“Chemdog has kept his authentic genetics close for decades, but fans have opened his heart and vault.”

I have been reporting on music and culture for long enough to know that most lists are basically nonsense, little more than arbitrary compendiums made by journalists who wish that they were doing other, more important work.

In even worse scenarios, the writers and editors behind dramatically titled best ever-type posts take themselves seriously. Which is usually embarrassing but seems to be okay in the case of this recent article by David Downs in Leafly, “The world’s best cannabis seeds and clones to grow in 2023.”

Maybe we’re partial, since Downs included two Mass sources (I’ll get to that in a second). As importantly, his journey to so many said superlatives—“highlight[ing] reputable breeders with high-performance beans”—checks out and then some. As he writes …

“We spent two days reporting at the world’s biggest seed scene—The Emerald Cup Harvest Ball in December. Afterward, we queried more than 30 esteemed breeders, growers, and experts for picks. And yup, we smoked hundreds of varieties in 2022 in pursuit of perfection, power, and pizzazz.”

For “Chemdog, OG Kushes, Sour Diesels, and Glues,” which Leafly wrote excel in “bite and power,” they naturally saluted “Massachusetts grower/breeder Chemdog himself.” Specifically, they shouted out “2023 winter releases includ[ing] authentic Chem 4, Lemon OG Haze, and Biscotti Mintz.” Adding, “the next big release of clones and some rare Chem genetics from Chemdog will be in April/Springtime for the planting season [via] Chemdog’s brand Smash Hits through Canna Provisions stores. Chemdog has kept his authentic genetics close for decades, but fans have opened his heart and vault.”

“I love knowing now that if someone has a clone from Smash Hits and Canna Provisions, they got the best available on the market anywhere,” Chemdog told Leafly.

Meanwhile, Leafly also propped another Mass-based Chem family breeder, Mass Medical Seeds, for its Vx1000.

“Vx1000 is an absolute must for the lovers of old-school, powerful Chemdog and classic green weed like Sours and OG’s,” Mass Medical explained. “This one brings the best of the best back, with spiritually intense herb that will make you feel the nostalgia of the ’90s again.”

Also honored was the Cookies Seed Bank, specifically their Hollywood (Lemon Cherry Gelato x Runtz), White Sherb (White Runtz x Sherb), and Tie Die (Jealousy x Sherb). Locally, you can find Cookies strains at their namesake shop in Worcester and at other select drop spots as supplies last.