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Top 5 Popular Cannabis Strains in the Netherlands
Why would anyone in the Netherlands want to grow weed when they have access to all of those coffeeshop buds? Well, doing so enables them to select strains that meet their preferences perfectly. Out of the thousands of varieties available, growers in the Netherlands hold these five in high regard for their flavours, effects, and yields.
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Cannabis and the Netherlands go together like Poffertjes and melted butter—kind of. Despite the coffeeshops of Amsterdam and beyond helping to fuel a stream of 20 million tourists to the country each year, the herb is still technically illegal. Despite this, citizens can get away with growing five or fewer plants[1] without prosecution; the police deem this a suitable amount to pass for personal use.
This legal situation gives Dutch growers somewhat of an advantage over many of their European peers. But how do they harness this opportunity? What kind of weed do Dutch growers like the most? And furthermore, what kind of weed grows best in a Dutch climate? The following five strains represent some of the top choices among growers in the Netherlands.
1. Northern Light Automatic
Dutch citizens can easily enter any coffeeshop and find themselves some Northern Light. However, they can now grow their own at home in record time. While Northern Light Automatic doesn’t offer the same quantity of THC as the original, a content of 13%, alongside some stoning terpenes, makes for a relaxing and clear-headed effect. This more subtle effect makes the strain ideal for any time of day, whether alongside your coffee in the morning or to unwind after work.
With a short growing season and frequent rain, many Dutch growers select speedy varieties that can dodge the last and first frosts of the season. Here, Northern Light Auto fits the bill perfectly. This autoflower completes her entire life cycle in as little as 10 weeks. Outdoors, plants can reach up to 160cm and produce a rewarding yield of up to 220g/plant. Grown indoors, she’ll settle at a height of 80–120cm and produce 170–220g/m².
Northern Light Automatic
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Northern Light x Ruderalis |
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500 - 550 gr/m2 |
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80 - 120 cm |
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6 - 8 weeks |
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THC: 14% |
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Sativa 0% Indica 80% Ruderalis 20% |
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170 - 220 gr/plant |
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130 - 160 cm |
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10 - 12 weeks after sprouting |
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Clear, Uplifting |
2. Shining Silver Haze
Many Dutch cannabis users have built up their tolerance to high-THC strains from coffeeshops. For this reason, they need something powerful to light up their CB1 receptors and get them elevated. Hence, many of them opt to grow Shining Silver Haze. This vastly sativa-dominant polyhybrid stems from Haze, Skunk, and Northern Light, and capitalises on a THC content of 21% to exert an energising and motivating high perfect for daytime use. You’ll experience notes of citrus, earth, fruit, and pine just before she revs up your central nervous system.
Being sativa dominant, this variety needs a fairly long growing season to reach maturity. Because of this, Dutch breeders often opt to grow her in the confines of greenhouses or polytunnels when cultivating “outside”. By the time late October swings around, her canopy will weigh heavy with up to 650g/plant. Indoors, growers can keep her at a manageable height of 80cm while still harvesting up to 650g/m².
Shining Silver Haze
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Haze x (Skunk x Northern Light) |
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600 - 650 gr/m2 |
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80 - 120 cm |
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9 - 11 weeks |
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THC: 21% |
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Sativa 75% Indica 25% |
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600 - 650 gr/plant |
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180 - 220 cm |
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Late October |
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Heavy |
3. Fat Banana Automatic
Dutch growers aren’t all about high levels of THC and efficiency—they also shop for taste! Fat Banana Automatic has gained real traction in the country thanks to its tantalising terpene content. Born out of a cross between Fat Banana and Cookies Auto, this polyhybrid produces flavours and aromas of earth, fruit, and, of course, tropical banana! Use these buds to create tropical rosin or hash to really take your endeavours to the next level.
Fat Banana Auto offers all of these impressive traits in a small and easy-to-grow package. Indoor plants won’t exceed 100cm in height and produce 375–450g/m² after a rapid growing cycle of 9–10 weeks. If you prefer growing outdoors, this strain gets on well with the short Dutch growing season and will happily produce up to 175g/plant.
Fat Banana Automatic
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Fat Banana x Cookies Auto |
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375 - 450 gr/m2 |
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70 - 100 cm |
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7 - 8 weeks |
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THC: 22% |
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Sativa 20% Indica 70% Ruderalis 10% |
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90 - 175 gr/plant |
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80 - 120 cm |
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9 - 10 weeks after sprouting |
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Calming, Clear |
4. White Widow
You’ll have a hard time finding a cannabis lover that doesn’t know about White Widow. Growers and smokers from all over the world have a soft spot for this cultivar—but none quite like the Dutch. This population has fallen for her high THC levels, big yields, peppery and piney terpenes, and frosty buds. Hit a bowl of White Widow, and you can expect your muscles to relax and your mind to go into overdrive for hours.
Because White Widow also demands a long growing season, outdoor growers need to raise her undercover to protect against potential frosts and frequent rain near harvest time. Under these conditions, she’ll produce up to 600g/plant during early October. Dutch growers are much better off growing White Widow indoors. Here, she’ll grow to 100cm and produce up to 500g/m².
White Widow
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White Widow S1 |
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450 - 500 gr/m2 |
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60 - 100 cm |
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8 - 10 weeks |
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THC: 19% |
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Sativa 50% Indica 50% |
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550 - 600 gr/plant |
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150 - 190 cm |
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Early October |
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Powerful , Stoned |
5. Royal Gorilla Automatic
Royal Gorilla Automatic concludes this lineup of superstar strains. By crossing Gorilla, Cookies, and a Cannabis ruderalis specimen, skilled breeders at RQS managed to create a variety that possesses the speed of an auto and the potency of a photoperiod variety. Royal Gorilla Auto charges through the growing cycle, but she also manufactures a THC content of 20%—enough to generate a hard-hitting high that lingers for hours. Adding to her attractive effects, she carries an array of fruity and piney terps.
This sounds all well and good, but how does Royal Gorilla Auto perform in the grow room or garden? Indoors, she’ll produce up to 400g/m² only 10–12 weeks after sprouting. Considering the potency of her buds, you can build up quite the stash in very little time! Outdoors, she’ll top out at a height of 140cm and provide growers with 120–170g/plant.
Royal Gorilla Automatic
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Gorilla x Cookies x Ruderalis |
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325 - 400 gr/m2 |
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70 - 100 cm |
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6 - 8 weeks |
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THC: 20% |
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Sativa 30% Indica 50% Ruderalis 20% |
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120 - 170 gr/plant |
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80 - 140 cm |
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10 - 12 weeks after sprouting |
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Heavy, Physically Relaxing, Stoned |
Beyond Coffeeshops: The Dutch Have Glowing Green Fingers
We all know about the coffeeshops that make the Netherlands famous. However, the country also has a thriving cannabis cultivation culture. As growers in the country have such a wide selection available to them behind a counter, their standards are high when it comes to selecting strains to grow at home. Out of the thousands available, they often choose varieties that are productive, potent, and fast! Still, they have a soft spot for longer-flowering Hazes and White Widow, as these have long been popular among Dutch smokers and growers.
