The Haze Strain Family: Jack Herer, Blue Dream, and More All Start Here

Two lineages define modern cannabis genetics more than any others. The first — which this site has covered in the Chemdawg family guide, OG Kush family guide, and Cookies family guide — traces to a bag of seeds from a 1991 Grateful Dead parking lot in Indiana, ultimately producing OG Kush, GSC, Gelato, and the entire Cookies tree. The second traces to the sun-exposed hills of northern California in the 1970s, where a group of breeders blended sativa genetics from four continents into a single plant called Haze. Every strain with "Haze," "Dream," or "Cough" in its name, and every sativa on a Vermont menu that seems unusually energetic, almost certainly descends from that second lineage.

The Haze family and the OG Kush/Chemdawg family represent opposite poles of the cannabis genetic spectrum. The Chemdawg family is Caryophyllene-dominant — body-forward, earthy and fuel-driven, building toward relaxation. The Haze family is Terpinolene-dominant — head-forward, pine-floral and citrus-bright, staying primarily cerebral. Understanding both lineages is the practical key to navigating any Vermont dispensary menu with confidence.

This guide maps the Haze genetic tree. For effect profiles and Vermont buying tips on individual strains, follow the spotlight links throughout.

The origin: California in the 1970s

Original Haze doesn't have a single known breeder in the way OG Kush traces to Matt Berger or GG4 to Joesy Whales. The strain emerged from a loose collective of California growers in the Santa Cruz and Mendocino areas during the 1970s, most prominently associated with growers known as "R. Haze," "J. Haze," and later Sam Selezny — known in the cannabis world as Sam the Skunkman — who distributed seeds to collectors in the Netherlands beginning around 1984. What those growers had developed was genuinely novel: a four-way sativa cross drawing from Colombia (the primary backbone), Mexico (the other primary backbone), Thailand (the cerebral, fast-onset genetics), and South India (Kerala and Tamil Nadu landrace sativas that contributed the floral and herbal character).

The result was a pure sativa that the Amsterdam breeders who received those seeds quickly identified as exceptional. The problem was cultivation. Original Haze has a flowering period of 14 to 16 weeks — about twice as long as most commercial cannabis — and produces tall, branchy plants that are difficult to manage at scale. In the days before controlled indoor growing was a reliable practice, it was essentially a once-a-year outdoor plant in California, and it couldn't go outdoor in the Netherlands at all. What Amsterdam's professional breeders (primarily Sensi Seeds and Green House Seeds) then spent two decades doing was making Haze practical by crossing it with fast-flowering indica and hybrid strains — Northern Lights, Skunk #1, Blueberry — without losing the defining Terpinolene character that made it worth growing in the first place.

What is the Terpinolene signal?

The single most useful thing you can know about the Haze family is the terpene that defines it: Terpinolene. In the OG Kush and Chemdawg families, the diagnostic terpene is Caryophyllene — a spicy, peppery compound associated with the earthy-diesel character of OG Kush and the fuel-forward profile of Sour Diesel and GG4. In the Haze family, the diagnostic terpene is Terpinolene — a pine-floral-herbal compound associated with cerebral uplift and the fresh, "clean" aroma character of sativas.

On a Vermont dispensary Certificate of Analysis, the terpene panel will list compounds in order of concentration. When you see Terpinolene at the top of that list, you're looking at a Haze-family strain. When you see Caryophyllene leading, you're in the OG Kush / Chemdawg / Cookies family. When Myrcene leads, you're most likely looking at a pure indica, an Afghani or Kush-heavy hybrid, or Blue Dream — the notable exception in the Haze family where the indica Blueberry parent pushed Myrcene into the lead.

The practical effect implication: Terpinolene-dominant strains are generally the right choice for daytime use — creative work, social settings, outdoor activities, skiing, hiking. Caryophyllene-dominant strains are generally evening strains. This isn't an absolute rule, but it holds well enough to use as a starting point when scanning a dispensary menu.

Jack Herer: the everyday sativa

Jack Herer (named after the cannabis activist and author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes, who died in 2010) is the most widely available Haze descendant on commercial cannabis menus. It was bred by Sensi Seeds in the Netherlands in 1994 as a deliberate attempt to make Haze commercially viable: Northern Lights #5 (a fast-flowering indica) and Skunk #1 (another fast-flowering hybrid) were crossed with Original Haze, selecting phenotypes that preserved the Terpinolene-driven cerebral effect while dramatically shortening the flowering time to a manageable 8–10 weeks.

The result is what most cannabis consumers think of when they imagine a "classic sativa." Jack Herer delivers a clear-headed, creative, moderately energetic effect — strong enough to be genuinely stimulating, balanced enough to avoid the anxiety or paranoia that pure Haze can produce at high doses. Its aroma is the cleaner expression of Terpinolene: piney and herbal, with a faint earthy sweetness from the Northern Lights and Skunk parentage. THC runs 18–23% in most Vermont retail batches, placing it in the moderate-to-high range without the 25%+ extremes common in Cookies-family strains.

Jack Herer is the Haze family's best gateway strain for consumers who want a daytime sativa but aren't sure how they respond to Terpinolene-dominant genetics. See the Jack Herer strain spotlight for the full effect profile and Vermont dispensary notes.

Super Silver Haze and Super Lemon Haze: the Amsterdam competition strains

Super Silver Haze is Haze's most decorated descendant in the arena of competitive cannabis cultivation. Green House Seeds bred it in the mid-1990s using the same parent cross as Jack Herer — Northern Lights × Haze × Skunk — but selected for a more pronounced Haze character and longer duration. It won the High Times Cannabis Cup in three consecutive years (1997, 1998, and 1999), an achievement that remains unmatched in Cannabis Cup history. Super Silver Haze doesn't appear often on Vermont retail menus today, but it's important because it's the parent of the strain that does appear.

Super Lemon Haze (SSH × Lemon Skunk, Green House Seeds) took the Super Silver Haze foundation and crossed it with Lemon Skunk, a Dutch landrace-derived strain with high concentrations of limonene that push the aroma toward bright, sweet lemon-grapefruit. The result is more accessible than either parent — the lemon character is immediately appealing and the effect is slightly more balanced than pure SSH — while retaining the Terpinolene-dominant cerebral quality. Super Lemon Haze won the Cannabis Cup in 2008 and again in 2009. It appears regularly on Vermont menus under both its full name and abbreviated as "SLH," usually testing 20–25% THC.

Amnesia Haze: the cup winner with the complex lineage

Amnesia Haze is the Haze family's most potent and most psychedelically intense mainstream descendant. Soma Seeds in Amsterdam — the same breeder responsible for several other Haze-family varieties — developed it from a more complex multi-landrace cross than the other family members: Thai, Cambodian, and Laotian Haze genetics provide the primary Haze backbone, Jamaican Haze contributes a different expression of Terpinolene with more herbal and earthy notes, and Afghani-Hawaiian genetics add a resin-production and aroma complexity that pure sativas often lack. It won the overall High Times Cannabis Cup in 2004 and took first in the Sativa Cup in 2012.

The effect is fast, strong, and predominantly cerebral. The "Amnesia" in the name refers to a short-term memory fog that many consumers report — an intensification of the cannabis-associated short-term memory disruption that is particularly pronounced in the Haze family. At 20–22% THC in most Vermont batches, it's not the highest-THC strain on the menu, but the Terpinolene-dominant, heavily sativa-leaning character means the onset is rapid (often within 2–4 minutes of first inhalation) and the effect is more intense than a comparable THC percentage from a Myrcene-dominant indica. Not the right choice for first-time Haze consumers or anyone who tends toward cannabis-induced anxiety.

Blue Dream: the accessible entry point

Blue Dream is the Haze family strain that doesn't look like the rest from the outside. Its parentage — DJ Short's Blueberry × Haze — means it's a true genetic hybrid between a Haze sativa and one of the most famous indica hybrids in cannabis history. The result is visually different from other Haze family strains (shorter, denser, more indica-structured), aromatically different (sweet berry and earthy, not the sharp pine of other Haze descendants), and in terms of terpenes, led by Myrcene rather than Terpinolene.

That Myrcene leadership is what makes Blue Dream the Haze family's most beginner-friendly and most widely available strain. Myrcene is a sedating, relaxing terpene that buffers the cerebral intensity of the Haze genetics. Blue Dream delivers uplift and mood elevation from the Haze side, but the physical ease from the Blueberry side means it doesn't produce the racy, anxious quality that pure Haze can at higher doses. Blue Dream was the best-selling cannabis strain in the US market for several years running in the 2010s, and it's available at virtually every Vermont dispensary.

Strawberry Cough: the Haze family's sweetest member

Strawberry Cough occupies an unusual position in the family: it's a Haze hybrid with a genuinely distinctive aroma that departs from the pine-herbal Terpinolene character that defines most of its relatives. The sweet, fresh strawberry scent comes from the "Strawberry Fields" clone that Kyle Kushman used as one parent, crossed with a Haze male he selected for his cultivation program. The result retains Terpinolene in the terpene profile but tempers it with Myrcene and Ocimene, which together produce the berry sweetness.

The effect is head-dominant and social-friendly — euphoric, talkative, and genuinely pleasant for group settings, with a more gradual onset than Amnesia Haze and less of the "racing" quality that very high Terpinolene concentrations can produce. It tests lower in THC than most of the family (typically 17–20% in Vermont retail batches), which makes it a gentler entry point than Amnesia Haze or Super Lemon Haze while still delivering a clear Haze family effect arc. The one consistent complaint is the name's warning: Strawberry Cough is notably harsh on inhale, and many consumers find a small amount goes further than expected.

Comparison table

When to choose a Haze strain in Vermont

The Haze family is the daytime half of the genetic spectrum that the Chemdawg/OG Kush family defines on the evening half. The practical guide:

• Creative work or focus: Jack Herer or Super Lemon Haze. The Terpinolene-dominant effect arc produces a head-forward, alert state that supports creative flow without the body sedation of an indica. Dose conservatively — too much Terpinolene at high THC concentrations can shift from "focused" to "scattered."
• Social settings or outdoor activities: Strawberry Cough or Blue Dream. Both are gentler than the pure Haze expressions, with a mood elevation and sociability effect that pairs well with outdoor activities, hiking, or time with friends.
• Vermont ski afternoon: Jack Herer or Blue Dream at low-to-moderate dose. The cerebral uplift without heavy sedation makes Haze family strains the most compatible cannabis with active daytime activities where you need coordination and focus. Avoid Amnesia Haze before any activity requiring sharp motor control.
• First Haze experience: Blue Dream. The Myrcene buffer from the Blueberry parent makes it the most forgiving entry point, and its widespread availability means it's easy to find at any Vermont dispensary.
• Connoisseur or cannabis-experienced: Amnesia Haze or Super Lemon Haze. These are the family's most pronounced Haze expressions — fast onset, strongly cerebral, and best appreciated when you know your tolerance and have time for the 3–4 hour effect arc to run its course.

One important caution: Haze-family strains at high doses are among the cannabis varieties most associated with anxiety and increased heart rate in susceptible consumers. If you've had anxiety responses to cannabis in the past, start with a much smaller dose than you'd normally use with other strain families, or choose Blue Dream as a lower-intensity introduction before moving to higher-Terpinolene expressions.

What about Pineapple Express, Trainwreck, and Durban Poison?

Three strains that share the Haze family's sativa character deserve clarification because they often appear on the same Vermont menu shelf but have different genetic lineages.

Pineapple Express is Trainwreck × Hawaiian — a cross of two strains with sativa heritage from Mexico, Thailand, and Hawaii. While it shares the Haze family's daytime character and Terpinolene-forward aroma, it doesn't descend from Original Haze. Think of it as a parallel sativa lineage rather than a Haze descendant — same terpene signature, different genetic root.

Durban Poison is a South African landrace sativa — a pure regional strain that shares sativa genetics with the original Haze cross (South Indian was one of Haze's four parents), but Durban Poison was never itself crossed into the Haze line. Its Terpinolene-dominant character makes it feel like a Haze family member in the dispensary, but it predates Haze as an independent strain and is better thought of as Haze's genetic cousin rather than a descendant.

Trainwreck itself (Mexican × Thai × Afghani, developed in Arcata, Humboldt County in the late 1970s) shares three of Haze's four parent regions but was bred independently. The overlap produces similar Terpinolene character without a direct family connection. See the strain-spotlight for Durban Poison and Pineapple Express for their individual profiles.

Reading the COA terpene panel at a Vermont dispensary

The Haze family's most reliable identifier is straightforward once you know what to look for. On any Vermont dispensary's Certificate of Analysis:

• Terpinolene leads: you're in the Haze family. Expect cerebral, daytime-appropriate effects with pine-floral-herbal aroma. The higher the Terpinolene concentration (above 0.8% is meaningful), the more pronounced the Haze character.
• Terpinolene leads, with Limonene second: you're in the SSH / Super Lemon Haze / Amnesia Haze branch — the most potent and most cerebral expressions.
• Terpinolene leads, with Myrcene second: you're in the Jack Herer or Strawberry Cough territory — more balanced, gentler onset, better for beginners or moderate doses.
• Myrcene leads, with Pinene second: you're most likely looking at Blue Dream — the Haze-family strain that expresses its indica Blueberry parent in the terpene panel rather than its Haze parent.
• Caryophyllene leads: you're not in the Haze family at all — you're in the OG Kush / Chemdawg / Cookies lineage. See the Chemdawg family guide for that genetic tree.

Total Terpinolene percentage above 1.0% on the COA is the clearest signal that you're looking at a well-expressed, true Haze family strain rather than a cross where the Haze character has been diluted by a heavy indica parent. Below 0.5%, the Haze influence may be minimal even if the strain has Haze in its name.

Finding Haze strains at Burlington dispensaries

Both Float On Dispensary on Church Street and Upstate Elevator Supply Co. on Pine Street carry rotating Haze-family inventory. Blue Dream and Jack Herer appear most consistently; Amnesia Haze and Super Lemon Haze are more seasonal, cycling in from Vermont cultivators who specialize in sativa-dominant genetics. Strawberry Cough appears periodically but is less common than the others. Inventory changes with every harvest cycle — calling ahead or checking the online menu is the best way to verify what's currently in stock.

If a budtender asks what you're looking for, asking for "Terpinolene-dominant" or "something in the Haze family" will land you in the right section of the menu faster than asking for "sativa" — which now applies equally to Haze-family strains and to many Cookies-family hybrids that lean sativa in effect. The Vermont Strain Match can help narrow down which Haze descendant best matches your intent and tolerance level.

See also: Jack Herer strain spotlight — the balanced everyday Haze, with full Vermont dispensary notes; Amnesia Haze strain spotlight — the fast-acting, potent Haze for experienced consumers; Super Lemon Haze strain spotlight — the lemon-citrus dominant Cannabis Cup winner; Blue Dream strain spotlight — the gentle Haze entry point and best-selling strain; Strawberry Cough strain spotlight — the sweet, social-friendly Haze variant; Durban Poison spotlight — the South African sativa cousin with its own Terpinolene character; Pineapple Express spotlight — the Trainwreck × Hawaiian parallel sativa lineage; Chemdawg family guide — the other half of the genetic spectrum, from OG Kush to Sour Diesel to GG4; OG Kush family guide — the OG Kush descendants including GSC and the full Cookies tree; Vermont Strain Match for a personalized recommendation; full Burlington-area dispensary directory.