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If you’re looking for an upbeat high abound with social energy and motivation, look no further than the beloved White Widow strain. This strain is an all-time fan favorite and has really gained a worldwide fanbase. It has an interesting flavor with notes of peach, skunk, fruit and spice and will really relax you without causing sedation. It’s a great one for morning use.

White Widow is a cross of two landrace strains, Brazilian and south Indian, from Green House Seed Company in Amsterdam. Green House breeder Arjan Roskam reports having developed White Widow in the early ’90s with fellow Netherlands breeder Ingemar.

According to Arjan, the strain’s original name was Arnhem’s Wonder before he and Ingemar commercialized it in seed form and changed the name to White Widow. The winner of first place Bio at High Times Cannabis Cup in 1995, White Widow delivers a strong peppery cedar flavor and a complex, long-lasting high that starts with a relaxing haze and gives way to an explosive buzz, as reported by Green House.

Green House has tested White Widow at 18.76% THC, 0.10% CBD, and 0.28% CBN. The seed bank has also developed autoflowering and high-CBD autoflowering versions of the strain by hybridizing White Widow with Ruderalis and high-CBD strains, respectively. Green House Seed Co. carries all three versions of White Widow in feminized seed form.

Origin and Lineage

The origin of the White Widow strain is somewhat of a mystery. The most commonly told story is that of the renowned breeder and founder of Green House Seed Company, Shantibaba. Rumor has it that he was vacationing when he found the mother plant, a Brazilian Sativa. He then sourced a South Indian, Indica-dominant hybrid near the mountains of Kerala. Although there are some skeptics, most people accept the rumor as truth.

Although the specific geographic origin of the two parent strains is a bit fuzzy, knowledge of where and when it was bred is concrete. Shantibaba created the hybrid strain in Amsterdam in the early 1990s. The buds of White Widow do not take on full color and always appear paler than many other strains, even when ready to harvest. They also create tiny crystals that resemble sugar. The combination of these unique traits is what led the strain to its name.

White Widow Review: Aroma, Flavor, and Appearance

Strain Cannabinoids

• THC: 16 – 18%
• CBD: 0.46 – 0.97%
• CBC: 0.36 – 1.08%
• CBG: 0.47 – 1.04%
• CBN: 0.05 – 0.28%
• THCV: 0.37 – 1.16%

Those who regularly consume White Widow marijuana have described its aroma as ‘skunkily pungent,’ with a sophisticated hint of hempy spice and exotic equatorial berry. In fact, the aroma of White Widow marijuana is so dynamic that most any stoner could probably sense its presence within a range of about 300 square yards. And rumor has it that Michael Phelps can even smell it underwater if someone cracks open a jar within about 200 ft of him.

With this in mind, if you are planning on consuming White Widow with discretion, this is probably not the strain to experiment with – unless you take extra preventative measures to keep the stinky scent under wraps (smoke outside, eat an edible, use air filters, or spritz a scented air spray to help kill the smell).

White Widow’s skunky bouquet of odor is so vigorous, we wouldn’t be surprised if Michael Phelps could detect its presence while underwater.

Sometimes, certain batches of White Widow express a particularly fruity or spicy taste, feeling as if you have just bitten into a ripe peach or juicy apple, mixed in with spice like nutmeg or cinnamon.

Appearance-wise, White Widow weed is laden with frosty, bright crystals that glisten and gleam the minute any source of light hits the nuggets. Underneath that snow-covered first blanketed layer, however, glimpses can be seen of fat sage-green buds stacked up together in tall colas, ready to be cut apart and trimmed down for the world’s best smoke.

Additionally, the presence of the long bright orange pistil hairs reaches straight up to the heavens, curling on the way and joining the lengthy dark green water leaves that express an ombre-like color gradient in appearance, making this scene rather delightful aesthetically. In our opinion, there really is not a more attractive or visually appealing marijuana strain than White Widow.

White Widow emits a strong smell that reminds users of earthy undertones blended with sandalwood and herbs and spices. Although fruit is a component of the strain, some people feel it’s more evident in the odor while others believe the fruit is in the flavor. Those who do notice the fruity aroma compare it to tropical fruits blends or oranges.

When smoking White Widow, the initial taste is sweet citrus, but it quickly gives way to more savory flavors of earth, pine wood, and flowers. Most users feel the blend is just right and contributes to a positive smoking experience, although some report feeling as if the smoke is slightly harsh. Luckily, smoking accessories often ease that feeling.

What To Expect

When Shantibaba created White Widow, he did so with the intention of maximizing the positive effects of both Indica and Sativa strains. He accomplished his mission.

White Widow often creates full-body relaxation without causing the user to become locked to the couch. The cerebral effect is just as pleasant for most smokers. After smoking, people tend to feel happier and more social. Some also report feeling more creative or even euphoric.

Most cannabis strains do have a couple of minor negative side effects, and White Widow is no different. Many people experience dry mouth and eyes while smoking. Most smokers agree the best thing about this strain is how the side effects manifest. The cerebral effects come on first to ease stress, and by the time they’re in full effect, the full-body feeling begins. White Widow contains between 15 and 20 percent THC and is considered a medium-strength strain.

Side Effects of White Widow Marijuana

The most frequently-documented side effects by those who consume White Widow weed is – surprise, surprise – dry mouth. Of course, this can be resolved by drinking plenty of hydrating fluids, and always having an extra supply nearby you before, during, and after your high.

Occasionally WW users will report dry eyes as well, but this is less regular than dry mouth. For dry eyes, affordably-priced moisturizing eye drops can be purchased beforehand from any local drugstore and applied whenever you feel they are necessary (or when somebody says you look like you got shot in the face with an entire bottle of bear spray.

Use Time: Morning

Effects: Creative, Hungry, Focused

Side Effects: Insomnia, Heightened sensory perception

Common Usage: ADD/ADHD, Anxiety, Arthritis, Glaucoma, Multiple sclerosis

Terpenes: Pinene, Carene, Camphene, Ocimene, Phellandrene

Taste: Earthy, Flowery, Pine, Pungent, Woody

Color: Green

Benefits of the Strain

Although White Widow marijuana has been explored for use with numerous medicinal conditions in the past, the most notorious relief this healing strain seems to provide is for individuals that suffer from:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Stress
• PTSD
• Chronic pain

For those handling psychological conditions (depression, anxiety, stress, PTSD), a small to average-sized dose of this cannabis strain is probably best, as over-consuming marijuana when dealing with a mental condition can sometimes lead to greater paranoia and anxiety.

It’s vital in this circumstance to understand and know your limits well with cannabis, and stick by those levels so you don’t end up in a worse position. For those dealing with the menaces of chronic pain, a larger, more potent dose is usually in order. This is why consuming edibles, concentrates, live resin, candies, or fatter-than-usual bowls are the go-to methods for people who use WW as a daily medicine.

Grow information

• Flowering time: 65-75 Days
• Harvest time: 82-89 Days
• Yield indoor: < 1 oz/ft2
• Yield outdoor: 2-4 oz/ft2
• Height indoor: 60-80 Inches
• Height outdoor: 90 > Inches
• Grow difficulty: Easy
• Flowering type: Photoperiod

According to Green House, White Widow grows short with light green leaves and white, crystal resin-covered buds in a 56-63 day flowering period. The seed bank also recommends letting the plant flower for the full 63 days to get its full spectrum of cannabinoids and terpenes. Green House also reports that White Widow grows well indoors — especially under the Screen of Green (SCROG) method — and outdoors in mild, temperate climates.

White Widow is a hearty ‘survivor strain,’ which makes it a suitable option for any individual who has at least some experience with growing cannabis — even if this experience is sparse.

White Widow weed is fairly resistant to molds, bugs, and even colder climates, which is why – when cultivated properly – it can grow successfully without too much fuss (as long as the basic conditions and needs of the strain are being met).

White Widow was originally bred to be grown indoors, but those who are blessed with sunny climates may successfully cultivate the frosty strain outdoors.

White Widow’s flowering period is around 8 weeks, but it can usually be grown for two more weeks in order to obtain the snow-capped frosty look that is so often attached to this strain.

If you are choosing to extend the flowering process to 10 weeks instead of 8, however, it is vital to induce a bit of stress into your girls by shortening your light cycle from 12 hours daily down to 8 hours. This will keep anything drastic from happening to your plants during the two extra weeks and will generate plenty of accumulated frost so you can get the appearance you desire from your crops.

You can look forward to your White Widow growing to about two feet tall indoors, with much greater (yet varying) heights for outside production.

Also, it’s worth pointing out that when grown indoors, it is possible to successfully use the Sea of Green method alongside your usual cultivation process. And be advised that White Widow typically flourishes in a hydroponics system, soil growth, or any other indoor technique.

A typical indoor yield is around 20-24 ounces per meter squared, which is pretty average in relation to other marijuana strains. If you are brave enough to take on the challenge of cultivating your White Widow outdoors, make sure to attempt to provide your strain with as warm of weather as possible, typically in the 65-80 degree Fahrenheit range, with more than enough direct sunlight.

Although White Widow weed is known for being somewhat resistant to colder climates, you don’t want to keep the plants in the cold too long, as you may risk your hard work going to waste. An outdoor-grown White Widow weed plant typically yields around 21-25 ounces of flower per plant, with the crop itself growing up to 6 feet in height – occasionally even taller. Harvest is usually in the end of October for White Widow, unless you are choosing the extended method of flowering.

Overall, growing White Widow marijuana is fairly easy, and even suitable for complete beginners if they are experimenting with the cultivation of just one plant in a closet or backyard. As long as you treat your White Widow well and give it the proper care, you should have some decent-tasting cannabis in the end.