Purple Kush Strain

Purple Kush (sometimes abbreviated to just “PK”) is a superstar. It’s a pure Indica that was one of the first strains bred for California medical marijuana patients, and its popularity and fame have lasted for decades.

Purple Kush is widely viewed as one of the world’s most powerful strains, due to its high THC content and Indica genetics. A Purple Kush high is blissful, euphoric, and deeply relaxing, the pain and anxiety relief is overwhelming, and the sedative effects are dramatic.

The gorgeous buds are highlighted by vibrant purples, pinks, and reds, the aroma is sweet and pungent, and the flavor is stunning; it’s no surprise that Purple Kush was a weed superstar long before it was named a top 10 Kush strain by High Times in the 2010s.

The Effects and Side Effects

Pure indicas are revered for their ability to provide powerful body relaxation, and Purple Kush is among the best at providing that effect. Physical stress seems to melt away rapidly, sometimes almost instantly. Many users experience severe couch lock, with sedative effects that can verge on the narcotic.

At the same time, happy and often euphoric brain bliss provides a similar effect on mental stress. It’s most often experienced as a sense of calm and contentment, but the high can take the added forms of pleasant happiness, a case of the giggles, and either a sense of clarity or pleasant psychedelic distortions of reality.

Don’t expect a creative or energetic head high when you’re using Purple Kush; it’s a nighttime strain that can remove you from the trials and tribulations of daily life. Just relax and enjoy the ride.

In the same way, the potent relaxation that this strain provides allows medical patients to leave their pain behind — and for them, the long-lasting high of Purple Kush is a welcome relief.

The strain is unlikely to carry any serious, unexpected side effects. Some report experiencing dizziness or hallucinations after overindulging in Purple Kush, but that’s not a common reaction.

And the anxiety and paranoia that some strains can trigger aren’t usually an issue with PK, except for those who are prone to the issues. A serious case of the munchies, dry mouth, and dry eyes are the “worst” most people can expect.

Positive Effects:

Energy: 1/5
Creative: 1/5
Pain: 5/5
Stress: 5/5
Sleep: 4/5
Mood: 5/5

Negative Effects:

Paranoid: 2/5
Dry Mouth: 4/5
Dry Eyes: 4/5
Lethargy: 5/5
Cough: 5/5

Bottom Line: Purple Kush is a killer strain for relaxation, both mind, and body. It delivers a happy and often blissful experience, with stress and pain likely to quickly melt away.

The Medical Conditions Benefits

Purple Kush seems tailor-made for those with chronic pain. Patients use the strain because of its full-body effects which may numb chronic muscle and joint pain that’s resistant to other types of medical marijuana. It’s also used by those dealing with the more serious chronic nerve and systemic pain of conditions and diseases like fibromyalgia, migraines, and even cancer.

The sedative effects of Purple Kush make it a go-to strain for many who deal with insomnia, its stress-relief properties make it ideal for anxiety and depression (although doses should be kept in check to avoid the possibility of making anxiety worse), and it’s a potent appetite enhancer as well.

Flavor and Aroma

It’s difficult to take a whiff of Purple Kush and not be intrigued. There’s a mix of fruity sweetness and more pungent, earthy scents, both typical of a high-quality Kush strain. The grape and sandalwood notes are easily distinguishable.

Grapes are even more noticeable in the flavor of Purple Kush smoke, with the added tang you might taste in a good glass of wine, and the sweetness lingers through the aftertaste. It’s mixed with an earthy hash-like taste and consistency, which makes the smoke thick and harsh.

Flavor and Aroma Ratings:

Earthy: 4/5
Citrus: 1/5
Fruity: 5/5
Spice: 2/5
Wood: 3/5

Cannabinoids and Terpenes

The strain’s pure Indica heritage is one key to its potency, but THC content that can average 20% and reach into the mid-20s is another reason that Purple Kush delivers such a powerful punch (which some might call a knockout punch). Other cannabinoid content in this strain is quite low, with CBD and CBG both coming in well under the 0.5% level.

The terpenes that contribute most to Purple Kush’s delicious aroma and flavor are humulene, pinene, linalool, and myrcene — but don’t forget about the flavonoid pigment anthocyanin, which gives the strain it’s distinctive purple coloring.

The Lineage

Breeders in the Oakland neighborhood of Oaksterdam (their names are lost to history) created Purple Kush in the 1990s by crossing two venerable Asian landrace indicas, Hindu Kush and Afghani Purple. They each contribute to the strain’s strong body-numbing and euphoric effects, and Afghani Purple genetics, of course, is responsible for the purple color.

Similar Strains

Not surprisingly, there are other purple strains that provide many of the same effects as Purple Kush, like Grape Ape and Granddaddy Purple — although a bud’s purple color is no guarantee. Purple Urkle, for example, is less likely to provide the happy euphoria that Purple Kush is known for.

Other strains that provide similar effects and benefits include pure Indica Northern Lights, as well as Platinum OG, Blue Mystic, and Pineapple Kush.

Purple Kush: FAQ

Q: Since Purple Kush is pure indica, does that make it more difficult to find at dispensaries around the country?
A: It’s not always as easy to find as some hybrids, that’s true. But the strain’s continued (and understandable) popularity means that growers go out of their way to produce it; it isn’t difficult for them to grow, it flowers quickly, and it provides them with big profits. So there’s a good supply of Purple Kush available at most larger retail outlets, and it shouldn’t be too difficult to get your hands on some.

Q: Is Purple Kush available in edibles for medical patients?
A: Yes, and those edibles are quite popular among those who aren’t particularly interested in smoking but want to enjoy the strain’s medicinal effects. You can also find it in concentrate and vapeable form.