Who Named This Strain?

Okay, seriously. Who thought BC Roadkill was a good name for a strain? Or even worse — Purple Monkey Balls. Today, we’re going to explore why certain strains have their names and how they got them. 

Some names of strains have boringly obvious names, (Blueberry, Grape Ape, Lemonder) but others are a bit more mysterious. For example, why is Agent Orange a loving tribute to a fallen soldier rather than a tasteless reference to chemical warfare? What does the “OG” in OG Kush mean and why is it a seal of approval? It turns out there’s more to these names than meets the high.

MK Ultra

The name of this strain has mysterious and terrifying origins. 

Project MKUltra was a CIA mind control program during the height of the cold war and one of its main goals was to produce drugs for mind control. This included feeding LSD and other psychedelics to unwilling participants in universities, prisons, hospitals or random civilians in the USA and Canada. 

One MKUltra experiment had undercover CIA operatives posing as prostitutes luring men into CIA safe houses and then dosing them with LSD to observe the effects.

The MK Ultra strain is, however, much less terrifying. It probably got its name because of its high THC content that delivers a “strong, hypnotic high”. 

Agent Orange

When you hear “Agent Orange” you might think that the breeders were making an edgy joke, but their intentions are surprisingly sweet and, well… sad.

Agent Orange was a powerful herbicide used by US military forces as a weapon to eliminate crops and forest covers for the Viet Kong troops during the Vietnam war. It is still notorious for causing birth defects, rashes, cancer, severe psychological issues and neurological problems among the Vietnamese people.

So at this point, why would you want to smoke an herb named after this vile poison? Subcool and MZ Jill, the creators of this strain, said that the name was a tribute to Jill’s late father, who passed away from cancer due to the Agent Orange herbicide. The intention was to honour his memory, not to make some ironic joke.

Kush

There’s a reason the word “Kush” is synonymous with quality bud. 

Kush has humble origins as it grows naturally in the Hindu Kush Mountains. These mountains are known for harsh, cold conditions — the name even roughly translates to “Hindu Killer” or “Kills the Hindu” in Persian. Apparently, This strain didn’t get the memo. 

There are hundreds of different types of Kush strains but landrace Kush is known for its resilience and ability to grow anywhere. The genetic makeup of this strain also offers a strong potency, which rewards anyone crazy enough to traverse the mountains and pick this flower.

OG Kush

The name “OG Kush” itself marks the start of high-brow marijuana culture. Much like champagne, you can’t call just ANY Kush “OG Kush”. That OG? It doesn’t stand for Original Gangster or Ocean Grown as so many rumours have theorized. It