What’s in a Name? The Science and Culture Behind Cannabis Strain Names
Cannabis has never been particularly interested in boring names.
Toad Venom. Roadkill Skunk. Cat Piss. Meat Breath. Cheetah Piss. The list gets stranger from there.
A recent Forbes article by Peter Su takes a look at how cannabis developed its unusual naming culture and what those names can, and sometimes cannot, tell us about the plants behind them.
Zennetix’s Dr. Anna Schwabe joined the conversation to talk about the science and history behind cannabis names. Some names have real connections to lineage, aroma, geography, breeder history or cannabis culture. Others are jokes, marketing, or simply names that stuck.
That distinction becomes increasingly important as the cannabis industry matures. A cultivar name may carry history and cultural meaning, but the name itself does not establish genetic identity. The same name can be attached to genetically different plants, while closely related or even identical material can circulate under different names.
None of that means cannabis needs to lose its personality. The strange names, inside jokes and regional references are part of the culture surrounding the plant. Understanding what a name represents, however, is different from assuming the name tells us exactly what the plant is.
And sometimes a ridiculous name is just a ridiculous name.
Read Peter Su’s full Forbes article, “Toad Venom And Roadkill Skunk: Inside Cannabis’ Wild Naming Convention,” for more on the history, science and stories behind some of cannabis’ strangest names.
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