a hybrid, rates its effects as mostly calming and calls it the genetic backbone of West Coast cannabis varieties, while AllBud calls it a slightly sativa-dominant hybrid, 55% sativa. For what labels like these do and do not tell you, see our indica vs sativa guide.
Its origin is unclear. Leafly's account is that it was first grown in Florida in the early 1990s, when a strain from Northern California was supposedly crossed with Chemdawg, Lemon Thai and a Hindu Kush plant from Amsterdam, and that Matt 'Bubba' Berger brought it to Los Angeles cultivator Josh D in 1996. AllBud says its parentage is unknown because of breeder secrecy, though it is thought to be a cross of Chemdawg and Hindu Kush. Neither source names a breeder who documented the cross, so treat the details as folk history.
'Kush' points to the Hindu Kush, the mountain range between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Kush strains trace back to heirloom drug-type plants from that range and nearby mountains, as Wikipedia's Kush entry notes.
The name does not guarantee the genetics, either. Dalhousie University researchers found that 2 samples both named OG Kush were more similar to differently named strains than to each other.
Look, smell and taste
AllBud describes fat, forest-green buds with long, thin orange hairs and a coat of golden-white trichomes, and a spicy, kushy aroma with sour citrus, woody pine and pungent, dank notes. Leafly describes fuel, skunk and spice, and says 'real OG Kush should smell like lemon-pine-fuel'; its reviewers most often pick woody, pine and earthy as the flavours.
As for the terpenes behind that smell, Leafly's lab data puts myrcene first, then limonene and caryophyllene. Our cannabis terpenes guide explains what each one smells like.
Effects people report
Among the more than 5,000 Leafly users who rated it, the effects most often reported are hungry, relaxed and sleepy, and Leafly describes a 'mixed head and body effect'. The most common negatives users report are dry mouth, dry eyes and dizziness. These are self-reports, not controlled findings.
Stronger doses of THC can bring on anxiety, paranoia and panic, according to CAMH, which also notes that cannabis often raises heart rate. With a high-THC, low-CBD strain like this one, start low and go slow. For medical questions, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.
Potency
Leafly lists OG Kush at 25% THC and 0% CBD and rates it higher in THC than average, while AllBud gives an average of 20% to 26% THC. Figures vary from lot to lot and grower to grower, so check the THC and CBD on the label of the batch you buy rather than relying on a typical number.
Similar strains
Leafly lists Chemdawg and Hindu Kush as OG Kush's parents; see our Chemdawg strain guide. To compare it with other Kush strains, see our guides to Afghani and Afghan Kush. Leafly names GSC and Headband among the famous strains bred from OG Kush, and also lists Bruce Banner as an offspring.
Buying OG Kush
GasDank offers same-day delivery across Toronto and the GTA, usually within 1 to 2 hours, and mail order across Canada. Browse hybrid flower to see what is on the menu; the menu carries lab-tested products. Customers must be 19 or older (21 in Quebec), with ID checked at the door.
