Northern Lights
Indica
ClassicAward WinnerBeginner Friendly
Original breeder unknown (Seattle, WA); popularized and refined by Sensi Seeds (Netherlands)
Seattle, Washington, USA; refined in the Netherlands, 1980s
27 reviews
Northern Lights is one of the most iconic cannabis strains ever created. It originated from Afghani and Thai landrace genetics in Seattle, Washington in the early 1980s, later brought to the Netherlands where Sensi Seeds refined it into the legendary strain known worldwide today. Northern Lights dominated the Amsterdam coffee shop scene through the late 1980s and '90s and went on to win the High Times Cannabis Cup an unprecedented five times. Its influence on modern cannabis breeding is immeasurable — it's a parent or grandparent of countless legendary strains including Shiva Skunk, Super Silver Haze, and Jack Herer.
💊 Cannabinoids
THC18.5%
CBD0.1%
✨ Effect Profile
🌡️ Terpenes
👃 Aroma & Flavor
Aroma: Sweet and spicy pine forest aroma with earthy, musky undertones and a hint of floral sweetness
SweetEarthyPineHerbal
⚕️ Medical & Side Effects
May help with
Insomnia
Chronic pain
Stress
Muscle spasms
Depression
Anxiety
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Possible side effects
Dry mouth
Dry eyes
Dizziness
Couch-lock (high doses)
Grogginess
🧬 Genetics
BreederOriginal breeder unknown (Seattle, WA); popularized and refined by Sensi Seeds (Netherlands)
OriginSeattle, Washington, USA; refined in the Netherlands, 1980s
Parent strains
Afghani landrace
Thai landrace
💡 Fun Facts
- Northern Lights won the High Times Cannabis Cup five times — more than almost any other strain in history.
- It's one of the few strains where the original genetics have been preserved nearly unchanged for over 40 years by Sensi Seeds.
- The strain was named after the aurora borealis — the natural light display visible in the northern sky.
- NL is a parent of Super Silver Haze, which itself won the Cannabis Cup three consecutive years.
- Northern Lights is widely considered the benchmark 'pure indica' strain by which all other indicas are measured.
🏆 Awards
1989
High Times Cannabis Cup
Overall — 1st Place
1990
High Times Cannabis Cup
Overall — 1st Place
1992
High Times Cannabis Cup
Indica — 1st Place
1994
High Times Cannabis Cup
Indica — 1st Place
🔗 Similar Strains
Afghani
Indica
Afghani landrace
Pure indica sedation, earthy-hash aroma, parent genetics of Northern Lights.
Big Bud
Indica-dominant
Afghani x Skunk #1
Heavy body stone, similar relaxing indica effects, great yields.
Shiva Skunk
Indica-dominant Hybrid
Northern Lights #5 x Skunk #1
NL offspring — shares the relaxing indica foundation with added skunky spice.
🌱 Growing Info
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Flowering | 7-8 weeks (indoor) |
| Outdoor harvest | Early October |
| Indoor yield | 18 oz/m² (510 g/m²) |
| Outdoor yield | Up to 22 oz (624 g) per plant |
| Height | 2-4 ft (short, bushy indica structure) |
| Climate | Adaptable; performs well in cooler climates; ideal for indoor and greenhouse grows |
| Seed price | ±€12 / 5 seeds (€) |
| Price note | Budget classic indica |
Compact, dense and resinous indica buds, deep forest green with occasional purple hues in cooler temps, rich orange pistils, blanketed in milky-white trichomes
🛒 Buy Seeds
Royal Queen Seeds
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Seedsman
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★ 4.7