Leafly's best hybrid strains of 2023

'Hybrid' is a friendly, catch-all term from the legacy pot naming system that includes indica strains and sativa strains. It's an aging and simplistic system, but it's useful. Leafly reviewers consistently report similar effects for the hybrid strains and develop preferences for certain varieties and strain families. Most dispensary menus classify flowers by indica, sativa, or hybrid. Leafly has more than 3,800 'hybrid' strains in its database, growing almost daily. By contrast, there are only a few hundred sativa strains and less than 1,000 indica strains.

Hybrid weed strains are the most popular because they encapsulate so much variety in look, flavor, and effect: from the mood-stabilizing Blue Dream's green to relaxing Runtz's purple bling. Many breeders consider every aspect when they work with a hybrid strain. The hybrid class of cannabis is so big that you can spend years exploring it.

Our idea of the best hybrid strains includes a mix of super-available and well-reviewed strains. We also love hybrid strains that lean more one way than the other, such as a sativa-dominant hybrid or an indica-dominant hybrid. You can even leave reviews on Leafly to track how you react to different types of hybrid strains.

Updated January 2023

 

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Frequently asked questions

The top 10 hybrid strains are not here to agitate you—they're all noted for their relaxing properties and pleasant smells and tastes. From Wedding Cake to Gelato to Cereal Milk, you'll see a lot of dessert flavors that often inspire the munchies, so plan accordingly.

  1. Wedding Cake—The Leafly Strain of the Year 2019 still rules the hybrid strain charts, noted for causing relaxation, hunger, and arousal. Wedding Cake can have a sweet aroma that may remind you of vanilla. The hybrid strain effect hits heavy but right in the middle, making everyone a fan.
  2. GG4—GG4 is a much more pungent hybrid strain than Wedding Cake or other dessert strains. The Chocolate Thai in this triple-Diesel cross pulls the effects toward the middle of energizing and relaxing.
  3. Runtz—Zkittlez and Gelato combine in this 2020 hybrid strain of the year. This chatty, happy party weed can taste of syrupy sweet, creamy berry cookie. Runtz crosses like White Runtz and Black Runtz continue to be a fan favorite.
  4. Gelato—Gelato is the Barry Bonds of hybrid weed strains—an absolute powerhouse that broke so many records it was bound to attract haters. One-quarter of reviewers say this 2018 Leafly Strain of the Year helps them with stress, anxiety, and depression.
  5. Blue Dream—Blueberry and grassy flavor invite you into this mellow, balanced hybrid strain. Blue Dream's been a top 10 strain in the US for over a decade. This strain is sought after for stress, anxiety, and depression.
  6. GSC—After OG Kush, GSC created a new era of weed that we are still living through. It gave us strains like Sunset Sherbert, Gelato, Runtz, and Wedding Cake to name a few. The mix of OG Kush and F1 Durb leaves reviewers feeling hungry and giggly, which may help with stress and depression.
  7. OG Kush—Pine, woody, earthy OG Kush ran the hybrid weed scene in the ‘90s, and 2000s, with a legacy that thrives to this day in strains like Marshmellow OG. Nearly half of reviewers reported it helped with stress, thanks to its versatile day or nighttime effects.
  8. Sunset Sherbert—Thank you, Mr. Sherbinski, for accidentally flowering a male GSC in an all-female Pink Panties room, resulting in the game-changing Sunset Sherbert. It's got that sweet berry ice cream taste and a soothing hybrid effect. To this day, its dominant terpenes caryophyllene, limonene, and myrcene define the smell of exotic pot in the US.
  9. Gary Payton—Unique stone fruit, pepper, and lavender notes come from this super-popular, trendy hybrid strain from San Francisco’s Kenny ‘Powers’ Dumetz and Jason Meija of PowerzzzUp. The Y combined with the sativa-dominant hybrid strain Snowman (Thin Mint Cookies x Florida OG Kush) created a new GSC category. Gary Payton is climbing into the upper echelon of popular strains alongside sibling Cereal Milk.
  10. Apple Fritter—Lumpy's Sour Diesel to GSC results in a tart, sour apple note popping out against a cookies background. Apple Fritter keeps adding fans year after year and has become a top 10 hybrid strain.

When you combine sativa strains and indica strains to make hybrids, the kids often look more like the mother or the father. Growers will say, 'this one is the more sativa-dominant phenotype. The rest are more indica-dominant.' Here are some of the most popular, available, well-reviewed sativa-dominant hybrid strains out there.

  1. MAC1—MAC1 from breeder Capulator looks like a beast and hits like a MAC truck with energy from the sativa strain Miracle 15. Leafly reviewers report butter, citrus, and vanilla notes.
  2. White Widow—Vintage White Widow keeps charging in the 2020s with woody, spicy, earthy flavors and creative effects.
  3. Mimosa—The Tangie lends the energy to this gorgeous Purple Punch cross that's great for brunch, art projects, and a mood lift.
  4. Pineapple Express—Trainwreck and Hawaiian make this famous sativa-dominant hybrid strain lean energetic, reviewers report. Pineapple, tropical, and mango flavors seem to come from myrcene, caryophyllene and pinene terpenes.
  5. Black Jack—Black Domina takes the edge off Jack Herer in this popular, classic cross. Leafly reviewers report energy, and focus off this piney, peppery sativa-dominant strain.

Hide your fridge, and set out some healthy snacks, these indica-dominant hybrid strains encourage you to tuck into some Netflix and cheese dip.

  1. GMO Cookies—The mythical Chemdawg to the blockbuster GSC unlocked a whole new weed world, the land of GMO. It's savory, dank, strong, and gorgeous. GMO's sky-high THC levels yield indica-dominant hybrid effects that lean pretty hard toward relaxing. There are also tons of ripping GMO crosses, including Skunk House Genetics' Donny Burger.
  2. Dosidos—Leafly Strain of the Year 2020 Dosidos will spin you around and sit you down, thanks to the blistering Face-Off OG to the mind-wiping OGKB. Dosi is an indica-hybrid strain that hits super-strong yet sedating with a flowery, peppery, pungent flavor.
  3. Biscotti—Gelato plus more OG yields Biscotti, a super-popular variety of indica-leaning hybrid that powers even newer crosses. This dessert strain has notes of vanilla, diesel, honey, and a unique body tingle. Biscotti crosses like Gunnpowwder and Jealousy sit on 2022's freshest menus.
  4. Oreoz—Oreoz has gathered an army of likes on Instagram with a dramatic look—a layer of white trichomes like icing atop a chocolate-black leaf. Oreoz features muted tobacco, vanilla, and coffee notes that come from Cookies and Cream x Secret Weapon.
  5. Peanut Butter Breath—This Dosidos descendent can have a savory nutty note and sleepy/hungry indica hybrid effects. Breeder Thug Pug continues to build on his PB Breath line in Michigan.
A hybrid strain is a strain of cannabis flower bred using the parents of an indica strain and a hybrid strain. Hybrid weed is another way of referring to flower with effects that sit between sativa and indica.
A hybrid strain is often preferred by experienced cannabis enthusiasts who enjoy a balanced high. For example, sativa-dominant hybrid strain is believed to give consumers the energizing benefits of sativa strains while simultaneously providing the relaxing ‘head high’ of an indica strain. On the other hand, indica-dominant hybrid strains are believed to relax users without making them overly drowsy.
Indica-dominant hybrid strains are generally believed to provide balancing feelings and effects that are relaxing but not sedating.
Sativa-dominant hybrid strains are believed to provide balancing feelings and effects that are uplifting and mentally stimulating.


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