The Afghani cannabis strain is one of the most sought-after landrace strains on the market. It is originally from Afghanistan and is said to be one of the oldest strains in the world!
Popular in both the recreational and medical cannabis communities, Afghani is a powerful and potent 100% Indica (Afghanica) strain that typically calms the mind with its sedative euphoria. Afghani has high levels of THC and is popular for helping to treat chronic pain, insomnia, PTSD, anxiety, nausea, lack of appetite and chronic stress.
Afghani is famous for its heavy resin production and has been used to create some of today’s most popular strains like Blueberry and Northern Lights.
Afghani is considered one of the oldest landrace strains on the planet, with some cannabis enthusiasts even referring to it as an “Ancient” strain.
It is believed that Afghani was one of the early landrace strains from Afghanistan and was used initially for food and for industrial purposes.
For more information on the history of cannabis, please read our article, “The Ancient History of Cannabis.”
Fast forward thousands of years to today and we have mostly forgotten the importance of the Afghani (Afghanica) genetics and its ancient history.
Many cannabis experts believe that Afghani and its relatives are their own sub-species of cannabis and that they should be classified as Afghanicas instead of Indicas. Misinformation has caused the modern cannabis industry to group Afghani and its genetic relatives into the Indica subspecies of cannabis.
For more information on how cannabis is classified, please read our article, “What Is Cannabis?”
Afghani also has an interesting modern history. It is thought to have been brought from Afghanistan to the United States just before the cannabis prohibition laws of the 1970s were being put in place. Thanks to its unique characteristics, many cultivators knew Afghani had valuable genetics and continued to breed this strain “underground” so that its genetics would not be lost!
Thanks to preservation efforts which began in the 1970s and are still taking place, the Afghani strain is highly sought after both on its own and as one of the key strains responsible for creating many popular hybrids like Blueberry, Northern Lights, LA Confidential, Amnesia Haze and hundreds of others.
Due to high demand, it can often be very difficult to find pure Afghani but its “children” can be much easier to locate and they possess many of the same characteristics. Also, many of the strains bred from Afghani are more beginner friendly than Afghani itself.
Afghani has a high concentration of THC, with the average sample showing 17%. It has a low concentration of CBD, with most samples average around 0.6%.
It is important to not confuse Afghani with the modern and popular high CBD strain, Afghani CBD, as uses for the two distinct strains are very different and have completely different types of effects associated with them.
The Afghani strain is a very powerful Indica (Afghanica) landrace cannabis strain that is ideal for managing pain and promoting focused relaxation during evening hours.
Many people report that Afghani is a great strain that can help eliminate the symptoms of insomnia, anxiety, nausea, lack of appetite and chronic stress.
Thanks to its powerful overall body high, consumers have also noted that this strain is perfect for some of the symptoms of PTSD, chronic stress and depression.
The Afghani strain is known for producing a very powerful body high that will most likely leave you with strong feelings of couch lock. Afghani can cause very intense psychoactive effects that are often described as being psychedelic.
The consumption of Afghani is not recommended by beginners to medical cannabis.
Aside from its powerful sedative and psychoactive effects, many people have also said that the high produced by Afghani is incredible for mental clarity and focus.
When consuming Afghani, it is very important that you plan ahead. Make certain that you have everything you want for a calm and relaxing evening within reach prior to consumption as you will most likely be couch locked after consumption.
If you are considering trying Afghani, it is important to consider the negative effects often associated with the strain. Afghani has a very strong appetite enhancing effect that will often leave you with a severe case of “the munchies” and feelings of dry mouth. Make certain that you are well hydrated before consuming Afghani to avoid next day grogginess and feelings of dehydration.
People have also said that the overconsumption of Afghani can leave you feeling lethargic, with a nasty headache and/or dizziness. Paranoia is also reported and is typically due to overconsumption.
Make sure to dose low and slow with Afghani due to its potent effects.
Afghani’s aroma profile is quite skunky in nature and smells like a handful of rich, moist earth infused with notes of fresh cut flowers.
Afghani has a unique flavour profile that tastes herbal when you smoke or vaporize it, leaving a sweet and spicy aftertaste on your tongue. The presence of pine is constant throughout the experience.
Afghani is considered to be an ideal strain for indoor cultivation due to its short stature.
Typically, mature Afghani plants will be less than 2 feet tall and bushy in nature. This makes the plants easy to grow in small spaces, however the smell produced by Afghani during its flowering stage is very strong due to it being a highly resinous strain.
When grown outdoors, it is important that you provide Afghani with ample sunlight. While it prefers a warm environment, Afghani has a high tolerance to cold and frost unlike many other strains. This makes Afghani a great option for cooler climates.
When grown indoors, you can expect average yields of 16oz/m² and when grown outdoors you can expect an average harvest of 21 oz/plant in late September or early October.
Afghani has a typical flowering time of 7-8 weeks.
Afghani is a “fundamental breeding” strain and if you want to try cross-breeding it is considered to be an amazing strain for novice and beginner cultivators to start with.
Have you had the opportunity to try Afghani? Please let us know your experience with Afghani by commenting below and be sure to join our community to discover some other great strains that the community is finding success with.
Learn. Share. Connect.