Pineapple Express

An evaluation published in October 2026 summarizes 461 lab tests on flower tested in US states under the name Pineapple Express. The median is 19.80 % THC, with the middle half of values between 17.54 and 21.75 %; measurements vary by batch, cultivation and phenotype. The genetics are less clear-cut: several family trees circulate under the name, and the original breeder has not been established.

THC and CBD Content:

According to the same evaluation, CBD plays hardly any role: of 265 tests reporting CBD, only one was above 1 %. One strain description gives 20 % THC and 1 % CBG. The breeders state 19 to 28 % THC for their versions, Zambeza 19 % and Barney's Farm 28 % for the photoperiod version.

Genetics and Origin:

The name became known through the 2008 film comedy Pineapple Express. In 2018, Seth Rogen stated that no cannabis strain of that name existed while the film was being made. The title comes from a Hawaiian weather phenomenon that occasionally hits the Pacific Northwest of the US, the home region of Rogen and co-writer Evan Goldberg.

Strain descriptions name G13 Labs as originator and Trainwreck × Hawaiian as parentage. For the version from G13 Labs itself, however, Big Bud × Hawaiian Skunk is recorded, as the 2026 evaluation also points out. Pua Mana Pakalolo tells a third story: on Big Island, pollen from Kona Gold is said to have pollinated a Trainwreck branch, and the original breeder in Hawi calls the strain Hawaiian Shipwreck. Pineapple Express is classed as a sativa-leaning hybrid. As a parent it appears in, among others, Hogwarts Express from Alpaca Bowl Ranch Seeds, a cross with Ghost Train Haze.

Aroma and Flavor:

Pineapple and citrus lead the descriptions, accompanied by earthy pine notes. Barney's Farm lists fresh pineapple, tropical fruit and mango for its version, with an undertone of cedar and spice. Grow reports on the G13 Labs version mention lemon and pineapple, one of them with a musky, skunky edge. Strain descriptions list myrcene, caryophyllene and pinene as the defining terpenes; Barney's Farm describes its version as myrcene-dominant.

Effects:

Consumers describe an uplifted, alert mood with silliness, talkativeness and creative drive, plus physical relaxation without a strong feeling of heaviness. Some notice good focus, others a slightly spaced-out state or some tiredness toward the end; a few felt hardly any effect. Dry mouth and dry eyes are mentioned, and occasionally nervousness.

Cultivation:

Strain descriptions give 7 to 9 weeks of flowering. A cultivation guide rates the strain as moderately difficult, places it in a mild to warm climate and considers it growable indoors and outdoors, outdoors with wind protection. It recommends topping and support for weaker branches and describes phenotypes ranging from compact and indica-leaning to tall and sativa-leaning.

In 4 documented indoor grows of the G13 Labs version, flowering took 55 to 60 days. Stretch ranged from 50 % (about 60 to 90 cm) to 250 % (about 20 to 70 cm), and growth from fir-tree-shaped to bushy. Reports agreed on hard, compact buds with little leaf content and no susceptibility to mold. Topping and supercropping were tolerated well; one plant needed support during flowering. Reports differ on nutrient demand: one grower observed sensitivity to over- and underfeeding and added calcium and magnesium weekly, while others reported no problems. One grow with Barney's Farm seeds reached 65 days of flowering and grew from about 15 to 30 cm in that time.

Versions from Different Breeders:

• G13 Labs: Big Bud × Hawaiian Skunk, feminized, about 56 days of flowering, outdoor harvest in October; plus an autoflower version with ruderalis and about 50 days of flowering.
• Barney's Farm: Hawaiian Landrace Sativa × Trainwreck, 60 % sativa, feminized, 55 to 65 days of flowering, harvest in the 1st to 2nd week of October, 600 to 700 g/m² indoors, 1500 to 2000 g per plant outdoors, 120 to 140 cm tall indoors, 180 to 250 cm outdoors.
• Barney's Farm, Pineapple Express Auto: own genetics from Pineapple Chunk × BF Super Auto #1, 70 % indica, about 65 days from sowing to harvest, 500 to 600 g/m², 24 % THC.
• Pua Mana Pakalolo: Trainwreck × Kona Gold, predominantly sativa, about 65 days of flowering.
• Zambeza: Pineapple × Lemon Kush, indica-dominant, about 55 days of flowering, 500 to 550 g/m².
• Zamnesia, Pineapple Express F1 Automatic: Trainwreck × Hawaiian, 8 to 9 weeks from germination, 21 % THC.
• Fatbush Seeds: autoflower from Skunk, Hawaiian and ruderalis, 65 to 75 days from seedling, 40 to 50 cm.