ACDC

According to a detailed grow guide, ACDC reacts sensitively to overfeeding; the guide specifies only half the nutrient amount for the vegetative phase, with full feeding only in flowering. The same guide rates the strain as demanding and calls for steady temperatures between 68 and 80 °F, roughly 20 to 27 °C. Genetically, the name stands for a CBD-rich phenotype selected from seeds of the Cannatonic strain by the Spanish seed company Resin Seeds.

Genetics and Origin:

The selection was made by William Courtney, a physician from Northern California. A portrait published in 2020 describes how Courtney went looking for CBD-rich genetics on a visit to Barcelona and received Cannatonic seeds from Resin Seeds there. By Courtney's account, the selection was intended for processing fresh fan leaves into juice. The name points to this as well: ACDC stands for Alternative Cannabinoid Dietary Cannabis, not for the rock band of the same name. One strain description dates its creation to 2011.

How the lineage should be classified is presented differently. Several strain profiles list ACDC as a cross of Cannatonic with a ruderalis and as a balanced hybrid, while the portrait of Courtney speaks of a sativa-dominant phenotype. For Cannatonic itself, Resin Seeds names a MK-Ultra mother and a G13 Haze father in its breeder description; a strain directory also lists Reina Madre × NYC Diesel as its parentage. The original selection circulates only as a clone.

As a parent, ACDC appears in numerous crosses, including AC-DC 78 by Green Bodhi, AC/DC Glue by Equilibrium Genetics and ACDC x Deep Chunk by Budding Industries. According to one description, Sin City Seeds used the strain for Thunderstruck, Treasure Island, HarleSin and Incredible Power.

THC and CBD Content:

Courtney gives the THC to CBD ratio as 1:20 and the CBD content as up to 19 %. A widely used strain description lists 13 % CBD and 1 % THC, although the THC figures in other descriptions scatter considerably more widely. According to another, CBG averages 0.2 %.

Aroma and Flavor:

For smell, strain profiles describe an earthy base with sweetness and citrus notes; in flavor, pine, wood and pepper are added. Myrcene is considered the dominant terpene there, followed by pinene and caryophyllene. User reports are more sober: some perceive an earthy, grassy smell, while others find the flavor unremarkable or unpleasant.

Effects:

Consumers consistently report a psychoactive effect that is weak at most. Described are relaxation with a clear head, focus and elevated mood. Some reports mention drive and talkativeness, others drowsiness. Side effects named are dry mouth, dry eyes, dizziness, headache, nervousness and fatigue, occasionally also a foggy feeling.

Cultivation:

The plant grows bushy on its own and, according to the grow guide, manages with little or no training. To even out the canopy, the guide mentions stronger training as well as thinning in favor of the upper flowers. Several strain descriptions give a height of about 4 feet, around 1.2 m. For flowering, several sources give 9 to 10 weeks, while others assume shorter or longer periods. Two descriptions rate the yield as medium.

ACDC can be grown indoors and outdoors. Outdoors, flowering must be finished before temperatures drop in autumn; in the Northern Hemisphere, harvest is given as mid-October. A dry, sunny climate of the Mediterranean type is considered favorable. Sources describe the strain as susceptible to mold and powdery mildew and as having little resistance to pests. They rate the difficulty inconsistently, from easy to medium to hard.

Versions from Different Breeders:

Alongside the clone line, a strain directory lists a version from NorStar Genetics. A flowering time of about 67 days and up to 19 % CBD are recorded for it; feminized seeds are not listed there.

Community Experiences:

One grower found seeds in purchased ACDC flowers and raised plants from them that proved considerably higher in THC; the grower attributed this to pollination by another strain. Another described growth stalls after overly heavy pruning, from which the plant recovered with nutrient doses.