How to blend cannabis strains for the best effects

Many people blend several different strains of cannabis together when vaping or rolling a joint. Often called a ‘weed salad’, enthusiasts claim the effects and aroma can be superior to those from a single strain of cannabis. Not everyone agrees though, old-school purists may prefer their cannabis to come from a single strain. But for those that enjoy the additional floral fragrance and tailored effects that come from blending several cannabis strains, the following tips may prove useful.

The basics of cannabis strains mixing

Mixing/blending different cannabis strains together allows you the creation of some truly funky aroma combinations that could be difficult to get from any single strain. That could mean combining complementary or contrasting flavours - release your inhibitions and decide what tastes/smells best to you! Skunk & Kush? Haze & Diesel? Others will mix different cannabis strains to adjust the effects. Which strains you mix, and the ratio in which you blend/grind them is entirely down to your personal taste. Blending cannabis strains puts you in the driving seat!

Here are some of the approaches used by those who blend their cannabis strains:

Create a unique terpene/cannabinoid blend tailored for your needs

Blending different cannabis strains to optimise taste is one of the main reasons to create a weed salad. Much depends on individual preferences. Some enjoy blending/mixing their fruitiest strains to create a unique fruit cocktail. Others will try to create more unusual flavour combos, such as combining gassy/diesel strains with sweeter tasting strains to create something completely unique.

Repurposing strains that you didn’t like so much
Sometimes you may find a cannabis strain which simply doesn’t seem that great. Perhaps the effects, taste and strength are just not where you want them to be. Blending such a strain with a superior one may enhance the enjoyment significantly.

Managing your cannabis tolerance levels
If you have a killer strain with epic potency you may prefer to avoid hammering your stash too early in the day. Instead, you may prefer to blend your strongest strain with a lower THC strain (or even a CBD rich cannabis strain) to create a less potent weed salad for daytime use. This allows you to save your premium strength buds for a late-night blast.

Blending indica and sativa strains for effect
Indica and sativa strains typically deliver effects with subtle differences. Growing sativa cannabis seeds can produce buds with soaring highs and powerful psychoactive effects - perfect for creative or social pursuits.

Buds grown from indica cannabis seeds may feel a little heavier and more relaxing, perhaps with enhanced physical effects. By grinding some indica and sativa buds together you can create the best of both worlds. Find out what works best for you - it may even help you fine-tune the type of cannabis seeds which you grow in the future.

Blend those cannabinoids - THC, CBD, THCV, CBDV and the rest!
For many cannabis users, THC is the preferred cannabinoid producing the exhilaration, euphoria, and pleasure which so many people love. But the cannabis world is changing with new esoteric cannabinoids becoming available.

Some connoisseurs enjoy blending their cannabinoids depending on their mood/needs. Medical users may deliberately grind some CBD rich buds with their usual THC strain to increase the physical effects and dampen down the psycho-activity. Others blend different strains, each rich in various cannabinoids. The recent emergence of special cannabinoid cannabis seeds has made this area particularly interesting, especially for medical users.

Weed strains mix and the entourage effect

The entourage effect, though not scientifically proven, is a hypothesis that different cannabinoids can act to amplify the effects of others. One difficulty with this theory is that we all have a unique endo cannabinoid system, meaning that we may all experience slightly different effects from a given weed blend.

That’s the main reason why each of us may have our own favourites and preferences when it comes to cannabis strains and cannabis blends. Grinding and blending buds from different strains, each with their own cannabinoid profile, allows you to enjoy a broader spectrum of cannabinoids (and effects).

How to make the perfect cannabis blend

Experimentation is the starting point. Some connoisseur weed salad fans firmly believe in pairing similar strains, such as blending two (or more) fruity strains. Others feel that the best weed salads come from blending strains with perhaps more contrasting aroma types, such as a pungent diesel with a sweet fruity strain or perhaps a penetrating skunk. There are no real rights and wrongs, the most important judge of a cannabis blend is you!

Cannabis strains combination to try

The final choice is yours, but here are three staff-favourite Dutch Passion cannabis blends. Remember it doesn’t matter whether you grow your buds from autoflowering cannabis seeds or feminised seeds. All that really matters is the enjoyable synergy produced by blending two different strains, offering you a broader spectrum of both cannabinoids and terpenes.

Auto Orange Bud x Auto Skywalker Haze - high THC orange & lemon madness

If you’re looking for a fruit fest that packs the highest THC levels then blending Auto Orange Bud and Auto Skywalker Haze is a great option. Auto Skywalker Haze is a best seller mainly due to her current position as the highest THC autoflower in the Dutch Passion collection, with regular 25%+ THC lab reports. She boasts an intensely tasty lemony haze aroma and XL harvests.

Blending this with Auto Orange Bud introduces an array of orange/tangerine/clementine flavours to the rich lemon taste of Auto Skywalker Haze. The potency of Auto Orange Bud isn’t that far behind that of Auto Skywalker Haze. Combining these two high quality sativa strains gives a mouth-watering orange & lemon sweet treat with maximum potency!

Mokum’s Tulip x Strawberry Cough, sweet & fruity with a potent effect

Blending these two sweet fruity favourites produces a silky-smooth blend. Mokum’s Tulip is a hybrid feminised cannabis strain made with elite Gelato x Sherbet parents and packs very high THC levels. She delivers a pungent aroma and a sweet/fruity/creamy flavour explosion. Mokum’s Tulip has won several cannabis cups and is often rated as Dutch Passion’s best-tasting strain.

Strawberry Cough is a legendary sativa with a calming, anti-anxiety high and high THC levels. She offers a euphoric ‘up’ high, great for creativity and relaxation. She also produces a unique taste of fresh sweet strawberries. In combo with Mokum’s Tulip you enjoy a notably sweet and fruity cannabis blend with a powerful high.

Kerosene Krash x Glueberry OG, fuel x Kush for the win

Kerosene Krash uses extremely high THC genetics from Gorilla Glue and Sherbet to deliver a thick, rich fuel/chem aroma. Anyone that loves the clinging gassy taste of a classy Diesel strain will love Kerosene Krash. This popular cannabis cup winner is so strong that she qualifies for the inclusion in the Dutch Passion High THC cannabis seed collection - home to only the very strongest strains in the catalogue.

Combining the ultra-powerful Kerosene Krash with the best-selling XL-yielding hybrid Glueberry OG adds some penetrating Kush aroma as well as some fruity hints to the blend. Glueberry OG genetics come from (Glueberry x OG Kush) x Blueberry. It’s a real taste sensation in her own right but add the fuel-spill pungency of Kerosene Krash to the fruity Kush mix and you have a loud cannabis blend with unique appeal!

Mixing cannabis strains FAQ

As with pairing foods together, pairing cannabis strains for blending is a highly personal affair. Strong opinions of others shouldn’t influence your own preferences. If you want to blend a pungent skunk with a sweet fruity strain, then just go for it!

Remember also that CBD rich cannabis seeds are increasingly popular with many recreational smokers, offering a blissful, stress-free experience with enhanced body effects. Don’t discount them! If you want to moderate the strength of your high THC strains for daytime use, blending with low THC strains is a great option.

What is blend weed or “weed salad”?

A weed salad is simply a mix of different weed types. Usually, people grind the appropriate quantities of their preferred strains together and vape/smoke them. Some people also make cannabis edibles from their weed salads, making a cannabis concentrate from the combined buds. Though it should be said that this will allow the combined effects but with edibles you won’t get the chance to savour the terpenes from your vape!

What does randomly mixing weed strains do?

You never know until you have tried it! Sometimes you will feel that an improvement has been made, at other times the benefits can seem difficult to spot. Once you have gained some blending experience you may find a pattern to your personal preferences. Perhaps that will be from blending indicas & sativas, or from blending cannabinoids or terpenes. A few carefully made cannabis blends may allow you to discover your preferred mix.

Can you mix Indica and Sativa-dominant strains?

Yes you can, and many do precisely that. The effects may feel similar to a well-balanced hybrid cannabis strain. Some can find that e.g. the most powerful sativa strains can feel a little too much for less experienced smokers, perhaps producing a touch of anxiety. If so, blending with a less potent indica could improve the experience.

Does mixing high-THC weed strains get you higher?

Not necessarily. If you blend two strong strains both around 20% THC then the result will also be a weed salad with around 20% THC. However, if the blended strains contain different minor cannabinoids, you may find a bonus entourage effect when the two strains are blended.

Can you store different strains of weed in the same jar?

Yes, you can. And when buds of different strains are stored together the terpenes from each strain will mix allowing some funky flavour swaps. It’s worth saying that not everyone is a fan of such bud storage/curing options. Many prefer to dry and cure each strain separately to preserve the unique aromatic identity, blending strains at a later point in the grinder.

Final thoughts - blending different cannabis strains together

There are no real rights or wrongs when it comes to creating your own weed blends. Remember that each strain you blend will have several different phenotypes, so each blend will be phenotype-specific and perhaps not easy to precisely recreate.

Some prefer pairing similar cannabis strains whereas others will claim that the best weed salads/cannabis blends come from mixing radically different strains. But your opinion is the only one that really matters when it comes to creating your own weed blends.

Perhaps the most important piece of advice is to aim for premium quality buds that have been grown well and (crucially) been well cured allowing preservation of the valuable terpene profile. If you try to make cannabis blends from bland weed that has already lost most of its terpenes, then the results will be predictably disappointing.

If you haven’t tried blending your own cannabis mixes yet then it may be something to consider in the future. As always, grow the best cannabis seeds you can and enjoy the blended effects!