Leafly Buzz: 12 fire cannabis strains of February 2021

Judging by Americans’ choice in cannabis—we’re all a bit stressed out, running low on sleep, and in need of something that makes you forget. Maybe it’s pandemic fatigue, or the twilight of the American experiment, or just the winter.

Either way, the weed shop receipts speak for themselves: This month, connoisseurs are smoking high-THC, mind-bending, exotic new flavors like Animal Face, Krypto Chronic, and Medellin; and we got the details for you.

Independently reported without fear or favor, Leafly Buzz highlights the top of the crop west of the Rockies. Pull up!

Data grinder

Animal Face

When folks asked us, “What’s a good strain to pair with watching an insurrection?”—we turned to Animal Face. It’s a sedative indica hybrid that meets the moment with ferocious THC levels and biting aromatics.

Exotic strain designers Seed Junky Genetics made Animal Face out of Face-Off OG and Animal Mints. Good call! Face-Off OG powers Do-Si-Dos. Animal Mints helped make Wedding Cake.

With Animal Face, you’re in the center of the circus—so don’t get bit! Up 42% in the Leafly strain database.

On the decline this month: Tiger’s Milk. Sorry, Tiger King fans. This strain fell 26%.

Here’s the full data grinder:

● Animal Face ⬆️ +42%

● Dolato ⬆️ +7%

● Tiger’s Milk ⬇️-23%

● Zookies ⬆️ +8%

● Kush Mints ⬆️ +23%

New in the Leafly strain database

Seekers cannot buy a spot in the Leafly database—only earn it through quality, notoriety, search and sale interest, and pedigree. These four entrants deliver the flavors and effects connoisseurs crave.

Lemon Cane

As fancy as actor Michael Caine, Lemon Cane delivers thick waves of lemon syrup and gas, and an electric, potent stone.

Its name riffs on Slurricane, which crossed Do-Si-Dos to Purple Punch.

For Lemon Cane, Archive Seeds of Portland crossed Do-Si-Dos to Lemon Peel. Boom—Lemon Cane, a mind-numbing top-shelf sativa hybrid sold via Connected Cannabis Co. in California.

Menthol MAC

Minty, hashy, cookie goodness awaits shoppers who find Menthol MAC, a new cross of MAC1—one of the leading strains of the day. MAC weds Alien Cookies to a sativa Miracle.

Sonoma County, CA, brand Flora Terra adds some of The Menthol strain in there—a smart move, as minty strains are so cool right now.

Squirt

Just like the soft drink—Squirt delivers a brisk, citrus blast and medium-strength effervescent effects great for the daytime and a date night. Humboldt Seed Co.’s cross of Tangie and Blueberry Muffin started in 2019. Today, huge crops of outdoor Squirt hit stores. Make sure to grow some of your own this year, too.

Flo White

Two classic strains—DJ Short’s Flo and mysterious The White—combine in this ascendant strain. It’s big, dense, and easy to grow, with an appealing and mild aroma and effects.

Strain highlights of February

New on dispensary shelves—Nump’s Garlic Noodles from Lyfted, CA

Biting, savory, and hella strong—Nump’s Garlic Noodles has that slap-yo-nostrils stank relished by aficionados.

This ain’t Goop weed for Gwyneth Paltrow. It’s like an ocelot got up in the bag and, ahem, marked its territory.

Nump’s Garlic Noodles comes from rugged, rural, Modesto, CA, indoor flower brand Lyfted. And Lyfted knows how to get the best out of strain GMO Cookies.

Garlic Noodles states proudly, right on the bag: “100% GMO”; as in garlic, mushroom, and onion-flavored, umami goodness. GMO keeps dominating thanks to its parents—the biting, elemental Chemdog and scrumptious powerhouse Cookies.

Miss Cat Piss? Need something strong to nail you to the couch? Fire up a bowl of Nump’s Garlic Noodles.

Rocketing up the charts—Cereal Milk from Cannabiotix, CA

Upscale cannabis flower brand Cannabiotix has a huge lineup of powerful strains—but their Cereal Milk continues to fill more and more bowls. Bred by Limited Trees Genetics, it’s a cross of Strawberry Lemonade and Thicc Mint Cookies—resulting in a sativa hybrid that manages to taste like the milk at the bottom of a cereal bowl of Captain Crunch Berries. (This indica hybrid hits different than Cookies brand’s Cereal Milk, which shares the same name.)

Best-sellers

Ballin’ out—Krypto Chronic by Alien Labs, California

Ball out this month with Krypto Chronic—a mind-warping, intense mix of Fruity Pebbles OG x Alien Cookies crossed to Jet Fuel Gelato. This enigmatic strain from exotic brand Alien Labs of California takes the citrus explosion of Fruity Pebbles OG and sprinkles in the density and dankness of Cookies, all with a little rowdy gas of Jet Fuel Gelato.

Prepare for fancy, top-shelf, hide-it-from-your-housemate weed that still somehow vanishes before you know it.

Ballin’ on a budget—Medellin sungrown from Lemonnade, CA

Lemony with focused effects, Lemonnade’s Medellin stands out as a favorite outdoor flower purchase of the late ‘20-early ’21 sun-grown sales season. Outdoor-grown herb can run cheaper than indoor weed, and those savings can get passed onto the buyer.

We scooped up affordable bags of this pungent, citrus sativa hybrid that looked as good—and tasted better than—plenty of indoor. Keep your eye out for excellent outdoor bargains this February—those supplies are moving quickly.

High Note: The Natural Cannabis Co.’s 2020 Best of the Harvest collector’s box

Pandemic boredom got you down? Light the candle of curiosity with this cannabis collector’s box.

Northern California dispensary chain The Natural Cannabis Co. (Oakland Organics, Organicann, etc.) assembles a huge box of hand-selected strains from its best 2020 outdoor growers. The result?

One of legalization’s coolest products: 28 labeled, 1-gram jars of different sun-grown flower collected in a velvet-lined case. The heavy, wooden, lockable box comes decorated with award-winning art from the international High Art contest.

Standouts include: King’s Stash from Redwood Remedies; LA Kush Cake from Hands in the Earth; and Booneville Bio from Boonville Farm.

Legal weed’s most diverse array of cannabis ever packaged in a single box? Probably.

The Natural Cannabis Co. made just 300 of these numbered collector’s items. Released mid-December, there’s about 50 units left. ($420 out the door, tax included.)

Buzz back

Relive January’s Leafly Buzz picks.

Replay November’s Buzz

Review October’s Buzz, and read along.

What goes into Leafly Buzz?

Who decides what’s in the Buzz? Not money or compliments. Each month’s Leafly Buzz picks come from:

• Secret shopping in stores
• Leafly staff and reader tips
• Interviewing the biggest brands
• Parsing Leafly search data
• Lurking breeders on Instagram

Growers, breeders, brands, stores—got buzz for Leafly? We’re all ears. Email us at buzz@leafly.com.