Award-winning cannabis journalist and best-selling author David Downs highlights the hottest flowers blazing up the charts in legal U.S. states for the start of summer. It’s his new monthly column, dubbed “Terp Sherpa,” out for the first of the month.
You don’t have to know “a guy” anymore.
America’s roughly 42 million or so active weed lovers have a diverse, superb selection of top flowers to seek out this June in the legalization states from coast to coast. Newly legal farms are firing on all cylinders, stocked with the latest work from breeders that are the envy of the world. High Times’ Terp Sherpa is ready to get you higher. Let’s go!
Lobster OG
Maine Trees (ME), Umma Sonoma (CA), The Flowery (FL)
One of the biggest strains of the last few years is back with a new cross to something old-school and gassy. Releasing this month in multiple states, Lobster OG is a cross of the multi-award-winning Blue Lobster and (Sour Best Shit Ever x Apples & Bananas). Lobster OG wins the arms race for blingy strains with its Blue Lobster parentage, but adds more stank and bite than the original. Blue Lobster is a selection of Compound Genetics’ Facade (Apples & Bananas x Eye Candy). It’s phenomenal on its own, but the addition of the OG LA Affie and SAGE remixes the terps to a loud new level. Lobster OG is hitting right now from Umma Sonoma in California, as well as Maine Trees in Maine, and other grows in other states.
Fabulosa
Fig Farms (CA)
We got the full lineup of everything California’s famed Fig Farms is working on, and Fabulosa is the one we kept returning to. It looked stunning and unique. Fig Farms refuses to release anything ugly. The smell was pleasant, in the sweet indica-hybrid wheelhouse. But it was the effect that stood out as truly fabulous. Fabulosa never knocked us out or gave us The Fear. It became the perfect adjunct to any day or night activity. The strain also shows Fig’s dedication to original breeding and genetics. It’s a cross of Umami Seed Co.’s Zabuza (Poison Gushers x Zuchi) and Fig’s in-house classic Dark Karma. Dark Karma itself mixed Bodhi Seed’s Strange Love (Goji OG x Snow Lotus) and the total classic hitter Dutch Treat. Look for it in Fig Farms’ new holographic boxes.
Toad Venom
Green Dragon (CA, various)
The most hyped, hated strain in the game is just getting started this June. Once impossible to find, you’re about to see Toad Venom everywhere thanks to twin clone drops from the breeder Ronin Seeds, via GOAT Global, as well as the selector Green Dragon, a nursery/retailer in L.A. Toad Venom is Sin Mintz x Animal Face. That is, Sin Mint Cookies x Z with extra gas. This indica hybrid knocks me out like a poison arrow, and the cookie, mint, loud gas and lime finish has me coming back for more. You can hunt for the legendary authentic Toad through Green Dragon’s distributor KSS Distro. Beware, she’s hard to catch. KSS says it’s one of the fastest-moving strains in their warehouse.
John Truffolta
Alpine Agronomy (NY, CO, UT)
If you loved Super Boof, aka Blockberry, don’t sleep on the breeder Blockhead’s newest jam: John Truffolta. It smells and tastes like a Hawaiian Punch poured over an angry skunk. Craft cannabis growers Alpine Agronomy from the Adirondacks placed seventh in The Billy Awards with John Truffolta in April. The genetics are Truffaloha S1 #5 x Blueberry Sugar. Truffaloha (White Truffle x Platinum Punch) comes from breeder Beleaf. Blueberry Sugar is Blockhead’s mix of Grape Cream 2.1 x Blueberry Frosting, melding work from Harry Palms of Bloom Seed Co., InHouse Genetics, and more. Blockhead just dropped John Truffolta seeds and they’re selling out quickly, so look out for the strain in New York, Colorado, Utah and beyond.
Skunk Gas
Garcia Hand Picked (CA)
Garcia Hand Picked has relaunched in California with the best outdoor retailers in the game, Solful, doing the picking. They’re collaborating with some of the best small farms in Northern California and Jerry would be proud. The Skunk Gas comes from multi-award-winning Greenshock Farms, led by the beneficent plant wizard Mark Greyshock. Grown in Willits, Mendocino County, in living soil, with sun-grown cultivation, Skunk Gas is a cross of (Ridgeline’s Green Lantern x (Rebel Grown’s Double OG Chem x Long Valley Royal Kush Skunk). Expect heavy skunk-diesel-menthol aggression from this green bud, a real, authentic, divisive choice for the relaunch. The candy kids can kick rocks this time.
Blueberry Caviar
Cookies (NM, CA, etc.)
Debuting nationally this summer from Cookies affiliates, Blueberry Caviar delivers deep, blueberry grape work that’s loud as hell. It’s a new salvo in the blueberry wars that includes Terphogz’s Blueberry Z work and other cobelligerents. Blueberry Caviar comes from Ridgeline Farm’s Jason Gelman, merging his LANTZ (Green Lantern x Ridgeline Runtz) with an especially terpy selection of Compound Genetics’ Grape Gas (Grape Pie x Jet Fuel Gelato). Two varieties emerged, Blackberry Caviar which is more purple, and Blueberry Caviar, which is more green and flavorful. Gelman credits Berner for promoting the Blueberry Caviar to the national level. Blueberry Caviar has been spotted in New Mexico, California and beyond, and represents the avant-garde of blueberry terps for 2026.
Brain Wash
Alien Labs (NY, CA, AZ)
Is 2026 the year New York legal weed unfucks itself? California brand Alien Labs says, “Yezzir.” They spent over a year importing skills and upgrading an indoor grow after state regulators untied the legal industry’s hands and feet. Formerly limited to outdoor boof farms run by local hemp or tomato growers, New York now sports legit indoor grows tapping national talent. The lead-off hitter from Alien Labs New York is Brain Wash, a cross of OZ Kush x Z #18. That’s candy-gas on candy, fam. Bright green, colorful bud with lime taffy and refined fuel notes. This mind-wiping hybrid should make you smack your lips, forget your cares and wash away the taste of The Empire State’s goofy legal weed infancy.
Cinnamon Milk
Snowtill (CA)
We had a lot of tree after programming San Francisco’s weed week for April 20, dubbed SF Space Walk. Sitting at the top of the heap: Cinnamon Milk, bred by Powerzzzup + Cookies and grown in living soil by Snowtill indoors in The City. I mean, we’ve always been a fan of horchata, but we were still not ready for how good this cross of Cereal A La Mode x (Sherb x Z) turned out. It’s got creamy, cinnamon milk terps that are loud as hell. The dark purple and green-leaved bud is icy with trichomes, and became a go-to after-dinner treat for when it was time to zonk out. Joe Snowtill said, “She smells absolutely phenomenal in the garden, and grows beautiful and vigorous, and is an easy-to-work-with plant.” Cinnamon Milk is not officially released from Snowtill, but coming soon, so stay frosty.
LANTZ
Hytek (MI)
We want to spread the love around for this first Terp Sherpa column in High Times, and shout out the surging state of Michigan. While The Billy Awards heads to Michigan this month, the Zalympix Awards already found its winner last year there: LANTZ, imported from Ridgeline Farms of California. The Michigan grower Hytek took the top spot in the 2025 Michigan Zalympix with this Ridgeline Runtz x Green Lantern cross, and it’s a solid bet for visitors this summer. You can also get LANTZ crosses from Ridgeline on the seed bank Tangled Roots, and bring the game-changing strain to your own garden or tent grow.
Happy Hour
Bosky (CA)
One more for your start of summer. Reaching new heights of hype this June, Wizard Trees of Los Angeles already has fans waiting in line for two weeks (two weeks!) for their June seed drop at Mary Jane Berlin. Save yourself a plane ticket and heat stroke and just get California indoor grower Bosky’s selection of Happy Hour, hunted from packs of the Tea Time x Zangria cross. Tea Time is Z x RS11. Zangria is Thin Mint Cookies x Z. So we’re talking green bud with a mild smell in the jar, but a loud tropical candy grind and an even tastier smoke and finish. It’s a lovely hybrid for lounging around the pool listening to the new Seu Jorge album. Cheers!
Hit your favorite strain locator site to seek out these strains and lock in a dope bag. Terp Sherpa finna get you even higher in July.
