Haze Strains: Origins, Traits and the Best-Known Types

Haze is one of the three foundational cannabis families, alongside Skunk and Kush: a line of sativa-dominant (sometimes near-pure sativa) strains born on the US West Coast in the '60s and '70s. Haze strains are known for a long-lasting, energetic head high and a spicy aroma with fruity, sweet and earthy undertones. Genetics and tech have since given growers thousands of strains to choose from, but Haze is still one of the big names.

Haze strains rank among the most popular sativa-dominant hybrids around, and smokers all over the world love Haze weed for its energizing, long-lasting cerebral buzz. They're also prized for their knockout aromas, which usually pair very intense spicy notes with fruity, sweet and earthy hints.

Haze's exact genetics are still a mystery, and plenty of people have their theories. When the Haze Brothers started experimenting, the US was where thousands of different strains were landing, so the first Hazes may have been crosses between Colombian Gold and Thai landraces. Others say the roots go back to Acapulco Gold and Indian landraces, or maybe a mix of all of them.

Where did Haze come from?

The Haze story starts in the '60s and '70s on the US West Coast. Legend has it the first Hazes were created by two growers in Santa Cruz, California: the legendary “Haze Brothers.” An article in the alternative medicine magazine “Treating Yourself” says the brothers never actually set out to breed a particular strain. It happened by pure chance when they crossed some seeds they had on hand, and what came out was one of the most famous and celebrated strains on the market.

What are Haze strains like?

Haze strains are famous for high THC and sativa dominance, sometimes pure sativa. Their effects are energizing and heady, which makes them a go-to for creative work.

Like we said above, the fruity, sweet notes in their aroma are a big reason Haze fans keep coming back. Their genetic roots run from Mexican, Indian and Thai sativas to well-known names like Acapulco Gold and Colombian Gold. Some patients report using them for stress, and they're often mentioned for anti-inflammatory potential, though solid research on specific strains is thin.

Types of Haze: which ones are the best known? 

Purple Haze:

The flowers on this plant stand out for their fluffy leaves and deep purple color. Grown indoors, the strain can be grown out to its full potential over 16 to 20 weeks. When it blooms, it brings a bouquet of earthy, sweet aromas.

According to users, Purple Haze leaves you energized and wide awake, with a real rush. It's also sweet on the palate, with citrus hints and strawberry front and center. 

Super Lemon Haze:

A sour, lemony flavor and aroma make this one a refreshing citrus treat. Super Lemon Haze is the result of crossing Lemon Skunk with an old-school Haze. 

Under a 12/12 light schedule, Super Lemon Haze usually takes about 10 weeks to be ready for harvest. The ScrOG method (Screen of Green, a net that spreads the canopy flat) is recommended for maximum yield.

• Lemon Haze traits:

Lemon Haze's tasty, potent buds can go over 20% THC. The high is long-lasting, heady and creative, and the long, resinous colas make it a variety with serious commercial potential.

Amnesia Haze:

Amnesia Haze is famous for its powerful effect, top-shelf flavor and impressive harvests. It doesn't take much to get you seriously lifted, thanks to THC levels around 22%. 

• Amnesia Haze traits:

Its insane trichome production makes Amnesia Haze a standout for hash and other concentrates. Once you heat and press it, you can clearly see its translucent, sticky, honey-colored resin, testing around 22% THC, and the aroma is a revelation on its own. It doesn't just hit your head; it's also deeply relaxing, which makes it a very balanced strain. 

LeBron Haze:

This feminized strain belongs to the Haze family, but it's a cross of Elite Haze x Lemon Thai.

Indoors it has a very short flowering period, needing just 55 to 60 days to finish. Its buds are chunky and fleshy, almost completely covered in resin, and flower production is excellent. 

• LeBron Haze traits: 

Grown outdoors, it shows it really is about 85% sativa: its vigorous vegetative growth can push it to serious heights, easily topping 2.5 to 3 m (8 to 10 ft).

LeBron Haze delivers a fully sativa, highly psychoactive high that can bring a good dose of euphoria and creativity, leaving your head in that classic Haze fog. It's not really one for people just getting into cannabis, but it's definitely a strain for staying on the move and doing things that don't need much focus.

What to know before growing a Haze strain

Growers know that working with a Haze takes time and a lot of attention, which is why the variety nearly died out in the '80s. Flowering tends to run very long, up to 16 weeks to fully mature. These demanding, labor-intensive plants deliver incredible results when they're well cared for.  Still, Haze varieties aren't exactly growers' favorites, because they can be pretty hard to manage and need a lot of attention to turn out well. That's why Haze strains may not be the best pick for beginners (or impatient growers).

Over time, and once Haze made it to Europe, the strain lost its purity and got watered down, so finding 100% pure Haze is anything but easy. But genetics and growers' love managed to produce hybrids that still carry some of that Haze magic. There are tons of Haze strains worth trying. We've covered a few here, but you can find plenty more out there. You just have to track them down.