Kush cannabis originates from the Hindu Kush mountain range between Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was imported in North America by travelers. The most popular strains of Kush are the OG Kush, Bubba Kush, Purple Kush, and Master Kush.

Kush was introduced to North America with the hippie movement and has since become a favorite among cannabis users.

Nowadays, several strains have emerged from the original Kush strain.

Cannabis culture has a very interesting history in North America, and Kush is 100% part of it.

Check out the details below to know more about Kush’s history and why it is so popular today.

Kush Origins And Landraces

Like all the other varieties of cannabis available on the market, Kush had an ancestor along with a natural habitat that gave this strain its characteristic properties.

Below is a rough timeline of the origin of Kush and its landraces.

Kush originated from highland regions located in India, Afghanistan, the Himalayas, and Pakistan, where they grew and reproduced naturally in these fields for thousands of years.

Kush was discovered by cannabis consumers traveling in these regions.

These said travelers brought back seeds from the Hindu Kush mountain range between Afghanistan and northern Pakistan.

The Hippie trail is also a strain of Kush that was introduced from these regions.

For instance, all the popular Kush strains like the Purple Kush and Bubba Kush are direct descendants from the Hindu Kush.

This strain has since made its way for medical purposes and recreational use due to its characteristics that made it stand out compared to the indoor varieties.

The distinctive flavor and scent of Kush are also viewed as a benchmark for quality.

The Hippie Movement

The Beat generation is considered as the ones that inspired the hippie movement.

They were a group of writers that opposed the norm by embracing drug use and with provocative writings.

One of the first groups that have been named hippie was Ken Kesey and Merry Pranksters in the sixties.

These groups had a big community of followers that took road trips with brightly colored vans while injecting drugs (LSD).

The Vietnam war indirectly helped the hippie movement to be known.

The endless twenty years of the war got on the nerve of the population, and this is how in the 1960s, students, hippies, and war veterans went to protest.

In the summer of 1967, a movement called “the summer of love” was established.

It was a big gathering where people consumed Kush strains despite cannabis being illegal at the time.

In 1969, after a lot of trial and error on social norms, the Woodstock festival was celebrated.

It drew people from all around the world.

It was at first announced as a three-day peace and was a massive success with roughly 400,000 people.

According to Pennlive, cannabis, including kush strain, was more abundant than water during the festival.

Coming To North America

Kush strains came to North America between the1960 until the end of 1970.

Cannabis legalization history in North America started to get quite interesting around this time.

Hippie traveling during that period brought back a strain of cannabis seeds on their journey through Europe to South Asia, and it was known as the Hippie trail.

The Hindu Kush is also a strain that was imported to North America during that period.

What made it so popular among cultivators and consumers was its resistance to challenging weather conditions and good resin production.

By the start of the 70s, new varieties were created by crossing the imported pure breed of cannabis, giving hybrid varieties.

The hybrid strains had narrower leaflets and had a superior flowering rate compared to their ancestors.

The new varieties rose into fame pretty quickly.

After a few decades, strong and tasty narrow-leaflet cross-breed like 'Kona Gold' and 'Original Haze' were at the top of the game.

Evolution Of Kush

Kush has evolved through the years by breeding and hybridizing old hybrids like the OG Kush to strains like Purple Kush, Master Kush, and Bubba Kush.

Hindu Kush (the landrace) became popular because of its resistance to challenging weather conditions.

Subsequently, new varieties were created by crossing landraces with other strains.

An example is the OG Kush that emerged from the Hindu Kush crossing in Amsterdam with a strain from California.

Some varieties were created by using only landraces.

Master Kush is an example of this breeding method.

It was the result of the cross of two landraces strain from the Hindu Kush region.

There are also strains that came from hybrid parents.

For example, the Kush Mint that came from Bubba Kush and Animal Mints.

Medical Cannabis And Kush

Many medical cannabis patients worldwide and in different states have observed that Kush was a good minor pain reliever.

Kush can be consumed or smoked to help with occasional sleeplessness, relax moods and improve appetite.

A study by the Journal Of Headache And Pain in 2018 has shown that a high THC concentration can soothe and relieve minor pain associated with the nerve, muscles, and bones.

An experiment published in Science Direct in 2017 has shown that it can be helpful to patients suffering from mild memory problems or

Sativa strains seem like a better option if the patient wants more motivation and energy, while Kush is a descendant of the Indica strain.

However, numerous patients still observed that Kush seemed to meet their requirement concerning minor pain relief and soothing effects.

For this reason, many breeders are developing hybrids that can conserve Kush’s strong medical abilities as a cannabis strain but with fewer of its side effects.

Today's Best Kush Strains

Below is the list of famous Kush strains :

OG Kush

The most popular of them all among the Kush strains is the OG Kush.

It was created in the 90s by crossing a Hindu Kush plant and a strain from the northern region of California.

OG Kush has a mellow feel and a sedative effect along with a scent with notes of skunk, fuel, and spice.

Bubba Kush

Bubba Kush is a strain with a calming effect and is famous in the United States because of its strong sedative effect.

Bubba Kush’s parents are not certain, but the plant structure and massive bud structure suggest that it has an afghani plant as its ancestor.

This strain has a sweet hashish taste with a subtle flavor of coffee and chocolate upon inhalation while a soothing sensation takes over.

Purple Kush

Purple Kush is also an Indica like Bubba Kush, but it has a more powerful soothing effect.

It came from California in the Oakland region by breeding the Hindu Kush and Purple Afghani.

Purple Kush has a grape and earthy taste.

It has a feel-good sensation to it, and the euphoric state lasts for a long time that calms down the brain.

It also relaxes the body of stress, relieves pain, and makes the user sleepy.

Final Thoughts: The History of Kush

For both recreational and medical cannabis users, Kush is a prevelant cannabis genetic that will forever be cherished.

Thanks to its heavy-hitting effects that leave you calm, relaxed, and able to focus, Kush strains will never g out of style- just like pearls.

What is your favourite Kush strain? We want to hear from you! Reach out on our social channels, or leave a comment below.

As always, stay lifted!