There’s some weed that will get old-school stoners misty-eyed, and the Green Crack strain is one of them. The cannabis variety was sometimes labeled Green Ribbon by controversy-shy Bay Area dispensaries in the 2000s. It is uplifting, tasty, and has a texture unlike any other. In my decade-plus of perusing dispensary menus, Green Crack is one of the few sativa strains that sit as high as Durban Poison in my book.

Though this one isn’t found as often on dispensary shelves these days, Green Crack will always have a place in our hearts. Learn all about this classic sativa in this cannabis strain review.

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History of Green Crack Strain

There are some varying reports found online, but the most consistent is that Green Crack was randomly crossed in the early nineties by CecilC in Athens, Ohio. The cross was originally named Cush, and it married Super Sativa Seed Club with either Afghani or an unknown indica.

As legend has it, friends of CecilC found themselves backstage at a Snoop Dogg concert and handed the famed rapper a joint of the sativa variety. After one puff, Snoop called it Green Crack because of the way it may zing the mind. From there, it was no longer Cush and took the name of Green Crack.

After a decade on the scene, the U.S. was recovering from the human loss of the crack epidemic, and some medical dispensaries weren’t into the strain’s name. That’s when Green Ribbon became an alternative in some stores I worked at, but not all shops do that.

Also, there is a hybrid called Green Ribbon that crosses Green Crack, Afghani, and Trainwreck. If Green Ribbon is on the menu, ask the budtender for insight because it could be either. However, those who can see the buds will know Green Crack when they see it.

Look and smell of Green Crack

The iconic Green Crack strain is known for its bright green hue and orange-brown pistils, accompanied by an unmatchable lemon-zested scent.

There are a couple of ways to spot Green Crack. First, I look for the almost lime-green color of the leaves, with marmalade-colored hairs that grow in thin tufts throughout. Then there is the fuzz. The trichomes of Green Crack strains I’ve seen are so milky they look like a little fuzzy blanket atop the chunky, bulbous buds.

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When I inhale the aromatics, there is an immediate lemon zest followed by a tinge of freshly cut grass and, finally, an air of pine. This is a set of scents classic to lots of sativas bred during the 90’s, and Green Crack is no different. The terpene profile may seem basic, but the effects are one of a kind.

Green Crack effects

Green Crack has familiar sativa effects with a slightly relaxed edge. The reason I love Green Crack is that I tend to feel far too anxious after consuming anything with even the slightest sativa lean. However, there are a few coffee-like strains that hit me just right–and Green Crack is one of them.

First, I will feel this one in my brain, often times like a little buzz on the top of my head. This buzzy feeling travels down the back of the neck and settles into a caffeinated feeling. Green Crack doesn’t make me feel high, though a complex thought experiment would make me realize that I was. I feel locked in rather than high on this variety. Whether I’m cleaning the fridge or writing a stellar strain review, Green Crack keeps me focused on accomplishing my goal.

Get crackin’ with Green Crack strain

There aren’t many sativas like Green Crack, though the smell will have any former 2000s teen reminiscing on the past. The effects are perfectly energetic with the slights indica from the Afghani parentage. This makes it accessible for people like me who just don’t vibe with sativa-dominant strains.

Green Crack is crackalackin—according to legend, Snoop Dogg literally said so.