Purple Haze is a well-known strain of cannabis that first reared its colourful head sometime around 1970. Its distinctive purple colour, fruity aroma, and potent effects have made it a favourite among many cannabis enthusiasts. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the history of Purple Haze and how it grows, as well as its celebrated aroma, flavour, and effect.
The History of Purple Haze Cannabis
There are varying accounts of the origins of Purple Haze doing the rounds online, making it hard to find the correct version of how it came into being. Some sources say it emerged from Columbia in the mid-1960s, while others attribute the birth of Purple Haze to Thailand. Accounts of its true origins seem lost in the fog, but what’s altogether less hazy is how the stabilisation of Purple Haze came about. According to Humboldt Seeds, this occurred at the hands of legendary breeders The Haze Brothers and Dave Watson, better known as Sam The Skunkman.
The story goes that back in the 1970s, these now-celebrated cannabis pioneers got together in Santa Cruz, California, and crossed three 100% sativa genetics. They combined a landrace, a pure Mexican sativa, and a Colombian landrace. A year later, they’d pair the best females with a landrace male from Thailand to create Original Haze – but they weren’t done yet. Enter Sam the Skunkman.
The original Haze was hard to tame, according to Sam. With a lot of work and a little of his famed magic, Purple Haze soon appeared, quickly becoming a much sought-after strain that went on to achieve legendary status.
Fact v Fiction: Ties to Jimi Hendrix?
A common misconception about the Purple Haze strain is that Jimi Hendrix sang about its famed potency and effects in his 1967 hit of the same name. A quick search of the title reveals plenty of sites claiming this as fact. Cool story though that may be, it seems a better bet that, as a lover of psychedelics, Hendrix was referring to a batch of acid with the same name, popular in the day and distributed by LSD King Owsley Stanley at the Monterey Pop Festival in the same year. Since Haze cannabis didn’t materialise until the early 1970s, it’s arguably unlikely that Jimi Hendrix experienced it. But according to a deep dive by Rolling Stone magazine, the LSD story is equally rooted in assumption.
In an article from 2012, Rolling Stone contributor Greg Prato wrote that Hendrix Biographer Charles R. Cross noted: “Though the tune would forever be linked in the popular imagination with LSD, Jimi said it was inspired by a dream he had that mirrored the novel Night of Light: Day of Dreams, by Philip José Farmer." This suggests that the song's title owes more to a science-fiction novel than it does to drugs, and the strain is named after the song rather than vice-versa.
How Purple Haze Cannabis Grows
Purple Haze is a relatively easy strain to grow and suitable for indoor and outdoor cultivation. It has a flowering time of around 8-10 weeks and can produce yields of up to 500 grams per square meter when grown indoors and up to 600 grams per plant when grown outdoors.
One of the unique features of Purple Haze is obviously its distinctive purple colour. This is caused by anthocyanin, which is one of many pigments such as chlorophyll or beta carotene, which contribute to the red, purple, and blue colouration of certain fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries and eggplants. Anthocyanin is linked with positive health benefits, including for cognitive and cardiovascular health. Many factors including temperature, light exposure, and of course, genetics, influence the presence of anthocyanin in cannabis plants - espcially lower temperature, as anthocyanin is expressed higher at lower temperatures because it has anti-freezing properties.
To encourage the development of the purple colour in Purple Haze plants, exposing them to cool nighttime temperatures of around 10-15°C during the flowering stage is essential. What’s equally important, however, is that the reduction in temperature is gradual rather than sudden. Sudden temperature reduction could cause the kind of shock that can damage productivity and even kill your plants. Gradual exposure to lower temperatures will help activate the genes responsible for producing anthocyanins and will often result in plants with deep purple buds and leaves.
In terms of cultivation tips, Purple Haze plants prefer a neutral soil pH to activate the purple colour. They also require plenty of light and should be given at least 18 hours of light per day during the vegetative stage and 12 hours of light per day during the flowering stage.
Myths about Purple Cannabis Strains
There are some myths and bro-science floating around in the cannasphere about how to turn plants purple, and some of these are concerning.
Myth #1
If you deprive your plants of nutrients, they’re more likely to turn purple
Responding to this without becoming highly animated and using profanity is hard. Yes, starving your plants of nutrients can technically cause them to display purple and other hues in the foliage, but the bottom line is that they’re nutrient-deprived and unhealthy! Remember, nutrient deficiencies lead to stunted growth, reduced vigour and damaged plants. This is not how to achieve or enhance purple colours in your plants!
Myth #2
You can just add food dye to your plants to make them purple
You can, yes. But don’t. Why bother? It makes no sense for growers to go the trouble, expense, and mess of using this frankly bizarre method of colouring your cannabis when, with the right genetics and techniques, you can produce naturally occurring purple-coloured cannabis with much less hassle.
Start with the right genetics, and use the proper techniques. That way, you have a far better chance of producing purple cannabis fairly and squarely – and without damaging your plants.
The Aroma, Flavour, and Effect of Purple Haze Cannabis
One thing that sets Purple Haze apart from other strains is its unique aroma and high-quality flavour. It has a sweet, fruity scent with hints of grape and berry and a similarly fruity taste with a slightly spicy undertone. The smoke is smooth and easy to inhale, making it a popular choice for those new to smoking cannabis, as it won’t hurt the throat like some harsher strains do. Predominant terpenes in Purple Haze are Myrcene, Caryophyllene, and Limonene.
In terms of cannabinoids, Purple Haze is a medium-THC, low-CBD strain. Like most pure-sativa strains, it’s known for its uplifting and energising properties. It produces an intense, cerebral high characterised by euphoria, creativity, and focus. This makes it an excellent strain for daytime use, as it can help to increase productivity and motivation. At the same time, Purple Haze also has some relaxing and calming properties that make it suitable for evening use. It can potentially help ease anxiety and stress and promote a sense of calm and tranquility. Some users even describe it as having a mildly psychedelic effect. Acting funny, but you don't know why? That'll be the Purple Haze!
