Reading Strain Names: OG, Cake, Gelato and Haze

A lineage word in a strain name, like OG, Cake, Gelato or Haze, usually tells you which well-known parent sits somewhere in the plant's family tree. It does not tell you how closely related the plant is to that parent, who bred it, or how it will test. Treat the name as a starting point for questions, then read the label.

Quick answer

OG usually signals descent from OG Kush, which Leafly lists as tracing to Chemdawg and Hindu Kush.
Cake usually signals Wedding Cake ancestry, which Leafly lists as Triangle Kush crossed with Animal Mints.
Gelato usually signals descent from Gelato, which Leafly lists as Sunset Sherbet crossed with Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies.
Haze usually signals the Haze family, which Leafly traces to Santa Cruz, California in the 1960s and to landrace plants from Colombia, Mexico, Thailand and South India.
Names aren't regulated as genetic claims. Two growers can sell different plants under the same name.
For what a specific product actually contains, read its label and lab results, not the name.

Why do strain names carry family words?

Breeders name new crosses after their parents the way a band names an album after a hit. Crossing a Gelato plant with something else and calling the result "Gelato" plus a new word tells buyers where it came from. Over a few generations, popular parents become family names: OG, Cake, Gelato, Cookies, Haze, Diesel, Kush.

The catch is that a family word can be one generation back or five. A plant called "Something OG" might be half OG Kush, or it might have one OG grandparent among many. The name doesn't say which. If you're new to the basics, our beginner's guide to medical cannabis is a good starting point.

What does "OG" mean in a strain name?

In most strain names, OG points back to OG Kush. Leafly describes OG Kush as crossed from Chemdawg, Lemon Thai and a Hindu Kush plant, with its genetics block listing Chemdawg and Hindu Kush as parents. Leafly also says it was first cultivated in Florida in the early 1990s before moving to Los Angeles.

What OG tells you:

At least one ancestor is likely OG Kush or one of its well-known descendants.
The plant probably comes from the Kush side of the family tree.

What OG doesn't tell you:

How many generations separate it from OG Kush.
Whether "OG" is being used to mean "original" instead. Some sellers use it that way, which is one more reason to check the label.

What does "Cake" mean?

Cake in a name usually points to Wedding Cake. Leafly lists Wedding Cake as a cross of Triangle Kush and Animal Mints. Wedding Cake became a common parent, so many newer strains carry "Cake" in the name.

Cake is a looser family word than OG. Other "Cake" strains exist with different parents, and some names use the word only for marketing. If Cake is the reason you're interested, ask what the listed parents are.

What does "Gelato" mean?

Gelato is listed by Leafly as a cross of Sunset Sherbet and Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies. That puts it in the Cookies family, which is why Gelato-named strains often sit next to Cookies-named ones on a menu.

Gelato also shows up with numbers, like Gelato 33 or Gelato 41. Numbers in a name usually mark a specific phenotype, meaning one plant a breeder picked out from many grown from the same seeds. Two numbered Gelatos share parents but were selected separately.

What does "Haze" mean?

Haze is one of the older family names. Leafly says Haze first took root in Santa Cruz, California in the 1960s, and traces its genetics to plants from Colombia, Mexico, Thailand and South India. Those regional plants are called landraces: strains that developed in one place over a long time before modern breeding.

A Haze-named strain usually has some of that older lineage in it. As with the other families, the name doesn't say how much. Leafly's history of the Haze family covers the better-known descendants.

What a strain name can't tell you

Who grew it. The same name from two Oklahoma growers can be two different plants.
Test results. Cannabinoid and terpene numbers come from the lab, and Oklahoma requires testing before products are sold. The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority sets those rules.
Freshness or quality. Harvest and package dates are on the label; the name says nothing about them.
How it will affect you. We don't make effect claims, and a name isn't evidence of any. Talk with your recommending physician about your medical questions.

How to use strain names when you shop

Use the name to narrow the menu. If you've liked something from a family before, family words help you find relatives. Browse our flower and pre-roll categories.
Check the listed parents. Many menus and packages list the cross. If it isn't listed, ask.
Read the label and lab results. That's where the real numbers live.
Check what's in stock today. Strains rotate. Our live menu shows current products.
Ask at the counter. Our staff can tell you what's listed for a strain's genetics. New patients can read our first-time patient guide before visiting.

FAQ

Does "OG" always mean OG Kush?

Usually, but not always. Most strains with OG in the name trace to OG Kush, but some sellers use OG to mean "original." Check the listed parents.

Are two strains with the same name genetically identical?

Not necessarily. Strain names aren't registered or regulated as genetic claims, so two growers can sell different plants under one name.

What do numbers after a strain name mean?

Numbers like those in Gelato 33 usually mark a phenotype a breeder selected from a batch of seeds. They share parents with other numbered versions but were picked separately.

What is a landrace?

A landrace is a strain that developed in one region over a long time before modern breeding. Leafly traces Haze to landraces from Colombia, Mexico, Thailand and South India.

Where can I see the genetics of a strain Blue Water Dispensary carries?

Check the product listing on our live menu, or ask our staff in store. Some answers about shopping and check-in are on our FAQ page.

Visit Blue Water Dispensary

Blue Water Dispensary, 112 West Main Street, Norman, OK 73069. Call (405) 857-2666. Open 9 AM–10 PM every day, about a mile from the OU campus. Find directions on our locations page.