AK-47 (cannabis)

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AK-47, also known simply as AK, is a cannabis strain with high THC content. It is a hybrid strain of cannabis that is sativa -dominant; it mixes Colombian, Mexican, Thai, and Afghan strains. A strong and popular strain, it has won multiple cannabis industry awards. The plant genetics of AK-47 have been studied scientifically. [1] [2]

Contents

Naming

There is more than one explanation for the name of the strain. One, described by Joe Dolce in Brave New Weed , is that the letters "AK" stand for the breeder and 47 represents the number of days from planting to harvest. [3] Another theory is that it is named after the AK-47 assault rifle. One author says flatly the name "has nothing to do with the AK-47 machine gun" and speculates it may stand for Afghan Kush and the suffix coming from the initial Dutch growers' tracking system. [4] Yet another theory is that it describes the potency. A marijuana review in Way of Leaf said that the name is appropriate because of how powerful the strain is, with its mix of strong strains and its high content of THC and fair level of CBD. It did note that the flavor is sweet and delicate, unlike an assault rifle, writing that it "is as powerful as a gunshot in potency — but not in how it makes you feel". [5] Westword 's cannabis column instead felt that despite being "named after one of the most widely used killing machines on the planet, this strain is much more gentle than you'd imagine". [6]

History

AK-47 cannabis was developed in the Netherlands by Serious Seeds in 1992, [3] [5] [7] [8] [9] but may have been bred as early as the 1970s, [10] and is said to exemplify the good quality cannabis strains from the 1990s. [5] It is a hybrid of Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica , [11] according to writer Ed Rosenthal in the ratio 65:35, [8] and 50:50 according to physician Rav Ivker. [12] The strain has won awards as both a "sativa" and as an "Indica", [13] : 107  perhaps the only cannabis to have done so. [14] It mixes Colombian, Mexican, Thai, and Afghan strains. [15] The Colombian, Mexican and Thai strains are all sativa, with the Afghan contributing the indica in the hybrid. [10] By 2020, it had won sixteen awards, including the High Times Cannabis Cup and the Best Sativa award at the 2011 Toronto Treating Yourself Expo; it is a popular strain of cannabis. [5] [16]

Derived strains and phenotypes

The strain has been combined with the White Widow strain to produce White Russian cannabis, a plant with "a pleasantly sweet aroma" and a "long lasting effect". [17]

The Chronic strain of cannabis is a cross of AK-47 with Northern Lights and Skunk #1. [16]

The Cherry AK phenotype is occasionally produced by AK-47 plants. [14]

Related Research Articles

<i>Cannabis</i> Genus of flowering plants

Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: Cannabis sativa, C. indica, and C. ruderalis. Alternatively, C. ruderalis may be included within C. sativa, all three may be treated as subspecies of C. sativa, or C. sativa may be accepted as a single undivided species. The genus is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from Asia.

<i>Cannabis sativa</i> Plant species

Cannabis sativa is an annual herbaceous flowering plant. The species was first classified by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. The specific epithet sativa means 'cultivated'. Indigenous to Eastern Asia, the plant is now of cosmopolitan distribution due to widespread cultivation. It has been cultivated throughout recorded history and used as a source of industrial fiber, seed oil, food, and medicine. It is also used as a recreation drug and for religious and spiritual purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis (drug)</span> Psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant

Cannabis, also known as marijuana or weed among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various traditional medicines for centuries. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive component of cannabis, which is one of the 483 known compounds in the plant, including at least 65 other cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD). Cannabis can be used by smoking, vaporizing, within food, or as an extract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis cultivation</span> Process of planting, growing and harvesting cannabis

Cultivation of cannabis is the production of cannabis infructescences. Cultivation techniques for other purposes differ.

<i>Cannabis indica</i> Species of plant

Cannabis indica is an annual plant species in the family Cannabaceae indigenous to the Hindu Kush mountains of Southern Asia. The plant produces large amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), with total cannabinoid levels being as high as 53.7%. It is now widely grown in China, India, Nepal, Thailand, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, as well as southern and western Africa, and is cultivated for purposes including hashish in India. The high concentrations of THC or THCV provide euphoric effects making it popular for use both as a recreational drug, alternative medicine, and a clinical research drug.

<i>Cannabis ruderalis</i> Species of plant

Cannabis ruderalis is a variety, subspecies, or species of Cannabis native to Central and Eastern Europe and Russia. It contains a relatively low quantity of psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Some scholars accept C. ruderalis as its own species due to its unique traits and phenotypes which distinguish it from C. indica and C. sativa; others debate whether ruderalis is a subdivision under C. sativa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis Cup</span> Annual Festival in Amsterdam

The High TimesCannabis Cup is a cannabis festival sponsored by High Times magazine. The event features judges from around the world who sample and vote for their favorite marijuana varieties, with cups (trophies) being awarded to the overall winner in the cannabis variety competition. Since 1997, the Cannabis Cup festival has hosted induction ceremonies for the Counterculture Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kush (cannabis)</span> Strain of cannabis

Kush generally refers to a pure or hybrid Cannabis indica strain. Pure C. indica strains include Afghan Kush, Hindu Kush, Green Kush, and Purple Kush. Hybrid strains of C. indica include Blueberry Kush and Golden Jamaican Kush. The term "kush" is now also used as a slang word for cannabis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis flower essential oil</span> Essential oil obtained from the hemp plant

Cannabis flower essential oil, also known as hemp essential oil, is an essential oil obtained by steam distillation from the flowers, panicles, stem, and upper leaves of the hemp plant. Hemp essential oil is distinct from hemp seed oil and hash oil: the former is a vegetable oil that is cold-pressed from the seeds of low-THC varieties of hemp, the latter is a THC-rich extract of dried female hemp flowers (marijuana) or resin (hashish).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">THC-O-acetate</span> Acetate ester of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

THC-O-acetate is the acetate ester of THC. The term THC-O-acetate and its variations are commonly used for two types of the substance, dependent on which cannabinoid it is synthesized from. The difference between Δ8-THC and Δ9-THC is bond placement on the cyclohexene ring.

<i>Cannabis</i> strain Pure or hybrid varieties of cannabis

Cannabis strains are either pure or hybrid varieties of the plant genus Cannabis, which encompasses the species C. sativa, C. indica, and C. ruderalis.

<i>High Times</i> Medical Cannabis Cup Annual event celebrating medical marijuana

The High TimesMedical Cannabis Cup is an annual event celebrating medical marijuana. The first Medical Cannabis Cup took place in San Francisco, California, on June 19–20, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autoflowering cannabis</span> Form of cannabis cultivation

Autoflowering cannabis or day neutral cannabis varieties automatically switch from vegetative growth to the flowering stage based on age, as opposed to the ratio of light to dark hours required with photoperiod dependent/short-day strains. Many autoflowering varieties are ready to harvest in less than 10 weeks from seed. Dwarf varieties can have short stature while still giving decent harvests.

<i>Afghanica</i> Strain of cannabis

Afghanica, not to be confused with Afghan Kush, is a hybrid strain of cannabis. Its origination plants were Afghani #1 and so-called "Original" Skunk. Growing up to 1.83 m (6 ft.) tall, it is short and stocky with broad leaves a lush canopy, and dense buds as well. The plant matures over the summer and is ready for harvest in mid-autumn.

The entourage effect is a hypothesis that cannabis compounds other than tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) act synergistically with it to modulate the overall psychoactive effects of the plant.

Christian Hageseth is an entrepreneur, author, marijuana rights advocate and business owner. He was born in Pensacola, Florida, and grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado. He graduated from Arizona State University in 1992 with a degree in Political Science. He is the founder of Green Man Cannabis, an award-winning marijuana cultivation and dispensary business in Denver, Colorado. He is also the founder of American Cannabis Partners (ACP), a cannabis business development firm, which is developing the Colorado Cannabis Ranch. Hageseth is the author of Big Weed: An Entrepreneur's High Stakes Adventures in the Budding Legal Marijuana Business, published in 2015 by Macmillan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossary of cannabis terms</span>

Terms related to cannabis include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Widow (Cannabis)</span> Strain of cannabis

White Widow is a balanced drug hybrid strain of Cannabis indica and Cannabis sativa that was created and developed by Shantibaba whilst he worked at the Greenhouse Seed Company.

David Paul Watson, better known as Sam the Skunkman or Sam Selezny, is an American breeder, who is credited with the development of some of the most popular modern cannabis varieties such as Skunk#1, Haze, and Amnesia, and the apparition of high-cannabidiol varieties.

References

  1. ↑ McKernan, Kevin J.; Helbert, Yvonne; Tadigotla, Vasisht; McLaughlin, Stephen; Spangler, Jessica; Zhang, Lei; Smith, Douglas (2015-10-08). "Single molecule sequencing of THCA synthase reveals copy number variation in modern drug-type Cannabis sativa L": 028654. doi:10.1101/028654. S2CID   86931184. Archived from the original on 2022-01-28. Retrieved 2022-03-25.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ↑ van Velzen, R; Schranz, ME (2021-08-03), "Origin and Evolution of the Cannabinoid Oxidocyclase Gene Family", Genome Biol Evol , 13 (8), doi:10.1093/gbe/evab130, PMC   8521752 , PMID   34100927
  3. 1 2 Dolce, Joe (2016). Brave New Weed . HarperCollins. p. 49.
  4. ↑ Lowenfels, Jeff (2019). DIY Autoflowering Cannabis – An Easy Way to Grow Your Own. Gabriola Island, British Columbia: New Society Publishers. ISBN   978-0865719163. OCLC   1088742733. It is unclear what the AK stands for in this variety, but it makes sense for it to be Afghan Kush...the name has nothing to do with the AK-47 machine gun used in Afghanistan at the time of its discovery. That part of the name probably comes from the Dutch labeling system used during breeding and development.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "AK-47 Cannabis Strain Review". Way of Leaf. 2019-01-08. Archived from the original on 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
  6. ↑ Fuego, Herbert (August 15, 2018). "Why Colorado Tokers Love AK-47". Westword. Archived from the original on 2022-02-16. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
  7. ↑ King, Jason (2001). The Cannabible. Ten Speed Press. p. 28. ISBN   1580082084. OCLC   47665611.
  8. 1 2 Rosenthal, Ed (2001). The Big Book of Buds – Marijuana Varieties from the World's Great Seed Breeders. Vol. 1 (first ed.). Quick American Publishing. p. 2. ISBN   0-932551-39-4.
  9. ↑ Target Group 10-K (Form 10-K), U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, December 31, 2019, Commission file number 000-55066
  10. 1 2 "AK-47 Marijuana Strain - Genetics, Yield, Facts, & Pictures". Olivastu. Archived from the original on 2020-12-01. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
  11. ↑ Kraynak, Joe; Ronkin Casey, Kim (2019). Cannabis for Dummies. For Dummies. Wiley. ISBN   978-1119550662. OCLC   1103639743.
  12. ↑ Ivker, Rav (2017). Cannabis for Chronic Pain. Touchstone Books. ISBN   9781501155918. OCLC   1005491525.
  13. ↑ McPartland, John M. (2017). "Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica versus "Sativa" and "Indica"". In Chandra, Suman; Lata, Hemant; ElSohly, Mahmoud A. (eds.). Cannabis Sativa L. - Botany and Biotechnology. Springer International. pp. 101–122. OCLC   1085153615.
  14. 1 2 Backes, Michael (2017). Cannabis Pharmacy: The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers. ISBN   9780316555722. OCLC   1016691315.
  15. ↑ Michaels, Dan (2017). Green: A Pocket Guide to Pot. Chronicle Books. p. 35. ISBN   978-1452166117. OCLC   968317406.
  16. 1 2 Blood, Michael (2020). 100 Best Cannabis Strains, A Pocket Guide for Medicinal and Recreational Use. Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN   978-1510755963. OCLC   1139768907. Archived from the original on 2022-03-25. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
  17. ↑ Trofin, Irenne Gabriela; Vlad, Corina Claudia; Noja, Victor Viorel; Dabija, Gabriel (2012). "Identification and Characterization of Special Types of Herbal Cannabis" (PDF). Scientific Bulletin Series B, Chemistry and Materials Science. 74 (1). Politehnica University of Bucharest. ISSN   1454-2331. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
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