White Widow strain

The White Widow strain takes its name from the way the buds look near harvest: so heavily coated in trichomes that they read as white from across a room. It was one of the defining varieties of Amsterdam's 1990s seed trade and is still one of the most requested names in Dutch coffeeshops, according to Green House Seeds. Is White Widow indica or sativa? It sits close to the middle. Green House lists its version as 60% indica and 40% sativa, while Leafly and AllBud describe the reverse, so "balanced hybrid" is the fairest label.

The aroma is old-school rather than fruity. Green House, High Times and Leafly's lab data all place myrcene, pinene and beta-caryophyllene at the top of the profile, which comes across as damp earth and dry wood with a peppery, resinous pine edge. Leafly reviewers rank woody and earthy notes highest, and Green House says some phenotypes carry a faint metallic note. Anyone used to modern dessert cultivars should expect something drier and more herbal.

White Widow effects are usually described as starting in the body before opening into a chatty, upbeat headspace. In Leafly's user data the leading reports are euphoric, uplifted, talkative, happy and creative, all at similar strength, which is why people who like social daytime sessions keep it around. Potency is where sources disagree most: Leafly's lab-data median is 15% THC, AllBud and High Times quote 18–25%, and Green House published a 25.76% test result. Newer consumers are better off assuming the upper end. Dry mouth, dry eyes and dizziness are the most common complaints; paranoia shows up more than with heavy indicas but far less than with Haze in Leafly's data.

White Widow also became a parent in its own right. Serious Seeds crossed it with AK-47 to make White Russian, and Wikipedia lists Blue Widow and Moby Dick among its well-known offspring. Growers get a bushy plant with short internodes; it needs roughly 8–9 weeks of bloom and handles SOG and ScrOG well. The same dense, resin-heavy buds that give the strain its name are the part to watch: good airflow and careful watering matter late in bloom.

Green House Seeds released White Widow in 1994, and its entry won both the main competition and the Bio category at the 1995 High Times Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam. The creation story is contested. Shantibaba (Scott Blakey), who co-founded Green House with Arjan Roskam, says he bred it from a Brazilian sativa male and a South Indian mother from Kerala. When he left to found Mr. Nice Seedbank he took those parent lines with him, and they are sold there as Black Widow. Green House continues to sell White Widow under the same Brazilian × South Indian description.