Genetics of the Week : NORTHERN LIGHTS

Cannadaily continues with its series “Genetics of the Week” with the very well-known strain: Northern Lights! Since the 1980’s, this strain has gained more and more popularity among both veteran and novice cannabis users. 

The Northern Lights comes from pure Afghani genetics. It is an indica breed that has been crossed with hundreds of new strains resulting in some of the most famous hybrids in the market such as the Super Silver Haze or Shiva Skunk. 

The strain has won numerous awards around the world and is now one of the most trusted classic indica genetics. 

Where does the strain Northern Lights come from? 

The History of the Northern Lights strain is, as a lot of strain, quite mysterious. There is a rumor that tells that the plant was grown on an island near Seattle, Washington by a man called “El Indio”. This man grew 11 plants which he decided to call Northern Lights # 1 -11. 

Those plants were discovered by Neville Shoenmaker, a famous Australian cannabis grower between the 1970s and the 1980s. Neville took all the female clones of the plants and brought them to the Netherlands to breed them with Afghani males. The Seed Bank’s Northern Lights #1 was marketed as a pure inbred Afghani even though some other strains were found to contain Thai sativa genetics. 

New seed banks such as Flying Dutchmen and Dutch Passion began offering new hybrids which they claimed came from the original Northern Lights plantation.

Since then, Northern Lights genetics have expanded resulting in the creation of fantastic hybrids such as G-13, Big Bud, Skunk #1 or Haze. 

While this rumor is impossible to verify, this is the most probable we could find about the Northern Lights. Unfortunately, since cannabis is a controlled substance, many of the stories around its origins are based on folklore and hearsay. 

Some examples of Northern Lights hybrids: 

  • Big Bud is an indica marijuana strain made from a three-way cross of Afghani, Northern Lights and Skunk #1. Big Bud delivers deeply relaxing effects you can feel from head-to-toe. This strain features an earthy and spicy aroma.
  • Super Silver Haze is a sativa marijuana strain bred by Green House Seeds. It was the first prize winner at the High Times Cannabis Cup in 1997, 1998, and 1999. Super Silver Haze is made by crossing Skunk, Northern Lights, and Haze creates a beautiful, sticky strain that boasts an energetic, long-lasting body high. The uplifting effects are great for high stress levels or when suffering from a lack of appetite or nausea.

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