Strain Report: Amnesia Haze Terpenes and History
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Key takeaways
Amnesia Haze is the strain a lot of people remember from their first trip to an Amsterdam coffeeshop. It's a Haze from the old school: Southeast Asian sativas, Jamaican Haze, and a little Afghani-Hawaiian to make it finish. It took first prize at the High Times Cannabis Cup in 2004 and won again in 2012, and it's still on coffeeshop menus today.
For lab operators, it's a daytime sativa name people already know, with a green, herbal nose and a bright lemon edge. Below is the lineage, the Cup history, what goes into our blend, and how it holds up in a cart.
Strain Profile: Amnesia Haze
Amnesia Haze smells green and herbal, with lemon peel on top and black pepper underneath. It's a sativa-dominant hybrid, and flower commonly tests above 20 percent THC. People call it energizing and talkative, a strain for the daytime, for creative work and for a room full of people.
The plant grows like a sativa, tall with long, thin leaves, and it takes its time. Flowering can run 10 to 12 weeks or more.
Amnesia Haze Genetics
The name fits, because the origin story is hazy. What breeders agree on is what went into it. The sativa side is Southeast Asian landraces from Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, plus Jamaican Haze. An Afghani-Hawaiian line was crossed in to shorten the flowering time and firm up the plant.
It came together in the Netherlands and showed up in Amsterdam in the early 2000s, first as a clone-only cut passed around the coffeeshop scene. Soma Seeds sells an Amnesia Haze and is the name most often tied to its Cup wins. Other Dutch breeders worked the line too, and seeds are now available from several of them.
Is Amnesia Haze Indica or Sativa?
Amnesia Haze is a sativa-dominant hybrid. It grows like one and its reputation fits: up, social and heady.
The indica and sativa labels come from old plant structure and market shorthand, and they do not predict how a strain will feel. What a consumer actually feels comes down to the cannabinoids and terpenes in that specific batch.
Amnesia Haze at the Cannabis Cup
Amnesia Haze took first prize at the High Times Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam in 2004, and won the Sativa Cup there again in 2012. Winning at the same competition eight years apart says the genetics held up.
Its other record is on coffeeshop menus. Amsterdam has sold Amnesia Haze for more than twenty years, and it's one of the most widely recognized sativa names in Europe. Haze genetics also travel well, so the name shows up in flower, pre-rolls and carts far outside the Netherlands.
What Terpenes Are in Amnesia Haze?
Our Amnesia Haze is built on five terpenes: limonene, beta-caryophyllene, myrcene, humulene and beta-pinene. Together they give the green, herbal nose with lemon peel on top and pepper underneath.
Limonene
Botanical sources: lemons, limes, grapefruit and other citrus
Limonene leads our blend. It's the bright lemon peel on top. It also dissolves silicone, so check your hardware.
Beta-Caryophyllene
Botanical sources: black pepper, cloves, rosemary, hops
Caryophyllene is the warm black pepper. It's one of the few terpenes known to bind directly to CB2 receptors in the endocannabinoid system.
Myrcene
Botanical sources: hops, mangoes, thyme, lemongrass
Myrcene is the musky, herbal base the rest of the blend sits on. It's the most common terpene in cannabis.
Humulene
Botanical sources: hops, sage, ginseng, cloves
Humulene is the hoppy, herbal depth, and it does most of the work behind the green Haze character.
Beta-Pinene
Botanical sources: pine needles, rosemary, basil, dill
Beta-pinene is sharp pine and herb, and it keeps the top of the blend fresh.
How Amnesia Haze Runs in a Vape
Limonene, myrcene and beta-pinene are the lighter, more volatile terpenes in the blend, so the lemon and fresh herb lead on the inhale. Caryophyllene and humulene are heavier, and the pepper and hops carry through on the exhale. That dry, herbal finish is what reads as Haze. Our suggested starting point for vapes is 7 percent inclusion. Ceramic coils maintain the flavor and terp profile, and cotton gets a burnt taste much quicker than ceramic.
How Does Amnesia Haze Make You Feel?
Everybody reacts differently, but reports on Amnesia Haze are consistent. It comes on fast, energizing, euphoric and heady. People reach for it to get creative, stay social or lock in on something that needs focus. It isn't a nighttime strain. With THC this high, it can be a lot for newer consumers, so they should start slow.
Why Is Amnesia Haze So Strong?
Amnesia Haze commonly tests in the low to mid twenties for THC, and Haze genetics have a reputation for a fast, heady onset. Tolerance, dose and the specific batch all change how hard it actually hits.
Strains Similar to Amnesia Haze
Strains that share Amnesia Haze's genetics, its Haze character or a spot on a daytime menu:
Jack Herer
Lineage: Haze x (Northern Lights #5 x Shiva Skunk)
Flavor: Pine, spice and earth
Available in: Cannabis Derived, Canna-Botanical, Botanical Derived
Another Dutch Haze classic, from Sensi Seeds, named after the cannabis activist and author. Same up, clear daytime character.
Lemon Haze
Lineage: Lemon Skunk x Silver Haze
Flavor: Bright lemon with floral and spicy notes
Available in: Cannabis Derived, Canna-Botanical, Botanical Derived
A Haze that turns the lemon all the way up. For customers who like Amnesia's citrus and want more of it.
Afghan
Lineage: Landrace from the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan
Flavor: Hash, wood, earth and spice
Available in: Cannabis Derived, Canna-Botanical, Botanical Derived
The indica side of the family that helped make Amnesia Haze finish. Heavy and relaxing where Amnesia is up.
Acapulco Gold
Lineage: Mexican sativa landrace
Flavor: Caramel and toffee with an earthy finish
Available in: Canna-Botanical, Botanical Derived
Another landrace-era sativa with a legendary name, warmer and sweeter than Amnesia.
Do Si Dos
Lineage: GSC x Face Off OG
Flavor: Floral, with mint and spice
Available in: Canna-Botanical, Botanical Derived
Archive Seed Bank's cross and Leafly's 2021 Strain of the Year. A heavy, relaxing evening counterpart to Amnesia's daytime energy.
Buy All-Natural Amnesia Haze Terpenes
Amnesia Haze has two Cup wins, twenty years on Amsterdam menus and a name people recognize anywhere Haze is sold.
Lab Effects' synthetic-free terpenes bring that profile to your whole lineup, from flower to vapes to concentrates. Everything is 100% natural and food grade, built True-to-Flower™ to match the real plant. Choose Cannabis Derived, Canna-Botanical or Botanical Derived to fit your production, or contact our team for help picking the right profile for your Amnesia Haze products.
