The 5 Most Pungent Strains of Cannabis

You’ve either got to have a screw loose or you live somewhere it is legal to smoke cannabis.
If not, why on earth would you want to smoke one of the most pungent – that means smelliest – strains of cannabis?

Why not get a large neon sign saying “I’m getting stoned” as that would be just as effective?
So, what is it that makes some strains of cannabis smellier than others?

The answer lies in the terpenes? (Pronounced Ter-Peans)

The what’s?

The terpenes – created by the same glands that produce THC and CBD, terpenes appear in the form of an oil and it is these which are responsible for taste and smell, when the cannabis is burned.

As with CBD and THC, the smell of a cannabis plant can be modified according to the strain, though it may surprise you to discover that terpene production can be modified by climate, weather, age and maturation, fertilizers, soil type, and even the time of day.

So when it comes to the top five smelliest strains of cannabis, what have we got?

At number 5, we have Chronic Thunder.

How can we describe this aroma?

A powerful combination of diesel infused with spicy pepper. Chronic Thunder produces a relaxing, satisfied high with a unique dried cinnamon fragrance and delicious flavor. This is a heavy-hitter strain

At number 4 we have OG #18

This is a multiple award-winning strain renowned for its ultra-pungent diesel smell with sour, earthy notes.

Several strains of cannabis have earthy flavours and aromas, one can only assume this was discovered by those who have woken up after overindulging, their head either resting in a plant pot, or firmly implanted in a flower bed in the garden outside.

At number 3 you’ll find Death Star OG.
This has a rich, skunky, sweet and earthy aroma with notes, rather than an overpowering smell of diesel.

The smell is also extremely strong, which should give you a clue to its potency, with a THC level around the 25% mark

In runner up position at number two we have King Kong.

This is easily recognized as it is a distinctive, very pungent combination of sour, spice and skunk.
If you Google “smell of King Kong”, be warned – you may not discover what you were hoping for!

And the winner is…..

Cheese, Gromit. Cheese….

Only those who have seen Wallace and Gromit in A Grand Day Out will get the joke…
Cheese strains are the most pungent of all cannabis strains, where the rancid smell of octanoic acid merges with the sweet, fruity tones of methyl tert-butyl ether (not to be confused with the Welsh mining town of Merthyr Tydfil) and ethyl methyl acetic acid.

There is also isovaleric acid, and the combination of more foul-smelling terpenes like hexanoic acid (which smells of barnyard animals) and methyl mercaptan (which smells like rotten cabbage).
You can see why Cheese wins hands down!

If you’ve know of some particularly pungent strains, don’t forget to tell us about them in the comments below.