Skip to content

A federal ban on intoxicating hemp products (THCA flower, vapes, gummies) takes effect December 11, 2026. Delta-8, delta-10, HHC and THC-O lose hemp status earlier, on November 12, 2026. What it means →

THCAVERDICT

Glossary · Strains

Cultivar (Strain)

A cultivar — colloquially a strain — is a named, bred variety of cannabis: Gelato, Runtz, OG Kush. The genetics are real; the naming discipline is not. No registry stops a grower from calling any harvest by whatever name sells this season, and renaming is common enough that the same “strain” from two vendors can be different plants entirely. Anchors that survive this mess: the tested terpene profile (flavor doesn’t lie), the vendor’s consistency across drops, and lineage information from growers who document it. Our strain guides talk in those terms and skip the encyclopedia-of-promises format.

Related terms

Reader favorites

The short list — full rankings live on the rankings page.

Straight disclosure —Some links on this page are affiliate links — we may earn a commission when you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the price you pay, and it never changes a verdict.

4.5/5 average across vetted picks

61 guides published

11 offers vetted

705 reader price checks