What Does the ‘OG’ in OG Kush Stand For?

OG Kush may be one of the world’s most popular marijuana strains, but its origins are shrouded in mystery. There is an ongoing debate as to where the strain came from, and experts can’t even agree on what ‘OG’ stands for! Even we aren’t 100% sure as to the strain’s lineage.

It is widely believed that OG Kush is a cross of Hindu Kush and Chemdawg, but this seems to be no more than an educated guess. When you go to a dispensary, the OG Kush you purchase might not be a descendant of the real thing. The strain itself is known for its high THC content (23%+), as well as the wild mood boost it provides.

Rather than going through the likely effects of this strain, though, let’s see if we can shed some light on the story of OG Kush – in other words, what does the “OG” stand for in ‘OG Kush’?

The ‘Probable’ Origins of OG Kush

There are several stories surrounding the origins of OG Kush, but we are focusing on what is arguably the most likely. In the 1990s, a grower in Florida named Matt ‘Bubba’ Berger created a strain known as Bubba. He also uncovered a strain called Kryptonite, shortened to ‘Krippy’ which apparently came from Seattle.

According to legend, one of Bubba’s friends began calling Krippy ‘Kushberries’. The name was a coincidence as the individual seemingly had no knowledge of strains that came from the Hindu Kush Mountains. The name stuck and soon, it was shortened to ‘Kush.’

Bubba moved to Southern California and met a grower called Josh D. Along with a mutual friend named Chris, the trio moved into a Hollywood apartment and began growing weed. Bubba soon returned to Florida to bring his cuts of Bubba, Kush, and another strain named ‘KY’ back to Hollywood.

The group used these genetics to create a phenomenal new strain which was selling for up to $8,000 per pound in 1997. The growers soon called the West Coast version of the strain ‘OG Kush.’

OG Kush: What’s in a Name?

The real meaning of ‘OG’ is subject to a lot of speculation. As the strain is extremely popular in L.A., it is often believed that the initials stand for ‘Original Gangster’; an homage to the hip-hop scene that rose from southern California in the 1990s.

DNA Genetics is an Amsterdam-based seller and takes the credit for marketing the OG Kush strain. It says that it traces the weed to a Grateful Dead concert from decades ago. According to DNA, it was called ‘Original Gangsta’ by the Cypress Hill crew in the 1990s.

Another common theory is that the letters mean ‘Ocean Grown.’ According to this particular tale, a grower named Kush Dawg lived in northern California and was growing the original cut of the strain from the San Fernando Valley. One evening, the cultivator was in a local bar when another customer offered him a bowl of exceptional weed.

Kush Dawg, being a keen marijuana connoisseur, was intrigued enough to take the mysterious stranger up on his offer. When the seller opened up the bag, Kush Dawg could tell from the dank scent that it was his own weed. As the duo enjoyed the wonderful herb, the seller said it was fantastic weed because it was ‘Mountain Grown.’ Kush Dawg, the real grower of the cannabis, said it was ‘Ocean Grown’ since it was grown indoors on the Pacific Coast.

Additional Theories on What the “OG” in OG Kush Stands For

Another popular theory surrounds the development – and subsequent shut down – of a popular marijuana website. It has been said that ‘OG’ is a tribute to the website, known as OverGrown.com, which was one of the world’s most popular weed sites at the beginning of this century. Eventually, it was shut down by Canadian authorities.

At this point, those of you who watched the Netflix documentary called Murder Mountain will be screaming that all of the above theories are nonsense. The program looks at how weed was cultivated in the northern Californian mountains in the 1970s. In the documentary, growers fly to Afghanistan and sneak marijuana seeds back to the United States, and one grower said OG meant ‘Original Grower.’

A New Meaning…

Josh D and his fellow growers remained silent on the origins of OG Kush for over 20 years. Recently, he finally lifted the lid on his activities and claims that the strain is called ‘OG’ because it was the original and authentic version of the strain. In southern California, an OG is something or someone that is ‘old-school’ and respected for being authentic. It is a term that is hard-earned.

What “OG Kush” Means Today

Regardless of the origins of OG Kush, it remains one of the most in-demand marijuana strains on the market. It isn’t easy to get your hands on the strain, and you can expect it to be one of the most expensive strains in any dispensary. Although it is often labeled as an indica, there are plenty of growers who claim it is, in fact, a sativa-dominant strain. It is hard to argue with them since the strain’s genetics are basically unknown and based primarily on myth.

When you go into any dispensary, the OG Kush you see could be one of several phenotypes from the original strain created in the 1990s. No matter which phenotype you purchase, it should be high in THC and filled with terpenes.

According to Josh D, OG Kush is a medicinal tool that has helped hundreds of thousands of people over the last couple of decades. He is now concerned that the genetics of cannabis are suffering because weed cultivation has increased so rapidly. These days, easy to grow strains such as Grand Daddy Purple and Blue Dream are flooding the market, often under fake names.

Final Thoughts on Where the “OG” in OG Kush Comes From

Whether you think ‘OG’ stands for ‘OverGrown.com,’‘Original Gangster,’‘Ocean Grown,’‘Original Grower’ or else it simply means ‘OG’ as in ‘authentic,’ a good cut of it will hit you hard with a euphoric rush of energy.

Eventually, the strain sedates you and can result in couch-lock if you use enough of it. Few strains beat OG Kush as a late evening relaxant after a hard day. With this in mind, it really doesn’t even matter where the ‘OG’ in OG Kush comes from: what matters are the effects that are produced, and you can be sure that these are world-class.