Leafly partnered with Trends Dispensary in Queens to analyze New York’s top trending strains and how they change each month. Here’s how Lemon Cherry Gelato, Runtz, and GUMBO got to the top of the charts.
Leafly strain search data shows which strains are trending around the country, even the world. Each year, millions of cannabis users scour Leafly’s database in search of more information about their favorite strains, and often discover new favorites along the way. Leafly partnered with Trends Dispensary in Long Island City, New York, to analyze the top trending strains New Yorkers are looking for as 2025 kicks off.
Top-viewed strains in New York so far [January 2025]
We measure the zaza zeitgeist with how users navigate the 6,000+ strains in our database. This month shows that—not to toot our own horns—our Strain of the Year predictions come correct, with both the 2023 Leafly Strain of the YearPermanent Markerand the recently-crowned Super Boof in the #5 and #9 slots, respectively. Lemon Cherry Gelato maintains its #1 spot, along with other New York mainstays like Sour Diesel and Blue Dream. Curiously, after our series on the best crosses of iconic strains Wedding Cake, Original Glue (GG4), and Gelato, all three continue to appear in the top 10 ranks.
New year new me, but the Leafly search data shows that the top four spots in New York’s top 10 have stayed the course into the new year—New Yorkers like what they like. Over the last six months we’ve seen Jack Herer, Apple Fritter and Oreoz fall out of the top 10, while newer strains like GUMBO and Ice Cream Cake storm back after short stints away.
Oldies like Blue Dream and Sour Diesel are still giving the popular designer and candy strains a run for their money in New York. But new-era hitters like Runtz and Gelato are hard to beat, given their monster yield and bag appeal. Permanent Marker has proved its staying power even as the herald of Strain of the Year passes to the underdog Super Boof, which eked out a spot over the last month.
Lemon Cherry Gelato holds on to its top spot
Cannabis trends come and go, but New York taste is forever. For a long time, the Empire State favored a funkier palate—the Sours, Chems, and Chocolates. In fact, Original Glue (a grandchild of classics Sour Diesel and Chemdawg) was the most-searched strain in New York for half of 2022 (Runtz took the number one spot for the other half).
But the opening of the state’s first adult-use dispensaries put people on to a new generation of flavors. In spring 2023, Glue lost ground to Runtz, Blue Dream, and Lemon Cherry Gelato on the Leafly strain chart. In May 2023, Lemon Cherry Gelato shot all the way to the top spot. LCG has now held on to the crown for 20 straight months. It remains to be seen if any strain, new or classic, will be able to topple it.
How a top strain like Lemon Cherry Gelato becomes a hit starts with genetics. It’s durable and resilient. “You can grow it in most climates and get great yields with low margin for error,” said Joe Grows, a Queens grower who applied for a micro-business cultivation license with New York state.
Macro economics make strains like LCG an easy pick for the wholesale market. The bag appeal, high THC content, and versatile terpene profile make it an easy sell to the average customer.
Trends
27-25 44th Dr, Long Island City, NY — recreational
Leafly Trends is brought to you by Trends dispensary, New York’s 100th legal cannabis dispensary. Located in Long Island City, Queens, the Trends experience includes wellness, education, and art.
New York’s rising strains for the new year [January 2025]
As with fashion, culture, and food, cannabis in New York is trending ahead. But some trends are so good that they cycle back into the zeitgeist. According to Leafly search data, these strains gained the most traction, through views, searches and purchases, across New York state throughout 2024. They may just become your new go-to.
Shop highly rated dispensaries near you
Showing you dispensaries nearNo surprise that Blue Lobster, a newer strain by Maine Trees (of Maine, duh) that made a splash with a triple win at the 2023 Zalympix, has started to catch more and more attention down in New York. Purple Panty Dropper has moved up the ranks since last month, but most of the list is a shake-up from last month. Maybe a collective resolution to try new things? Either way, this list has funk on the mind, with garlic, chem, gas, and citrus terps dominating.
- Blue Lobster (+474%)
- Purple Panty Dropper (+363%)
- OMG (+347%)
- King Kong (+291%)
- Gas Candy (+290%)
- Jellie Cake (+275%)
- Headcracker (+267%)
- Colorado Chem (+227%)
- Garlicane (+210%)
- Platinum Lemon Cherry Gelato (+167%)
The month’s hottest strains in New York [January 2025]
It takes months to make the gains that got Blue Lobster and Purple Panty Dropper kept up last year. It starts with a single month. As we peer a little deeper, these are the strains that got a holiday season boost to get on the radar as we glide through January. Wildly enough, we found no overlap with last month’s strains! Though there are some genetic similarities, terps for kicking off 2025 lean towards the fruits—light on sugar but heavy on tart and creamy.
- Stank Breath (+545%)
- Mint Chocolate Chip (+296%)
- Amaretto Sour (+255%)
- Cherry Haze (+213%)
- Pink Drink (+200%)
- Singapore Sling (+173%)
- Black Amber +(139%)
- Lemon Ice +(136%)
- Bomb Pop +(132%)
- Sudz +(125%)
Is the reign of Gelato coming to an end?
You can measure cannabis in the same way you measure dynasties—certain strains rule the roost of culture and sales throughout time, toppled by the next best thing. Gelato, since its inception, has maintained a firm grip on cannabis culture and permeated the mainstream. It won innumerable awards, wound its way into countless rap lyrics, and produced hundreds of strains that continue its legacy. But is the Gelato dynasty losing its luster?
Despite LCG and Gelato’s continued reign at the top of Leafly data new contenders are quickly making grounds. Our 2024 Strain of the Year, Super Boof, leans more fruity than the classic vanilla gas terps of the Gelato family, with strong notes of orange and cherry. The interest in strains like Blue Lobster, Stank Breath, OMG, and Garlicane prove that tastes are changing, and 2025 may eventually reveal a shift back towards the chemmy, skunky, savory terps of yesteryear. Or maybe a new palate entirely. Gelato will never disappear, but it may be time for a new sheriff in town.
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