Blue Dream has often been among the most popular, if not the most popular, strain of weed, according to both market research and anecdotal evidence. This iconic strain of cannabis has been a top seller in all the legal states, including California, Washington, and Colorado.
The sativa-dominant hybrid originated in California, as a cross between a blueberry indica, both relaxing and euphoric, and sativa Haze, a high energy creative strain. Blue Dream itself is known for full-body relaxation and a happy, uplifting high, and is often used to treat pain, nausea, stress, and depression. According to weed encyclopedia Leafly, Blue Dream’s most common negative effects are cottonmouth and dry eyes, but it won’t likely make you that paranoid or anxious.
Depending on the specific plant, Blue Dream usually contains between 17 and 24 percent THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) the main psychoactive compound in cannabis, and .1 to .2 percent CBD (cannabidiol), a non-psychotropic compound. Blue Dream also has a good deal of the cannabinoid, or chemical compound, CBG (cannabigerol), ranging between .2 and .6 percent. CBG is generally thought to be non-psychoactive, but has neuroprotective properties and could be used to treat Huntington’s Disease, depression, glaucoma, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Blue Dream has also been shown to contain the terpenes, or aromatic molecules, myrcene (known for sedative, antioxidant effects), terpinolene (also a sedative antioxidant with anti-carcinogenic properties), and caryophyllene (a peppery anti-anxiety, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory terpene).
In addition to its antidepressive and anxiolytic effects, Blue Dream can also be used a bronchodilator to increase airflow to the lungs. It’s also useful in treating headaches, menstrual cramps, and other pains.
Growers tend to like it, too. According to cultivation expert Danny Danko, Blue Dream is fairly easy to grow and yields a good deal of bud. If grown indoors, a cultivator can get two pounds out of a 1000-watt light. He says that Blue Dream clones are also easy to root and grow fairly consistently.
However, though Blue Dream is so widely popular, it’s sometimes less beloved by cannabis connoisseurs. In hipster fashion, adoring Blue Dream might be too basic for someone who knows a ton about weed and the ins and outs of more esoteric strains. Moreover, because it is so popular, it’s often mass-produced and hence its quality on a large scale could suffer. It also tends to be slightly less strong than other strains that that connoisseurs may like better.
Nonetheless, Blue Dream has a strong brand behind it. “We have literally thousands of strains in our database, and Blue Dream is number one in both Washington and Colorado,” says Roy Bingham, CEO of BDS Analytics. “There’s clearly marketing around individual strains, and budtenders point consumers in the direction of a particular product. I imagine that soon there will be less opinion, and more science, around that.”
