93 points out of 100
Price: $50/eighth but varies
Our pick for Leafly Strain of the Year 2023 was so dead-on it could be Strain of the Year again. Permanent Marker is now a top 10 strain out west. It’s available in any modality—from bubble hash to flower to cart. Indoor soil growers MOCA Humboldt in Eureka, CA compete with the best Markers this fall. The package says 35.16% total THC and the iced-out nugs sure look like it.
Myrcene, limonene, and linalool cooperate to create that ‘Gelato times 1,000’ marker fuel fume smell. Peak cure, freshness, and flawless manicuring all worked in the bud’s favor. MOCA’s cut could technically be more marker-like, but only because the competition is so steep. Maybe it’s the sky-high THC, but this cut also felt more racey, and less chill than the average marker. We gamed with a twitchy, ‘I’m in danger’ edge instead of zoning out and giggling.
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About our ratings
Leafly Ratings’ 100-Point Scale
- 95-100 Perfect: exemplary cannabis
- 90-94 Outstanding: a cannabis product of superior character and style
- 85-89 Very good: a weed with special qualities
- 80-84 Good: a solid, well-made weed
- 75-79 Mediocre: a smokeable weed that may have minor flaws
- 50-74 Not recommended
How we rate
Dried, cured, packaged, and sold buds, reviewed from bag in tastings, are given a single score. We focus on aroma, taste, effect, look, pedigree, cultivation method, and more.
Special Designations
Our editors focus on excellent, widely available ganja at a reasonable price. Special qualities include:
Top-shelf: It ain’t cheap, or necessarily plentiful, but it’s really good. Welcome to the top shelf.
Smart Buys: Fine, affordable, broadly available pot.
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Leafly News aims to retain and expand its expertise, authority, and trust.
Expertise is built through years of reviews, interviews with growers, visits to weed regions, and accumulated knowledge about cannabis horticulture, flavors, history, and culture. Leafly News’ editors and freelancers have a combined 50 years of experience with cannabis.
We aim to be accurate and independent, with policies including:
- Actual tastings—If we didn’t smoke it, we’re not reviewing it. At Leafly Ratings, all ratings come from multiple tastings.
- Independence—Leafly expert reviewers are paid by Leafly and are independent. We accept review samples with no promise of coverage. Leafly rating staff cannot accept bribes. We generally pay our own expenses and report on what the readers want to see.
