The Birth of Haze

In the late 1960s, a group of California breeders known as the "Haze Brothers" — operating in Santa Cruz — set out to create the ultimate sativa. Using seeds collected from around the world, they crossed Colombian Gold, Acapulco Gold, Thai, and South Indian landrace sativas. The result was a strain with a soaring, psychedelic high unlike anything before it.

Named simply "Haze," the strain was impractical for commercial cultivation — it took 16-18 weeks to flower and grew to extreme heights. But its effects were so unique and powerful that it became legendary among the small circle of growers who had access to it.

Preservation and the Dutch Connection

In the 1980s, Haze was preserved by Sam "The Skunkman" — an American breeder who brought seeds to the Netherlands. There, Neville Schoenmakers at The Seed Bank (later Sensi Seeds) recognized the genetic goldmine he was holding. Dutch breeders began crossing Haze with faster-flowering indicas to create more manageable hybrids, birthing an entirely new category of cannabis.

The first major Haze hybrid was Silver Haze (1989), crossing Haze with Northern Lights and Skunk #1. This was followed by Super Silver Haze (1997), which won three consecutive Cannabis Cups and became one of the most decorated strains in history.

The Haze Family Tree

Today, Haze genetics appear in hundreds of strains. The direct Haze lineage includes:

  • Silver Haze — Haze x Northern Lights x Skunk #1 (1989)
  • Super Silver Haze — Skunk #1 x Northern Lights x Haze (1997)
  • Amnesia Haze — Haze hybrid with landrace roots (1999)
  • Super Lemon Haze — Lemon Skunk x Super Silver Haze (2008)
  • Blue Dream — Blueberry x Super Silver Haze (1999)
  • Jack Herer — Haze x Northern Lights #5 x Shiva Skunk

Beyond these direct descendants, Haze genetics have been woven into countless modern strains. The distinctive "Haze" flavor — spicy, floral, incense-like, with citrus undertones — remains one of the most recognizable and beloved terpene profiles in cannabis.

Haze Today

While true, pure Haze has become increasingly rare due to its extreme flowering time, its genetic legacy is everywhere. Every time a consumer encounters a strain with "Haze" in its name, they're tasting a piece of cannabis history created by a handful of visionary breeders in 1970s California. The Haze Brothers created not just a strain, but a genetic dynasty that continues to shape cannabis culture more than 50 years later.