The California market is so flooded with products that if you’re looking for the best vapes to buy, all the options can be overwhelming. While quick Google searches might render you helpless, Headset’s data on the best selling vape pens in California won’t. A quick peek at the list shows that when it comes to California’s top five favorite strain-specific vape carts, ABX’s Granddaddy Purple; Blue Dream; Blackberry Kush; Sour Diesel; and Blue Tahoe OG reign supreme.
But what is it about these strains that makes them so special? Why are these strains so popular and enduring? To answer that, all you have to do is look at their history to see why classics never die.
Granddaddy Purple
We can really just wrap this one and go out home without much explanation. Granddaddy Purple is a California staple most adequately named because it’s the strain that set off the world’s obsession with purple cannabis flowers. Yes, there were many Afghani purps around long before GDP hit the scene in 2003; but very few of them have the name, reputation, and longevity of this strain from breeder Ken Estes.
Granddaddy Purple, or GDP for short, is an indica cross of Purple Urkle and Big Bud. It’s well known for having these deep purple flowers that kick off sweet berry aromas and a grape taste with floral accents. When smoked, the experience tends to leave consumers feeling relaxed and sedated. In the end, GDP’s deep California roots, floral-grape tastes, and calming effects make it the people’s champ.
Blue Dream
Big surprise, right? Blue Dream is another California-bred strain that, aside from OG Kush, may be the single most-known cannabis strain in the whole world. It’s a sativa-dominant hybrid that was bred by crossing a Blueberry plant with a Santa Cruz Haze. The result produces a sticky green plant with sweet blueberry aromas that kicks out a fruity, and somewhat earthy citrus flavor when vaped.
In addition to its sweet taste, Blue Dream is well-revered for its potently euphoric effects that many of us describe as the perfect daytime high. Few hits of the Blue Dream vape and you’ll probably feel the perfect balance of relaxation and cerebral stimulation, which seems to make big problems feel like small deals.
Blackberry Kush
In the world of couch-lock cannabis, Blackberry Kush is one of the most potent strains of all time. Considering that so many people smoke cannabis to relax before bed, it’s easy to see why it is one of California's favorite vape carts.
Unlike GDP and Blue Dream, Blackberry Kush doesn’t have an illustrious background. We don’t know who bred it and we don’t know its history; all we know is that the flower is so purple it appears black, so we assume there are some possible pure indica/Afghani genetics at play.
Blackberry Kush vapes are known to have a sweet earthy taste and produce a heavily sedating body high best for people seeking something soothing and peaceful.
Sour Diesel
Sour Diesel’s mix of sour citrus and pungent diesel aromas make it world famous. It’s popular everywhere, including California, where it’s one of the state’s favorite strain-specific vape carts; and especially on the East Coast where strains like NYC Diesel and East Coast Sour Diesel have also popped up.
Sour Diesel is a classic sativa-dominant hybrid that was bred by a guy named Asshole Joe, or AJ for short. It is thought to be a cross of a Chemdog strain, which is where the gassy flavors come from, and a Skunk strain, which is where the pungent citrus accents come from. Many people choose this strain as a daytime option for anyone who needs a morale boost as Sour Diesel usually makes people feel uplifted cerebral energy.
Blue Tahoe OG
Last of California’s five favorite strains to vape is Blue Tahoe OG. It’s a cross between Blueberry and Tahoe OG Kush, a phenotype of California’s prized possession, OG Kush. Of all the popular strains, the least is known about this strain’s history, however we know plenty about its taste and effects.
Reflecting attributes from both parents, Blue Tahoe OG flower usually kicks out a complex mix of sweet, berry, and earthy flavors. When vaped, the flavor is much of the same, and the effects usually leave people feeling a nice balance of uplifted euphoria and full-body relaxation. Blue Tahoe OG is great for anytime consumption.
