Cannabis breeders debut a more perfect pot plant at Clonetopia powered by CANNA Sept. 19-20
A Clonetopia preview news article
A more perfect pot plant comes to Richmond, California, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19 and 20 at the Clonetopia clone release festival powered by CANNA nutrients. More than 16 hot strains like Toad Venom, Cheri Maraschino, and OG Zeebrah help commercial and home growers level up their fall and winter indoor runs.
Breeders are perfecting weed that “checks all the boxes”: size, color, bling, layers of flavor, and, of course, skull-crushing highs. Connoisseur weed in 2026 is about palate-staining, layered flavor, smooth smokability, “dual-use” hash-making potential and a paralytic stone.
Toad Venom’s Bay Area debut
Breeder Ronin Seeds and Highline Nursery lead a Bay Area debut for 2026’s “it” strain: Toad Venom. The cross of ((Sin Mint Cookies x Z) x Animal Face) has a skunky, lime, gassy smell and taste that’s starting to rack up awards. Every country with some form of legalization is calling, said Ronin Seeds’ Jake.
“I’ve talked to people in 40 countries in the last month,” Jake said. “It is just the greatest blessing that people love something that we’ve created.”
The highly coveted, controversial cut goes home with any adult age 21 and up with a valid ID that can walk up to 7 Stars Sept. 19, and plunk down $500. The verified Toad Venom cutting—or “clone”—comes from Highline Nursery’s Humboldt, California facility. Highline will be on-hand to talk about care and feeding of the Toad.
For example, Jake said Toad Venom prefers less intense lighting, and she becomes an eater in flower, gobbling up extra nutrients.
Toad Venom delivers a crushing indica-dominant high that’s stronger than a lot of novice smokers have experienced, Jake said. “If you smoke Toad, don’t drive.”
Breeding new hits with classic hooks
Many weed tastemakers bemoan the commercial dominance of ‘purple candy-gas’ weed, characterized by Runtz and Lemon Cherry Gelato. Clonetopia promises fresh strains that push terps forward.
Highline’s Josh Monschke supplies mainly commercial, large-scale outdoor growers guaranteed hits. He likes that Toad tastes and hits different from, say, Lemon Cherry Gelato.
“It’s almost nostalgic to in how strong it is and how super-pungent it is—it reminds me of my brother’s pot in Eugene, Oregon in the ’90s.”
Sacramento-based nursery The Library launches their elite OG Zeebrah for $300 per clone. It crosses OGZ x Rainbow Belts 3.0 to something called Zeebrah—a Z x Coolada. Coolada is Biscotti x Sundae Sherbert. It’s got notes of Grape Zkittlez, lemon, chocolate, and bubblegum.
The Library’s co-creator Kristian Andreassen makes an analogy to sampling in hip-hop.
“We’re bringing the old world into the new a little bit,” he said. “I need that variety, it’s where my creativity flourishes,” he said.
The Library’s Carlos Nieto said, “People are definitely looking for something other than just candy. It’s gotta be funky and maybe have some candy notes, but definitely some some gas notes, and it’s gotta be different.”
Adding diversity back into legal tree
The breeders and nurseries at Clonetopia share a passion for expanding diversity in the legal weed era.
Oakland’s Purple City Genetics debuts a Cheri Maraschino that approaches Lemon Cherry Gelato from a different vector. It’s the Oakland nursery’s personal favorite “cherry” weed, and a cross of Cheri x Kimchi. Five years in development, Cheri Maraschino unpacks to ((Cherry Pie x Forbidden Fruit) x Zkittlez)) x (Chimera Junky x Akira). Chimera Junky is Chimera x Cap Junky. Akira is Almond Mochi x Biscotti Dough. That’s a load of work.
Purple City Genetics’ Auryn McCafferty said they felt “overloaded” by the L.C.G./Runtz crosses that swept through weed. They wanted a different cherry to add to the conversation. It’s the first of several PCG responses to the cherry wave.
“We really like to explore all of the outer limits and peripheries what that flavor is,” he said. “It took me a while to say, ‘This is different enough. I like this.’”
Similarly, PCG’s new hash-dumping strain Melogold adds layers to grapefruit weed with the cross of Toronja and Chimera Junky. Toronja is (Grapefruit Chem x THC Bomb) x GovernMint Oasis. It’s got grapefruit notes but also butterscotch and even funky durian terps.
Over at The Library, Andreassen said his strain K’s Inferno (Biscotti x Triangle Kush OG) may not be candy, but it’s got vintage power that new heads have never seen. It has laid out smokers in their 20s who think only dabs can pack a punch.
“There’s a lot of new smokers that haven’t experienced what we experienced—the giggliness,” he said. “There’s some of those moments the newer weed culture has missed.”
Pursuing pot perfection
Most breeders and nurseries are chasing cannabis perfection, versus maintaining the status quo.
Classics like AK-47 or SFV OG often lack the features and performance of strains that have been worked on over the last 30 years, said Monschke. “I believe it’s just getting better.”
Purple City Genetics’ Indigo ($32) is a rare, dark purple strain with lemon terps that finishes in just 45 days. McCafferty hopes Indigo’s speed can offset the time it takes to grow longer, rarer sativa strains.
Speaking of sativas, PCG’s Bolinas (Orange 76 x Chimera Junky; $35) gives growers a modern sativa that is pretty and potent, with new jasmine-orange-incense terps. The young guys on the PCG crew think Gelato counts as a classic and have never experienced sativas.
“They say, ‘I cleaned my whole room. I cleaned my apartment. I took my dog for a walk, didn’t even look at my phone, and had an amazing afternoon. That shit is amazing,’” he said. “They think it’s only Jack Herer, and there’s such a wide variety of effects out there in cannabis.”
The Library’s Black Maple Zuava combines Bloom Seed Co’s Black Maple (Dulce De Uva x Sherbanger) with Terphogz+Kounter Kulture’s Zuava (Z x Guava). The strain works for either flower or hash production. It yields big flowers, washes to 4% hash, and can be grown “stacked” one on top of another on tall shelves under LED lights.
Cheri Maraschino is not only PCG’s cherriest cherry, but it’s also dual-use, incredibly pretty, very easy to trim and super-easy to grow.
There’s a lot more on tap this month in Richmond.
The Clonetopia clone release festival is open to all adults 21 and up, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19 and 20, from 12 to 5 p.m. at 7 Stars dispensary in Richmond, 3219 Pierce St.
Meet the nurseries in a festival reception next door in the Exit Now gallery with music, food, art, merch and programming. Guests can RSVP for free for the latest info, purchase limited tickets that come with merch, as well as pre-order their strains for payment at pickup.
Organized by High Times flower columnist and former Leafly senior editor, David Downs, it’s the second Clonetopia following its hit debut in May. Downs compared the lineup to when old heads don’t recognize new bands at a festival.
“Music and weed keep evolving. You gotta dig in, make a new playlist and try new things. It keeps you young,” he said.