This September, the nation’s budtenders give us their Budtender’s Choice 2024 picks for the best strain and brand in the state, but you don’t have to wait for the results to come in to smoke that fire.

Leafly Buzz flew up and down California, scooping up tasty nugs and seeing which jars we finished first. After scouring strain search trends and menus—we find ourselves deep in the hype stuff: Blue Gushers, Cherry Gushers, Permanent Marker Bx1, and the like.

Here’s your monthly cheat codes to the best bong loads of September. Here’s September’s Leafly Buzz.

Data grinder

We broke out our calculators, plugged into the Leafly strain database, and ran a scan for zaza. Here’s what the stats tell us.

Lemon Cherry Gelato

No. #2

So popular you love it or loathe it, Lemon Cherry Gelato climbs into the number two strain spot in the western states this month. For newcomers, it’s a hybrid indica that’s relaxing, soothing, and silly. As popular as a pinot noir, fine cannabis brands each claim their own cut of this cultivar—popularized by Backpack Boyz. Some say LCG is re-branded Gelato #33, others Gelato x Z. 

GMO

No. #8

GMO Cookies charges into the No. 8 spot out west this month with a stanky, somnambulant stone. Chemmy, gassy, and dank—GMO nugs come super-size for bag appeal. Oregon and Michigan both specialize in GMOs.

Gary Payton

No. #9

Gary Payton hits a slippery spot and drops to No. 9 this month. The dessert strain is built from The Y and Snowman, with a jammy floral fuel note. Bred by Powerzzzup Genetics in the Bay Area, growers coast-to-coast rock Payton in their lineup.

White Runtz

up 22.4%

Rounding out an all-cookie fam Data Grinder we see White Runtz doing numbers. It’s up 22.4% month over month, with really similar traits to Lemon Cherry Gelato. It’s just a little more calming, and more dense. Both test high in caryophyllene, limonene, and linalool.

New in the Leafly strain database

Cherry Pie x Z x Biscotti

Old-school Cherry Pie gets the candy of Z and the cookie of Biscotti in this 3-way cross. Dark, icy, striking, and dank—this flavor is another end-of-day reward. High-end indoor flower grower Bosky won the Transbay Challenge qualifier of San Diego with Cherry Pie x Z x Biscotti this summer.

Blue Gushers

California and Arizona brand Made grows the Blue Gushers a type of Triangle Kush x Gelato 41 with a blue hue and sweet, gooey, berry taste. Blue Gushers is a sweet hybrid for getting creative or tripping on a nature video.

Pink Froot

Colorado-based Green Dot Labs is back with another exclusive cannabis strain drop, coming in October, GDL’s Pink Frōōt strain has a tropical taffy candy and euphoric, yet functional buzz.

Sour Elvis

Sour Diesel and the strain Elvis (AK-47 x Skunk #1) combine in Sour Elvis, spotted at Hall of Flowers from the East Coast brand Nature Always Wins. It’s a really unique mix of old-school sour with more fuel and dank from the Elvis.

Picks of the dispensaries

New on shelves

Double Rainbow

Happy Trails

Double Rainbow will leave veteran smokers cooked on a 37% THC indica hybrid cross of Rainbow Cookies and Purple Hulk. Happy Trails’ jar of it got me uncomfortably high and yet I’d come back for half-bowls and ride the rainbow, holding on through deep breathing and water. Sometimes you just want a journey. Woman and social equity-owned flower company Happy Trails from Oakland, CA keeps crushing it.

Burning up the charts

Pineapple Jack

Happy Trails

Phew, we broke the cookies spell with some classic Pineapple Jack, jarred by Happy Trails in California. It’s got pineapple, tropical and pine notes and zippy, focused daytime effects. Pineapple Jack is going to make that art project crank by.

Best-sellers

Ballin out

Cherry Gushers

SF Canna

While Made grows Blue Gushers down south, SF Canna has Cherry Gushers (Acai x Black Cherry Funk) for the Bay Area. Candy, gas in a gorgeous, multi-colored, resinous package—Cherry Gushers is great after a meal in the back yard with the gang.

Ballin’ on a budget

Permanent Marker Bx1

Made

Leafly Strain of the Year 2023 Permanent Marker keeps on charging with Permanent Marker Bx1, which stands for backcross. It’s even more of what makes Permanent Marker a winner—magic marker fumes and a dramatic dark look. Bred by Seed Junky and grown at scale by Made—it’s another perfect after-work treat.  

High Note

Puffco’s new Storm Peak and Proxy

The annual Puffco party Puffcon has arrived and with it—the latest color for their hit lineup. This time, it’s the smokey, blue “storm” colorway for the New Peak and the Proxy. The Puffco offers the nicest way to onboard a friend who wants to start dabbing. Yet the advanced settings are not to be trifled with.

OK, we’re heading into the fray at Hall of Flowers in Santa Rosa. We’ll be back with even more hot, hot heat from the weed beat.

Growers, breeders, brands, stores—got buzz for Leafly? We’re all ears. Email us at david.downs@leafly.com