The History Of Haze Strains

An icon of the cannabis world and a counterculture legend, Haze is arguably the most renowned and celebrated weed lineage in existence. Known for its potently psychedelic and energised high, the Haze family comprises an array of household names and Cannabis Cup winners and has become synonymous with top-quality bud.

The Hazy History Of Haze

The genesis of the Haze saga is the stuff of stoner folklore. While no one knows the whole story, legend has it that the first strains were created in the 60s or early 70s by two Californian brothers known only as R. Haze and J. Haze. Supposedly, the breeder brothers began by crossing Mexican and Colombian landraces before crossing an F1 female with an Indian landrace and then breeding the next generation with yet another landrace from Thailand.

Out of the mixing pot came the genetic masterpiece that is Original Haze, along with other early phenotypes like Purple Haze. However, despite their ambrosial effects, these strains were something of a nightmare to grow due to their skyscraper proportions and exceptionally long flowering stage. To overcome these issues, the Haze brothers recruited the help of renowned breeder Dave Watson – aka Sam the Skunkman – who began creating smaller hybrids by introducing Indica genetics.

Initially, Haze wasn’t easy or cheap to come by, although Jimi Hendrix obviously managed to get his hands on some Purple Haze before the release of his iconic song in 1967 (although whether the song came before the strain or the strain after the song is still a debate). However, it wasn’t until six years later that Sam the Skunkman first began selling the Original Haze strains through his seed bank, Cultivator’s Choice.

Haze Goes Global

The history of Haze and how it took over the world is hotly contested, so let’s start with the facts. Somehow, three lonely Original Haze seeds found their way across the pond to Amsterdam, where they ended up in the hands of master breeder Neville Schoenmakers.

Sam the Skunkman maintains that he brought these seeds over to Holland in the early 80s, yet Schoenmakers once claimed to have received the genetics directly from the Haze brothers.

Unfortunately, the actual sequence of events has been buried beneath a series of fallings-out between Sam the Skunkman, the Haze brothers and Schoenmakers. Ultimately, all that really matters is that the latter crossed an Original Haze male with a Northern Lights female, producing one of the most popular strains of all time: Northern Lights #5 x Haze.

After the cultivar won the Cannabis Cup in both 1989 and 1990, Schoenmakers sold The Seed Bank to Sensi Seed Bank, which went on to win the competition again in 1994 with another Haze hybrid, Jack Herer.

Later, Schoenmakers left Sensi Seeds to join the Greenhouse Seed Company, where he created Super Silver Haze and Mango Haze by crossing Northern Lights #5 x Haze with Skunk genetics, bringing in two more Cannabis Cups in 1998 and 1999. The legendary Neville’s Haze was then forged by once again breeding a Northern Lights #5 x Haze female with an Original Haze male.

Though Schoenmakers subsequently left Greenhouse, the company has continued to produce popular Haze hybrids since the turn of the millennium, winning a further pair of Cannabis Cups in 2008 and 2009 with Super Lemon Haze. Nowadays, every seed bank on the planet offers its own Haze hybrids, though the majority of these don’t contain any Original Haze genetics.

Not a bad legacy for three measly seeds. The history of haze continues to this day, with its genetic fingerprint found in thousands of cannabis strains.

Our Top 5 Strains Featuring Haze Genetics

Neville’s Haze – Named after the great Neville Schoenmakers, Neville’s Haze is the closest thing you’ll find to pure Haze and is among the most iconic strains ever created.

Super Lemon Haze – Winner of two Cannabis Cups, Super Lemon Haze is a cross between Lemon Skunk and Super Silver Haze.

Blue Dream – Blueberry and Haze combine to create this sweet-tasting hybrid, featuring 70 percent Sativa genetics.

Jack Herer – Another Cannabis Cup winner, Jack Herer is a cross between Original Haze and Red Skunk.

Amnesia Haze – This highly potent cultivar boasts a THC content of over 20 percent and has been known to make people forget their troubles.