Cannabis genetics hierarchy explained

Think of cannabis genetics as a family tree, not a single ladder. Breeders combine plants, select traits, and name lines in different ways. The tiers below are a useful map for learning, while names and lineages can vary by source.

TIER 0 — LANDRACES
Afghani and Hindu Kush, Thai, Colombian, Mexican, Durban, and Malawi are traditional regional populations. They developed through local adaptation before modern commercial breeding. Their histories are important foundations, even when exact records are limited.

TIER 1 — FOUNDATIONS
Skunk #1, Haze, Northern Lights, and Afghani #1 became widely used building blocks. Breeders selected recognizable traits from these lines and recombined them into new generations.

TIER 2  DYNASTIES
Chem, Diesel, and OG Kush form a connected naming and breeding story. Cookies led into Gelato and then Runtz. Zkittlez became another influential branch. Glue (often called GG4), Haze, and the Kush, Bubba, and GDP branches are also major modern dynasties.

UNKNOWN PARENTS, HONESTLY MARKED
Older names often traveled through informal cuttings and breeder networks. When parents are disputed or undocumented, we mark them as unknown rather than presenting a confident guess as fact. This library separates documented lineage, commonly reported lineage, and open questions.

Explore the Families hub to see how we map major dynasties. This is education about names, history, and relationships—not medical advice or a promise about effects.