Strain Spotlight: Pumpkin Spice

As autumn sets in, the cozy aroma of pumpkin spice fills the air. The Pumpkin Spice strain captures this seasonal essence perfectly, combining warm spices and sweet pumpkin flavors in a unique hybrid strain. Whether you're an experienced consumer or new to cannabis, the strain is the perfect companion for your fall festivities. In this strain spotlight, you’ll learn everything about Pumpkin Spice, including its origins, taste and aroma profiles, potency, and more.

What is Pumpkin Spice?

Pumpkin Spice, also known as the Pumpkin Spice Latte strain, is a highly sought-after and evenly balanced hybrid cannabis strain because of its festive appeal and unique flavor profile. This strain, with a 50:50 indica-to-sativa ratio, is known for its potency, containing an average of 20% THC. It was created by crossbreeding Sour Apples and the well-known Animal Cookies (also known as Animal Crackers). The result is a strain with a complex apple-ish pumpkin pie taste and aroma, making it stand out among cannabis enthusiasts.¹

Pumpkin spice—the seasoning, not the cannabis—is the official flavor of fall, and cannabis cultivators believe that marijuana should have its piece of the (pumpkin) pie, too. Tinctures, vapes, and edibles try to capture the essence of fall in a cannabis product. In 2023, Sensi Seeds created the Pumpkin Spice strain to match the apple flavor and earthy nuttiness of pumpkin spice.²

The Sour D strain is known for its potency–its THC content typically ranges between 18% and 26%, making it more suitable for experienced canna connoisseurs. That doesn’t mean Sour Diesel is off-limits to newbies. If you are new to the cannabis world, be sure to start with a low dosage to see how the strain affects you before increasing your consumption.³ 

The taste of Pumpkin Spice mirrors its delicious scent, offering a rich and spicy flavor profile that includes hints of sweet pumpkin and warm spices that linger on the palate. There’s also the light undertone of sweet apple and pine, making this strain perfect for season-inspired edibles like brownies, pies, and ice cream. 

The potency of the Pumpkin Spice Latte strain varies, with THC levels typically ranging between 20-25%. This makes it a highly potent strain better suited for seasoned cannabis consumers due to its higher THC content. However, it's not off-limits to newbies. It's important to be cautious and start with a low dosage, especially if you are new to cannabis or have a lower tolerance. Going slow is key to understanding how Pumpkin Spice affects you before considering increasing the dosage.

There are various other strains that carry the pumpkin moniker and flavor. One of our favorites is the Pumpkin Kush strain, a sativa-dominant hybrid with a 60:40 sativa-to-indica ratio. With an average THC level of 20%, the strain is relatively potent but beginner-friendly, provided they start with a low dose. Famous Lambsbread and Pre-98 Bubba Kush were crossbred to create Pumpkin Kush, which is much-loved for its pumpkin flavor and aroma profile. Cannabis enthusiasts taste spicy, sweet, rich pumpkin with hints of herbaceous nuttiness. The aroma is similar, but you can expect a more earthy woodiness on the exhale.⁴

What better way to celebrate fall than with Pumpkin Spice? If you have questions about this specific cannabis strain, don’t hesitate to ask your favorite budtender, and here are some frequently asked questions and answers to help you out: 

Are there cannabis strains that look like pumpkins?
While there are no cannabis strains that look precisely like pumpkins, some strains, like Super Lemon Haze, are known for their bright orange pistils, which can give them an autumnal appearance—and remind you of pumpkins.

Is Pumpkin Spice indica or sativa?
The Pumpkin Spice strain, which is also referred to as Pumpkin Spiced Latte, is a hybrid cannabis strain known for its balanced composition, consisting of 50% sativa and 50% indica.

Does Pumpkin Spice cannabis really taste like pumpkin spice?
While the Pumpkin Spice marijuana strain offers a flavor profile that is reminiscent of fall spices, thanks to its range of fall terpenes, it doesn’t exactly taste like pumpkin spice. You may think of a scrumptious pumpkin pie or pumpkin spiced latte, but Pumpkin Spice has a sweet apple taste with notes of spicy pine. On the other hand, Pumpkin Kush has a flavor that more closely resembles pumpkin or pumpkin spice.
 

Purchasing Pumpkin Spice

Pumpkin Spice is one of the best autumn strains to put you in the mood for the fall season. Its delicate apple flavor, infused with spicy pine undertones, evokes the taste of a scrumptious slice of pumpkin pie. Chat with your favorite budtender to see if the Pumpkin Spice strain is in stock and what other available fall-inspired strains, like Pumpkin Kush, can help you fully embrace the season.

Sources: 

1. “Pumpkin Spice,” Leafly, https://www.leafly.com/strains/pumpkin-spice 

2. “Pumpkin spice cannabis: trending need or passing fancy?” Greenstate, September 30, 2023, https://www.greenstate.com/lifestyle/pumpkin-spice-cannabis-trending-need-or-passing-fancy/  

3. “Pumpkin Spice Feminized Seeds,” Sensi Seeds, https://sensiseeds.com/en/research/pumpkin-spice-feminized  

4. “Pumpkin Kush Marijuana Strain,” Allbud, https://www.allbud.com/marijuana-strains/sativa-dominant-hybrid/pumpkin-kush