cbd – Cristina in Oaxaca

This sativa-dominant strain is derived from some famous vintage names in genetics. Old favorites like Colombian Gold, Thai, and Swiss varieties came together to make Harlequin. A private breeding program in Switzerland was experimenting with breeding cannabis plants for hash production, and Harlequin was one of the results. The ratio is heavily tilted towards the sativa at 75% to 25%, with the influence from the Nepalese indicas also integrated into the breeding process holding their ground.

It is relatively low in THC, but very high in CBTs to the point of being almost 2:1. The strain fell out of fashion during the years when strains found favor for their THC content, or how fast they got you high. Now that the power of CBT to treat pain and epilepsy are being rediscovered, Harlequin is enjoying a resurgence. It’s ideal to treat pain without having powerful psychoactive effects.

Harlequin has a sweet, earthy smell, a fruity taste, and a look that is stereotypically sativa-like. Buds are thick with red, orange, and purple hairs, which show as an even pattern on a whole plant. This mimics the checkered costume of classical Italian clown Harlequin, which is where the strain gets its name.

Grow Your Own Info

Even though Harlequin is a sun-loving sativa with notoriously heavy top colas, it’s also a nice indoor grow. Small, dime size flowers appear fairly early and are usually thick with crystals.

Flowering Time: 60 to 70 days for an indoor grow, slightly longer for an outdoor crop depending on your climate zone and local weather patterns.

Yield: A dense, relatively small bud heavy with trichomes, typical of cannabis plants high in CBD.

Grow tips: Harlequin is relatively easy to grow, and is recommended for beginners and intermediate growers. The early flowering is offset by a drawn-out curing time, which can be as long as three weeks. The tops of the plants often need extra support as they do get quite heavy.