How OGEN Cannabis Sets Their Strains Apart
Naming a cannabis strain is a lengthy process that requires a balance of creativity and an understanding of the genetics of the strain. At OGEN, we take the time to carefully consider all the factors to ensure that our strains are named in a way that accurately reflects them and creates an epic experience for OGENauts!
How OGEN Cannabis Sets Their Strains Apart
One of the most common questions we get is “How do we name our strains?”
We get really excited about curating an enjoyable experience through our strains, and naming is a part of that - the short answer: with a lot of careful, considerate, and inclusive work from our team! The long answer? Well, continue to read on!
Through our phenohunt process, we put so much labour and love into these plants that we believe the name should accurately reflect the uniqueness of each of our cultivars. When it comes to naming cannabis strains, we are looking at a variety of influences like flavour, aroma, and lineage to help highlight the plant's uniqueness.
There are some crazy and wild names in the cannabis industry, lots hailing from legendary lineages. Some of our favourites have been things like:
- OG Kush
- OGKB
- Zkittlez
- Black Lightning (Black Mark)
At OGEN Cannabis, we take great pride in creating high-quality experiences through the curation of tastes, and aromas in our strains. A strain's name is the first point of contact for OGENauts, and it helps to set the stage for what comes next!
Some names have been chosen based on the physical characteristics, flavours, lineage, or even some iconic word that best describes the experience or where it came from - and most of all it must be something that resonates with our team. Some may sound appealing while others are just strange sounding at first, but they leave people wondering how much the name represents the strain.
The OGEN Method
Additionally, another common question we get is “why not just keep the original strain name?”
Cannabis is unique, and while lineage can influence the experience, flavour, and aroma that a strain produces, it also influences the expectation and perception of that cannabis. What we know is that through phenohunting, the end-stage product sometimes has little or no similarities to the lineage it was produced from - read more here!
Because of this, we think it's important to help you build good perceptions of the products to help make the most informed decision when picking up the sticky icky from the neighborhood shop.
Deciding on a name is not easy, but it is important to get it right so that we represent a pheno’s uniqueness. There are hundreds of strains to choose from in the market - and that can be an overwhelming choice if you don't have the right information.
We’re here to help - we see it as our duty to provide the right information so you can navigate this wild world of cannabis to the best of your ability! Whether it is through creatively approaching our naming or using our lot finder for a deep dive into the strain.
From Aromas to Genetics
As we explored above, a major focus when it comes to naming cannabis strains is to use descriptive elements that highlight the plant’s uniqueness, such as flavour, and aroma.
In the instance of our strain Gas Berries #112, the name came from its rich berry and gasoline mixed aroma and flavour. We were driven by its unique smell and started tossing out as many names as we could think of until someone shouted out “What about Gas Berries?!” and the room grew silent – everyone looked at each other and slowly nodded – it resonated with us all and it stuck.
Another approach could be to use creative, playful, or humorous names like our Freshly Baked #76. While the name is not driven directly by flavour, it still drives an experience and expectation for the strain and helps to differentiate it from others with a similar lineage and make it more memorable.
The Name is the Game
In addition to communicating the experience to you, there are a few hoops that we as licensed producers must also be aware of in our industry.
In Canada, there are strict rules governing the branding of cannabis products, including requirements for warning labels and restrictions on using certain words or phrases.
As a result, we must diligently understand these regulations to ensure our name is consistent with our product while also abiding by the regulatory requirements outlined by the Canadian government.
The High Art of Strain Naming
Ultimately, the process of naming a cannabis strain means striking a balance between creativity, compliance, and strain education.
To break it down we look at these key factors when it comes to naming a new cultivar:
1. Consider the uniqueness of each phenotype and strive to accurately reflect it in the name
2. Take in a variety of influences when creating names such as descriptive, creative, or humorous directions
3. Its lineage
4. Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements for labeling and branding of cannabis products.
At the end of the day, the goal is to create something memorable that resonates with the experience and our OGENauts. In order to succeed with naming a strain, starting with great genetics always helps, and taking the time to find something unique within them (i.e., phenohunting) is key to finding something epic.
If you haven’t already, roll on over to some of our other blogs to see all of the great work our PIC team is doing and to check here to learn more about our flower!
