We have a lineup of absolute hitters to help you celebrate August in our High Times Strains of the Month. Whether you’re looking for fuel, candy, or Z, this group of strains is sure to have something in your wheelhouse.
This list is a celebration of great genetics grown well and we hope you’ll have a chance to get your hands on some of these offerings.
PINK DIRT – Jeu Green
(Skunktek Sour Diesel x ECSD/Stardawg x Sour Face)
Jeu Green, who took top honors at The Billys in New York City this year, has added another hitter to his stable. DIRT enthusiasts will be thrilled with this new offering he found in a pack of Sour Skunkface seeds by Skunk and Sour (@skunkandsour).
“Massachusetts breeders got heat,” Green told High Times.
Green started the phenohunt on a quest to find pink weed. When he was younger, his father got a big bag of crazy pink weed that was considered an “herban legend” around his hometown and talked about for years. He only popped 12 seeds, but he found the traits he was looking for on the selection he made with its pink pistils and tight bud structure standing out to the award-winning grower. Green emphasized that even though it was a small phenohunt, sometimes those special cuts find you.
Green is a gas enthusiast when it comes to his preferred flavor profile for cannabis and the PINK DIRT certainly checks that box. Green noted there are also some pink lemonade undertones and the total package will leave a sour mouth coat. As with other fuel-heavy strain profiles, the impact is definitely there. Green argues she has a bit of a creeper high that will get you if you sleep on her.
“Everything I do is DIRT and she is the pink one like Kimberly, the pink Power Ranger,” Green said.
Green is the only one in possession of the PINK DIRT.
Brainwash – Alien Labs x Talking Terps
(Z x Oz Kush #18)
Brainwash came from a 60-seed phenohunt done by Alien Labs following a breeding project at their Sacramento facility. Alien Labs founder Ted Lidie told High Times the winner was selected for its OG-like flavor that hits a midway point and turns to candy Z. Another factor in the selection was how much impact the strain has, which can sometimes be lacking in Z crosses.
“Its proximity to a true OG with something different inside the nug,” Lidie said, “Z is there but ephemeral. The OG really sticks with you.”
The pairing has proved very successful out of the gate. It recently took home top honors in Proper Doinks’ inaugural Arizona bracket against a bunch of hitters. It was recently Alien Labs’ top-selling strain for a couple of months in a row. All in all, it’s been a big success for Alien Labs and their friends at Talking Terps for their first-ever collaboration.
The name came easily, according to Lidie, it’s a reference to washing your brain. He noted that it fits with Talking Terps branding, current culture and has multilayered meaning like a lot of Alien Labs strain names.
Alien Labs is the only cultivator in possession of the strain. Also, don’t sleep on the California batches. They definitely share the same quality as the award-winning rendition coming out of Arizona.
Zunicorn – Zero Gravity Exotics
(Z x TMZ (Z x Candy Fumes (Z x Sherbanger)
Zunicorn is a standout pheno of World War Z bred by Bloom Seed Co. and cultivated by Zero Gravity Exotics in Oakland, California. In a world where new Z crosses are popping up on an almost monthly basis, the Zunicorns is a fantastic offering that jumps out of the jar with an even sweeter nose that’s arguably a little bit louder than the original Z. The extra sweet notes on top of the Z dominant profile are a result of the Candy Fumez in its lineage.
The Zero Gravity team picked up the seeds at Ego Clash 2025 and popped them immediately. While they only had six seeds to hunt through for winners, they ended up finding multiple keepers. The Zunicorn got its name from being the unicorn of the pack.
Their selection grows very similar to Z, but they believe it to be a bit more commercially viable, given its slightly improved vigor, structure, and look. Zero Gravity Exotics are the only cultivators currently in possession of the cut.
Zangbanger – Wizard Trees
(Sherbanger #22 × Zangria)
While originally Wizard Trees was most associated with elite cannabis flower, their recent lineup of hitters has turned the brand into one of the most sought-after breeders on the planet. This was further confirmed by the massive lines in Barcelona and Berlin this year as people hoped to get their hands on the lineup of genetics that’s very much proven to offer an excellent pairing of commercial viability and quality smoke.
Expect the Zangbanger to only add to the hype. The winning phenotype beat out other top-tier keepers from the Zangria line, including Gas Gimlet and Zoza, which are still monsters in their own right.
The selection was made purely on smoke quality according to the Wizard Trees team. They argue the insane blueberry terpene profile stains your mouth even more than Z. That’s not too much of a shocker, given Zangbanger has been testing at a consistent 4.5% to 5% terpenes. That is a massive number, Scott from Wizard Trees noted, even his best strains rarely hit 4%.
The loud candy-blueberry nose translates perfectly to the flavor of the experience. And you’ll enjoy those notes all the way through the joint, given how loaded it will be with terpenes.
Photos courtesy of their respective growers
