Bubba Kush, photo by Coaster420

"Bubba Kush.jpg" by Coaster420, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Bubba Kush

Also listed as Bubba Kush Auto (, Bubba Kush Autoflowering

DisputedIndica-leaningType I — caryophyllene/limonene
Most-cited cross
OG Kush (selfed/accidental)
Breeders on record
Barney's Farm, Dinafem Seeds, North Atlantic Seed Co. (White Label)
Median THC
17.9% · 375 tests
Total terpenes
1.34%

Commonly reported: relaxed, happy, sleepy, euphoric, hungry · tastes earthy, sweet

🧬 Look for DNA test reports on Kannapedia ↗

Type labels are reported marketing/morphology labels, not chemistry. Basis: breeder ratio.

Genetics

Family tree

Bubba Kush
  • OG KushReported
    • unknown (Florida 'Supernaut'/'Krippy' bag seed)Well-supported
  • Verified
  • Well-supported
  • Reported
  • Folklore
  • Disputed

Bred from Bubba Kush

Kush MintsSalmon River OGZombie KushSour BubbaThe OXBubba Island KushTigers MilkWashing MachineXanaduBubba Kush S1Bubba’s BreathCaramel Candy KushDeath BubbaDracarysInsane OGPurple Bubba KushSakuraSchrombaBaba KushBlue Bubba KushBubba Kush (Pre 98) S1Bubba Kush x PCKBubba’s SisBubba’s Trainwreck Haze #1

Genetics

Lineage claims

  1. OG Kush (selfed/accidental)

    Reported

    Tier A dossier bubba-kush

  2. Florida 'Bubba' × OG Kush

    Reported

    Tier A dossier bubba-kush

  3. Northern Lights × Florida 'Supernaut' Kush

    Disputed

    Tier A dossier bubba-kush

  4. West Coast Dog / Chem Dog line

    Folklore

    Tier A dossier bubba-kush

  5. Afghan Kush Landrace × OG Kush

    Well-supported

    Stated by Barney's Farm, Barney’s Farm

  6. OG Kush × Afghan

    Reported

    Stated by North Atlantic Seed Co. (White Label)

Competing claims are shown side by side, never merged.

5 breeder versions (autoflowers, F2/S1/BX, remakes)
  • Dinafem Seeds: Bubba Kush Pre’98 × White Widow Auto (autoflower)
  • Dinafem Seeds: Pre'98 Bubba Kush × Pre'98 Bubba Kush (derivative (crosses the strain itself: F2/S1/BX/remake))
  • Humboldt Seed Organization: Northern Lights Humboldt Cult × Triangle Kush (autoflower)
  • Seedsman: Pre 98 Bubba Kush × Pre 98 Bubba Kush (derivative (crosses the strain itself: F2/S1/BX/remake))
  • Seedsman: Pre 98 Bubba Kush × Pre 98 Bubba Kush (derivative (crosses the strain itself: F2/S1/BX/remake))

Lab data

Cannabinoids

Cannabinoid medians for Bubba Kush
  • THC17.9%n=375
  • CBG0.57%n=249
  • CBC0.05%n=129
  • CBD0.02%n=307
  • CBN0.01%n=114
  • THCV0.00%n=56

Bar = median; line = lowest to highest test. Public lab records; values vary by grower and lab.

Lab data

Terpenes

Terpene medians for Bubba Kush
  • β-Caryophyllene0.27%n=81
  • Limonene0.24%n=80
  • Myrcene0.19%n=81
  • Humulene0.10%n=80
  • Linalool0.08%n=78
  • β-Pinene0.05%n=66
  • Bisabolol0.05%n=80
  • α-Pinene0.03%n=81

Good for

Use cases

Use-case percentiles for Bubba Kush
  • Appetite96th
  • Sleep79th
  • Clear-headed72th
  • Stress71th
  • Relaxation61th
  • Pain47th
  • Social47th
  • Creativity23th
  • Focus21th
  • Energy8th

Percentile vs. other strains, from user-reported effects plus lab terpenes. Terpene links to effects are hypotheses with weak evidence; faded bars are terpene-only.

Awards

🏆 Cannabis cup record

  • #1

    Clouds in the City Cup 2021

    Best Coffeeshop Hash · entered by Coffeeshop Het Gelderse

    reported · source

  • #3

    Amsterdam Coffeeshop Awards 2021

    Best Hash · entered by Het Gelderse

    reported · source

  • #3

    Amsterdam Coffeeshop Awards 2021

    High Squish Cup Hash · entered by Het Gelderse

    reported · source

  • #3

    Expogrow Cup (Irun) 2019

    BEST EXTRACTION WITH SOLVENT · entered by GREEN WISH

    reported · source

  • #2

    Canadian Cannabis Awards 2016

    Hybrid · entered by Canna Farms

    reported · source

  • #1

    Copa Cannabis Uruguay 2015

    BEST CLUB – OUTDOORS · entered by CC Shiva with Dinafem

    reported · source

  • #3

    High Times Cannabis Cup / Medical Cannabis Cup (United States editions) 2015

    PEOPLE’S CHOICE FLOWERS · entered by The Clinic Colorado

    reported · source

  • #2

    Canadian Cannabis Awards 2014

    BEST INDICA FLOWER · entered by Canndo

    reported · source

  • #3

    IC420 / ICMag 420 Growers Cup 2013

    Growers Cup – Best Indica · entered by Growcdodile

    reported · source

  • #3

    Treating Yourself Expo 2011

    Private Grower Cup · entered by Remo

    reported · source

  • #3

    High Times Cannabis Cup / Medical Cannabis Cup (United States editions) 2010

    Indica Cup · entered by Tehama Herbal Collective

    reported · source

  • #5

    IC420 / ICMag 420 Growers Cup 2008

    Breeder Of The Year – Reservoir Seeds · entered by Green House

    reported · source

Dossier

History & sources

1. Summary

Bubba Kush is a Los Angeles clone of the mid–late 1990s, named for Matt "Bubba" Berger. Berger was one of the Florida circle who carried the OG Kush cut to LA in 1996 (see og-kush). "Pre-98 Bubba Kush" is the collectors' name for the original cut, distinguishing it from later "diluted" versions; Berger himself prefers "the 97".1 The association with Berger and the OG circle in mid-1990s LA is well-supported.1234 What Bubba is is disputed among at least five accounts:

  1. Berger (2020 interview): Northern Lights seeds (shipped from Northern California to a friend's fraternity brother at Tulane, New Orleans), pollinated around 1997 by a Kush plant he found in a bag of "Supernaut" bought in South Florida and grown in Gainesville.1
  2. Beard Bros (2018): an accidental pollination of a lower nug on a Kush plant in the LA basement grow.3
  3. Leafly/Devine: Berger and Del Rosso crossed a Florida "Bubba" with OG Kush to make Pre-98 Bubba.2
  4. Kenji Fujishima, via B-Real (Leafly 2023): seeds from Josh D (via Mike Rowan), grown in B-Real's bathroom in mid/late 1996, yielded "Kush Bubba"; Leafly elsewhere says B-Real "accidentally created" Bubba Kush.45
  5. The "Putz" text (THCFarmer 2010): derives Bubba from an unrelated "West Coast Dog" line.6 High Times (2010) says Bubba "descended from the fabled Chem Dog line".7

2. Identity

  • Names/aliases: Bubba Kush, Bubba, Pre-98 Bubba Kush, Pre-'98 Bubba, "the 97" Bubba (Berger), Kush Bubba, Bubba OG (Dr Greenthumb = Pre-98 × Ghost OG); many derivatives (Purple Bubba, Bubba Diagonal, Ripped Bubba).1489
  • Type as reported: indica; short plants, average yields, "difficult to cultivate" (HT 2010).7
  • Era: 1996–1998 LA.
  • Originator/keeper: Matt "Bubba" Berger (namesake); the Josh D / B-Real circle.14
  • Propagation: clone-only original; seed versions are crosses, S1s or BX lines (HT 2010; Pre-98 Bubba BX2 advertised in 2012).710
  • Region: Florida genetics (per Berger) → Los Angeles.

3. Genetics & lineage claims

  • 3a. Northern Lights (NorCal seeds via Tulane) × Florida "Supernaut" Kush, ~1997 — verified as Berger's own statement; uncorroborated.1
  • 3b. Accidental pollination in the LA basement Kush grow — reported.3
  • 3c. Florida "Bubba" × OG Kush (Berger & Del Rosso) — reported.2
  • 3d. Seed from Josh D's Kush grown by B-Real (1996) — reported (B-Real/Kenji recollection).45
  • 3e. "West Coast Dog" line (Putz text) or "Chem Dog line" (HT 2010) — folklore / reported.67

4. Timeline

  • 1996 — OG Kush cut reaches LA; Josh D seeds go to B-Real's bathroom grow, yielding "Kush Bubba" (per Kenji).4
  • ~1997 — Berger's pollination event; "the 97".1
  • 1998 — Defines "Pre-98" (pre-dilution cut).1
  • 2008–2011 — Dr Greenthumb sells "Bubba Kush" feminised "from original cuttings/clones, not crosses" (ad copy). Green House Seeds lists itself as the official feminised seed maker of Bubba Kush.1112
  • 2010 — HT Medical Cup: Bubba Kush (Tehama Herbal Collective) 3rd Indica, 13.55% THC.13
  • 2011 — Denver Medical Cup: a "Pre-98 Bubba Kush" (The Clinic on Holly) wins the first HT CBD award with 12.7% CBD / 7.4% THC. That chemotype is unlike typical Bubba (see §6), so it is likely a mislabeled or different plant.14
  • 2011–2012 — Dr Greenthumb Bubba OG (Pre-98 × Ghost OG); Pre-98 Bubba BX2 seeds advertised.810
  • 2020 — Berger interview.1
  • 2023 — Leafly: "Bubba Kush turns 25", B-Real reminisces.4

5. Notable cuts / remakes

Pre-98 (the original); Purple Bubba OG ("clone-only", HT reader 2011); Bubba Diagonal (Archive auction cross); Ripped Bubba (TGA/Subcool); Katsu Bubba; Platinum Bubba; Bubba Fett.915

6. Cannabinoid & terpene profile

Caveat: strain names are not reliable chemotype identifiers.

DatasetNameTHC avgnTerpenes
Smith 202216Bubba Kush / Bubba / Pre-98 names16.4%328caryophyllene 0.33, limonene 0.27, myrcene 0.25 (n=86; total 1.55)
WA I-50217Bubba Kush + Pre-98 variantssee fragment976—
Current records18"Bubba Kush"17.9%375caryophyllene 0.34, myrcene 0.19, linalool 0.15 (n=61)
Berger's recollection1Bubba Kush"usually 17–20%" THC; CBD "always in the 3–4's"——
Cannigma aggregate1Bubba Kush18.6% (12.37–24.38)not statedcaryophyllene 0.29, humulene 0.27

Bubba Kush tests lower in THC than most OG-family names. Berger's claim of 3–4% CBD conflicts with all the datasets (average about 0.1%), and so does the 12.7% CBD "Pre-98" entry of 2011.

7. Community sentiment

  • Heavy, sedating indica; pain and insomnia relief — common, positive.7
  • Sweet skunk/hash/coffee flavour ("true Bubba identified by its sweet Skunk flavor", HT 2010) — common.7
  • Short, low-yield, hard to grow — occasional, negative.7
  • Authenticity hunt for "Pre-98" — common among collectors (Overgrow "Bubba Kush cuts" thread).19

Overall score: 78/100 (an estimate). Reddit not sampled.

8. Open questions

  • Which origin account is right; no genotype data relates Bubba to OG Kush or NL.
  • Berger's CBD claim vs the lab data.

9. Sources

Footnotes

  1. The Cannigma, Ben Hartman, "Bubba Kush" (Matt Berger interview), 2020-06-18. https://cannigma.com/?p=17383 — interview. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11

  2. Leafly, Jimi Devine, "An Epoch of OG", updated 2024-04-09. https://www.leafly.com/wp-home/?p=167330 — news (opened by the OG Kush agent). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. Beard Bros Pharms, "The Cannabis Trail Blazers Series: The Origins of OG Kush, Part I", 2018-10-29. https://beardbrospharms.com/2018-10-28-the-cannabis-trail-blazers-series-the-origins-of-og-kush-part-i/ — news (opened by the OG Kush agent). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  4. Leafly, Dan Wilson, "Bubba Kush turns 25 years-old: B-Real reminisces", updated 2023-08-04. https://www.leafly.com/wp-home/?p=252409 — interview (opened by the OG Kush agent). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  5. Leafly, Calvin Stovall, "OG Kush vs. Zaza", updated 2023-02-06. https://leafly.ca/wp-home/?p=227005 — news (opened by the OG Kush agent). ↩ ↩2

  6. THCFarmer, "OG Kush = Ocean Grown Kush", 2010-06-22. https://www.thcfarmer.com/threads/og-kush-ocean-grown-kush.21530/ — archive https://web.archive.org/web/2016/https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/og-kush-ocean-grown-kush.21530/ — forum_post (opened by the OG Kush agent). ↩ ↩2

  7. High Times #412, May 2010, Bubba Kush strain profile. Internet Archive OCR, item hightimes1974-2018 (Public Domain Mark). https://archive.org/details/hightimes1974-2018 — news. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  8. High Times #427, Aug 2011 and #433, Feb 2012, Dr Greenthumb ads ("Bubba OG (Pre-98 Bubba Kush × Ghost OG)"). archive.org hightimes1974-2018 — seed_catalog. ↩ ↩2

  9. High Times #423, Apr 2011, Pix of the Crop (Purple Bubba OG Kush). archive.org hightimes1974-2018 — news. ↩ ↩2

  10. High Times #441, Oct 2012, seed bank ad ("Pre-98 Bubba BX2 REG/FEM"). archive.org hightimes1974-2018 — seed_catalog. ↩ ↩2

  11. High Times #396, Jan 2009 (and subsequent issues), Dr Greenthumb ads. archive.org hightimes1974-2018 — seed_catalog. ↩

  12. High Times #406, Nov 2009, Green House Seeds profile. archive.org hightimes1974-2018 — news. ↩

  13. High Times #418, Nov 2010, Medical Cannabis Cup results (Bubba Kush 3rd Indica). archive.org hightimes1974-2018 — news. ↩

  14. High Times #427, Aug 2011, Denver Medical Cup results (CBD Cup 1st Pre-'98 Bubba Kush, 12.7% CBD). archive.org hightimes1974-2018 — news. ↩

  15. Breeder catalogs (research/dataset/catalogs: archive-seed-bank "Bubba Diagonal × Dosidos #18"; current lab names) — seed_catalog. ↩

  16. Smith et al. 2022 (src-chem-smith2022-data). ↩

  17. WA I-502 (src-chem-wa-i502-jikomes2018). ↩

  18. Cannlytics + CT DCP, _computed_current_lab_stats.json — lab_dataset. ↩

  19. Overgrow, "Bubba Kush cuts" #1366, 2024-10-23 (search blurb). https://overgrow.com/t/bubba-kush-cuts/122916/1366 — forum_post. ↩