The fight for the king-of-the-strains crown in most states is fairly stable. Blue Dream usually wins. Gorilla Glue #4 is on the rise. Other biggies, like Sour Diesel, bounce around in the top 10.
But not in Oregon.
Beaver State consumers often place the crown on the brow of Blue Dream, but its place at the top of the heap is not a given. Last year, Gorilla Glue #4 knocked it from its perch, and the two strains fought — kind of like bong-to-joint combat — month after month since the summer of 2016 for triumph, according to data from cannabis market research leader BDS Analytics. Some months, it was Gorilla Glue #4, and if it wasn’t GG then Blue Dream sat on the throne. And for two months in 2017 Girl Scout Cookies beat ’em both for throne rights.
Its popularity had fluctuated across 2017, but Purple Hindu Kush finally beat the rest of the strains in sales for October.
But October of this year witnessed a new claimant for strain dominance in Oregon — Purple Hindu Kush.
If we just study sales of bulk flower (and exclude for strains used in edibles, concentrates and pre-rolls), we find $427,500 in sales of Purple Hindu Kush in October, which beat Gorilla Glue #4, with $332,500 in sales, by close to a 25 percent margin. Blue Dream? It sits in third place in October, with $230,800 in sales.
Just a month ago, though, October’s victor — Purple Hindu Kush — saw sales of $250,600, and back in June dispensaries sold $37,500 worth of the strain.
Passion for Purple Hindu Kush hasn’t yet captivated cannabis consumers in Colorado, Washington and California. The strain doesn’t make the top 15 strains in these pot-happy states.
The strain, a cross between Hindu Kush and Purple Afghani, is a strong indica, and meant for deep, couch-locky relaxation as well as always-welcome pain relief. The aromas of sour grape and citrus — a classic cannabis combo platter — are strong.
Sales of Purple Hindu Kush have fluctuated across 2017. While June sales were in the dumps and represent the 2017 nadir, sales just a month prior in May were nearly $300,000.
Will Purple Hindu Kush hold the lead for more than a month? We kinda’ hope so — the cage match between Blue Dream and Gorilla Glue #4 is growing tiresome.
