Classic Strains: Amnesia Haze

Amnesia Haze and Amnesia have both dominated Cannabis competitions across the globe, but are not actually related.

Strain Name: Amnesia Haze
Breeder: Soma Seeds (Currently Soma's Sacred Seeds)
Genetics: 70% sativa / 30% indica
Origins: Southeast Asian (Laotian) x Jamaican x Afghani-Hawaiian
Flowering: 10 to 13 weeks (indoors); 80 to 95 days (outdoors)
Outdoor Harvest: Throughout November

Strain Name: Amnesia
Breeder: Hy-Pro (Currently Super Strains)
Genetics: 80% sativa / 20% indica
Origins: Afghani (Enemy of the State) x Neville's Haze
Flowering: 9 to 12 weeks (indoors); 65 to 84 days (outdoors)
Outdoor Harvest: End October throughout November

Genetic Content of Amnesia Haze

Dating back to around 2003, Soma's Amnesia Haze is an award-winning variety that combines Laotian, Jamaican and Hawaiian sativas to offer a trippy high effect, which is diluted for flowering purposes with Afghani indica. Otherwise, it would be nearly impossible to flower this strain outdoors in many locations. Southeast Asian genetics offer an uncontrollable high; other desirable sativa genetics from this region include spicy Thai and Cambodian strains. The lineage has changed over the years - originally including Thai genetics in place of the current Laotian heritage and now including some Jamaican - although Amnesia Haze continues to overwhelm smokers and grab Cups and awards across the globe. She is also a powerhouse hash provider.

Amnesia Haze should not be confused with an old-school variety called simply Amnesia, popularized by nutrient company Hy-Pro as far back as 1996 and dominating many competitions across the Netherlands. The original Amnesia often displays more indica-dominant phenotypes than Amnesia Haze - especially with regards to her massive fan leaves - although the effect is very much sativa, with a citrusy, mango flavor and a heftier yield than Amnesia Haze. Some original Amnesia in coffeeshops is clone-only.

Amnesia Haze Cultivation, Phenotypes and Effect

This long-flowering sativa hybrid offers widely-varying phenotypes, so fastidious notes should be taken in order to select the perfect mother plant. Amnesia Haze is a tall, stretchy plant, thus growers with limited vertical space might want to consider putting established clones straight into flower to prevent height issues. Growers without height restrictions can comfortably tend around sixteen plants per square meter, leaving some space between each to encourage the thick central stalk and thin lateral branches that epitomize this strain. Amnesia Haze responds well to bonsai techniques and topping.

Outdoor cultivators should be warned that colder, northern-hemisphere climates may not be conducive to allowing the extended flowering time required. The plant might not finish well in areas where Skunk-related strains are the outdoor standard.

While the Amnesia Haze can be - and often is - cultivated in hydroponic gardens, the delicate flavor and scent are best developed in soil-based, organic gardens. Large commercial grows are definitely possible, but this strain is more commonly grown in smaller, more attentive setups where quality supersedes quantity. Amnesia Haze is rarely grown for its yield, but rather for its beautiful taste and effect, as it combines heady and stupefying hazy highs that are balanced with stoney indica effects, keeping its users from floating away.

Internodes are widely-spaced, allowing for good air flow; Amnesia Haze displays its sativa genetics through dense, golf ball-sized buds that flourish up to ten centimeters apart, which suddenly explode into long, thick central colas. Some top buds contain protruding, running calyx shoots that look like wheat, the most haze-like aspect of this strain. More calyces than leaves allow for easier trimming. Many phenos look like sativas but grow like indicas, allowing for a moderate yield.

Early appearances show wider, dark green leaves more indicative of indica content, which later change to a narrower, sativa-dominant look. The buds themselves shimmer with a silvery iridescence and crystalline top leaves interspersed with peach-colored hairs, which later oxidize to orange; mature buds often adopt a purplish tinge. Do not adjust your grow room temps - this is a normal color change with many Amnesia Haze phenos.

The unusual and complex blend of vigorous sativa and Afghan indica genetics create a somewhat stupefying and psychedelic effect for smokers with little exposure to Amnesia Haze. The effect is immediately noticeable and the flavor combines a spicy, herbal Thai taste with a slightly citrusy, floral overtone. Smoking too much will make it evident that the strain is aptly named, although experienced users may favor this as an all-day smoke.

Hybrids Related to Amnesia Haze

The varying phenotypes of Amnesia Haze, namely its silvery, calyx-dominant and relatively leaf-less buds, are quite reminiscent of Super Silver Haze. Cultivation of this plant is also similar to the SSH, as are the flavor and effect - although prime AH cuttings may offer a more powerful effect than the SSH and some stretch more. True Amnesia Haze grown from specially-selected cuttings is often difficult to find, although seeds are available. For this reason, related hybrids abound in regions such as the United Kingdom, Spain, the United States, Canada, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.

Some confusion has arisen over the years due to one particular cutting that was extremely popular in Amsterdam's famous coffeeshops. While many folks claim to have smoked the true Amnesia Haze, from around 2006 to about 2012, what was sold as Amnesia Haze was actually ubiquitous crops from a powerful, sweet-and-spicy Super Silver Haze clone. Real Amnesia Haze imparts a different flavor than the SSH, but true connoisseurs who have never tasted the true Amnesia Haze would not have a basis for comparison and could easily be fooled into thinking that a superb SSH bud was Amnesia Haze instead.

Common relatives include Amnesia Haze x G13 Haze, Amazing Haze, Kronocaine, Moonshine Haze, Memory Loss, Somango Haze, Zion, Daze and Amnesia 99. Green Goddess is an indica-dominant strain that also offers the Afghani-Hawaiian blend of genetics.

Relatives of Hy-Pro's Amnesia include Royal Haze Automatic, Lala Haze, Free World, Happy Amnesia, Orangenesia, Public Enemy and Alta.

[Most photos courtesy of Soma Seeds]