Haze

Also known as: Original Haze, OG Haze, Haze Brothers, Purple Haze, Silver Blue Haze, Neville's Haze

Breeder: G and Robert Lund (R.L.) — Santa Cruz / Corralitos, California, early 1970s. NOT the Haze Brothers (who were dealers, not breeders).

Lineage & Genetics

Cross: Colombian x Mexican x South Indian (Kerala) x Thai — four-way landrace sativa polyhybrid developed over three consecutive growing seasons (~1969-1972)

Colombian (foundation): Likely Punto Rojo and Highland Gold/Santa Marta Gold varieties. Tall stature, long flowering, fruity-to-spicy aromas, deeply cerebral high. The Purple Haze phenotype (most Colombian-dominant) was most prized. Mexican (Year 1 male): Often cited as Acapulco Gold stock. Contributed shorter flowering windows relative to Thai/Colombian, resin production, peppery-sweet aroma. South Indian/Kerala (Year 2 male): Provided by David Watson. Noted for explosive potency, unique spice-incense terpenes, and psychedelic character. Thai (Year 3 male): Backbone of Haze per the Old School Breeders Association. Contributed longest flowering times (16-20+ weeks), most extreme stretch, distinctive incense-sandalwood-citrus terpenes, and red sap from fresh-cut stems.

Terpene Profile

Aroma: Spicy incense and sandalwood on the nose, with high citrus notes (lemon, grapefruit), earthy sweetness, and woody-herbal undertone. Often compared to burning incense in a hardwood cathedral. Unmistakable — nothing else in cannabis smells quite like pure Haze.

Flavor: Inhale carries spicy-herbal and frankincense notes. Exhale reveals citric aftertaste — sometimes lemon-lime, sometimes tropical — with lingering sandalwood and peppery bite. Very long lasting aftertaste that coats the palate. Characteristically expansive smoke that can induce coughing.

Effects & Experience

Onset: Rapid cerebral onset within 1-3 minutes of inhalation. High begins behind the eyes and radiates outward as intensifying wave of mental clarity and energy.

Clear-headed and mentally stimulating without significant body sedation. Described as a no-ceiling high — early users claimed potency scaled with consumption rather than plateauing. At higher doses some report enhanced sensory perception, time distortion, and borderline psychedelic quality consistent with Thai and Kerala parentage. Excellent for conversation, creative work, brainstorming, and outdoor activities.

Duration: Notably long-lasting for smoked cannabis — 2-3+ hours with afterglow effects persisting further. Extended duration is a hallmark distinguishing Haze from most modern hybrids.

Growing Characteristics

Grow Tips: Growing Original Haze departs from standard indoor protocols in nearly every aspect. Challenge #1 — The Stretch (150-300%): After flipping to 12/12, will double to triple pre-flip height. The Old School Breeders Association explicitly recommends starting immediately on 12/12 from seed or rooted clone — zero veg time. Plants naturally vegetate ~4 weeks under 12/12 before flowering initiates, reaching ~5 feet by finish. If you must veg, flip at half your maximum usable height. Top as soon as seedling has 4-5 nodes — do not wait. SCROG is the gold standard: install screen 30-50cm above pot, weave branches through during stretch, aim for 70-85% coverage. Challenge #2 — Extreme Flowering Time: 12-16+ weeks minimum. Electricity costs roughly double vs standard hybrid. Pest/pathogen exposure risk increases proportionally. Nutrient management over 4-month cycle requires slow deliberate adjustments. Strategy: reduce light hours progressively to mimic equatorial photoperiods (start 12/12, reduce to 11.5 hours, then 11 hours for final 2-3 weeks). Budget for 4-6 months from seed. Use trichome checks as only harvest indicator starting at week 10 — harvest when mostly cloudy with 5-10% amber for clean cerebral effect. Challenge #3 — Feeding: Sensitive to overfeeding. Landrace genetics evolved in poor tropical soils. Start at 50-60% manufacturer's strength. pH 6.0-6.5 consistently — less tolerant of swings than hybrids. Nitrogen needed through first 3-4 weeks of flower (longer than hybrids due to massive stretch). EC stay moderate at 1.2-1.6 in flower for soil, 1.0-1.4 coco/hydro. CalMag critical with long flower cycle — deficiencies emerge around week 8-10 if not supplemented. Flush 10-14 days before harvest. Challenge #4 — Structural Support: Buds are long, spear-shaped, resin-heavy on tall leggy plants. Bamboo stakes from mid-flower, second trellis layer above SCROG screen, yo-yo supports for individual colas. Defoliate large fan leaves in week 3-4 (remove 20-30% max), light second defoliation week 5-6. Humidity 50-60% in flower — airy bud structure gives excellent natural mold resistance. High-intensity light needed for long flower cycle. Common mistakes: vegging too long (any veg x 2-3x stretch = ceiling catastrophe), harvesting too early (at week 10 buds look done to hybrid growers but trichomes often still clear), overfeeding (manifests as progressive tip burn cascading over the long cycle), underestimating space (single plant can fill 1.2m x 1.2m SCROG), ignoring CalMag, not supporting branches. Drying: 18-21°C (64-70°F) at 50-60% humidity for 10-14 days. Terpinolene is particularly volatile — over-fast drying destroys the incense-citrus nose. Curing: minimum 3-4 weeks, many connoisseurs cure 8+ weeks. Spice, incense, and citrus notes deepen significantly over time.

History & Origin

Around 1969-1972 in the Santa Cruz/Corralitos hills of California, G (a surfer) and R.L. (Robert Lund) developed a four-way landrace polyhybrid over three consecutive growing seasons: Colombian females x Mexican male (Year 1), best results x South Indian male from David Watson (Year 2), best results x Thai male (Year 3). By 1975 G coined the name Original Haze. Named phenotypes emerged: Purple Haze, Silver Blue Haze, Lime Green, Gold, Magenta — commanding up to $500/oz. Three New Jersey brothers (the Haze Brothers) brokered it to NYC in the late 1970s, building the legend. David Watson (Sam the Skunkman) carried seeds to Amsterdam ~1976-83. Nevil Schoenmakers founded The Seed Bank of Holland in 1984, purchasing Haze from Watson and selecting the legendary Haze A and Haze C breeding males. These became arguably the most important breeding plants in modern cannabis history. Nevil passed away in 2019.

Notable Crosses

Strains bred using Haze as a parent: