Jamaican

Jamaican takes its name from the island’s own cannabis: Leafly uses it for the native landrace varieties that grow in Jamaica rather than for a single bred cross. Leafly also lists Jamaican Red as another name and shows the short code Jam. Here it comes as flower.

A landrace shaped by latitude and climate

Leafly explains that Jamaica’s latitude and climate push these varieties toward a sativa structure and sativa effects, and it files Jamaican as a sativa. AllBud describes a 100% pure sativa landrace native to Jamaica, with no parent strains, and says breeders favour it for its classic cerebral feel and traditional flavour. AllBud adds that the strength and effects of any given plant depend on how and where it was grown. Leafly lists two children: Lamb’s Bread and Amnesia Haze.

Mint-green buds and a smell that fills a room

AllBud pictures large, piecey buds in mint green, set with bright orange hairs and amber trichomes. AllBud describes the aroma as intensely sweet and pungent, with spicy, skunky notes strong enough to fill a room, and the flavour as sweet, spicy and herbal with a touch of skunk on the exhale. Leafly tags the flavour earthy, coffee and pungent. A Leafly reviewer writing in April 2024 remembered a gooey, sticky quality they called rare to find now.

Pinene, myrcene and terpinolene

Leafly’s terpene data puts pinene first, myrcene second and terpinolene third. That last one, a piney, floral terpene, gets its own write-up in our terpinolene guide.

Giggly, creative and energetic, per Leafly and AllBud

Leafly’s reviewers most often report feeling giggly, creative and happy, and the needle on Leafly’s calming-to-energizing gauge points mostly to energizing. AllBud describes a bright, energetic high that suits a wake-and-bake or an afternoon lift, with motivation and focus first and long-lasting euphoria and happiness after. A Leafly reviewer who tried it on holiday in Jamaica in November 2018 called it not the strongest, but an all-positive sativa buzz that made music sound better.

Strength figures for Jamaican

Leafly’s strain page shows THC around 10%, and its potency gauge rates Jamaican below average; AllBud gives a range of 13% to 21%. Leafly’s 74 ratings average 4.3, and AllBud’s 28 votes average 4.6, with one AllBud reviewer counting it among their top 3 strains for creativity and happiness.