In Praise of Haze: Strain Profile

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In Praise of Haze: Strain Profile

Are you looking for a cannabis product that is uplifting, euphoric, and even psychedelic? Do you like to be physically active while high? Looking for a burst of motivation and creativity? Meet the Haze strain – one of most the cheerful and energetic branches of the sativa family.

The Buzz

Haze has long been adored amongst cannabis afficionados for its long lasting, uplifting and euphoric “head high.” This is truly a fun strain, which is best suited for daytime, or even early evening use. Don’t smoke it right before bedtime because it will keep you awake! However, if you time things right, you will enjoy a nice burst of energetic cheerfulness and motivation after you toke, followed by a hard crash a couple of hours later – at which point, hopefully it’s time to drift off to dreamland for a solid night’s sleep. After an energetic Haze high, your body realizes just how exhausted it is, and crashes.

Haze cannabis strains are perfect for certain situations including: social settings where you want to be talkative and upbeat, such as a night out with friends; moments when you want to be creative and productive while high; occasions when you need a little cheering up; and finally, enjoying the pleasures of psychedelic music, or immersing yourself in the world of visual art.

Haze is said to inspire creativity, so it is perfect for activities like photography, painting, music making, and writing. It produces a dreamy and happy high, like your head is in the clouds. However, the “hazy” feeling in your head will not be ideal for activities requiring a lot of focus and concentration. It is definitely not recommended for an afternoon of working with Excel spreadsheets or analyzing data!

Haze is also a good choice when you need to complete mundane (or even mind-numbingly tedious) tasks with enthusiasm and cheer. If you have a seemingly unsurmountable pile of dishes to wash, or other chores to do, this lovely sativa is a good option to help you tackle it with a smile.

Haze is famous for providing a “one or two hits and you’re good” kind of high. The strain is known for its strength, and a few puffs are typically to usher in a blissfully uplifting high, especially for novice smokers. Even massive potheads may find themselves saving a roach for later, because the buzz is already feeling nice halfway through their joint!

The History

Haze is a staple in the cannabis industry and has been for decades. In fact, many of the Haze strains available at your neighbourhood cannabis dispensary today are genetically similar to the landrace strains our hippy grandparents smoked!

The Haze family history has its roots in the 1960s “Beach Boys era” on the West Coast of the USA, in sunny California. It is believed that the very first Haze strains were bred in Santa Cruz by the legendary “Haze Brothers,” R. Haze and J. Haze (likely pseudonyms). They were acquaintances of Sam “The Skunkman” who was the legendary father of the Skunk strain. The Haze Brothers are thought to have created the Haze strain by pure accident – they hybridized the seeds which were available in California at the time, with outstanding results.

According to the story, the Haze Brothers got a random assortment of cannabis seeds from a colourful crew of travelling hippies. The hippies’ seeds originated from Mexico, Colombia, Thailand and India, and thus, Haze is considered cosmopolitan, and multicultural, in its background. Perhaps the first Hazes were crosses between Columbian Gold and Thai landraces? Or maybe it was Acapulco Gold mixed with Indian landraces? Or maybe a combination of all four sativa landraces! Whatever the true origins, flower children of the 1960s right through to the 2020s are grateful that Haze exists.

Haze was an exclusively Californian strain for many years, but this would soon change. In the late 60s, Haze seeds travelled from California to Europe, in mysterious and even hazy circumstance. Some say Nevil Schoenmakers, the “cannabis king,” may have gotten seeds directly from the Haze Brothers in 1969. He continued to work on the strain and sold it through the first seed bank in Europe, the famous “The Seed Bank of Holland.” By the 80s the strain was very popular in Europe, and especially in Amsterdam.

The characteristics

Haze has a remarkable aroma. The flavour is simultaneously spicy, sweet, earthy, woody, and citrusy. It often tastes like citrus, and like pine. Haze is a joy to smoke with its smooth, sweet taste.

Haze buds are typically olive green with orange “hairs” – pistils which cover the buds, making them appear almost fluffy. The THC content averages at a high of 18%, but some Hazes can reach astonishing levels of 27%.

Haze has a reputation for being rather hard to grow. The plants can be picky and unforgiving, so if you are looking to start growing your own weed at home, you may not want to start with a Haze. The flowering time of Hazes can also be agonizingly long; it can take up to 16 weeks for the plants to mature! Also, Canada does not exactly have a tropical climate, which Haze cultivars tend to prefer. Luckily, you can purchase your Haze from legal cannabis dispensaries right here in Ontario – including TOKE Cannabis!

Haze Varieties at TOKE Cannabis stores

Haze is the mother of several of the most popular hybrids available in cannabis shops today.

Haze hybrid varieties available at TOKE Cannabis stores include:

Super Lemon Haze by Solei – everything you could want in a classic Haze, with a nice lemony taste

Papa’s Sativa (Super Lemon Haze) – a mix of Lemon Skunk and Super Silver Haze, this is another excellent hazey and lemony choice, not to mention a two-time Cannabis Cup winner

Blue Dream by Pure Sunfarms – a great choice when you want to feel super creative, and then super sleepy (and thus, ready to dream) a few hours later

Jack Haze – a beautiful marriage of the Jack Herer and Haze sativa strains

There are so many Hazes available at TOKE Cannabis: Amnesia Haze, Outlaw, Ghost train Haze, Mango Haze, Silver Haze, Buddha Haze, Penelope, and Hawaiian Haze. Haze is available as dried flower, as pre-rolls, as vape cartridges, and as softgels. We hope you have a totally trippy time trying them all!