Girl Scout Cookies Strain and Grow Guide

Girl Scout Cookies, also known as GSC, is a hybrid strain known for its attractive light green and purple buds, as well as its potent high. The high from GSC delivers deep physical and mental relaxation, along with pain relieving and appetite stimulating properties. 

First publicly released in 2010 by Cookie Fam, Girl Scout Cookies quickly racked up many awards, including a second place title in the 2013 High Times Cannabis Cup. Although it is more difficult than some other strains to grow, many growers find its small size and potent, beautiful buds to be worth the extra effort.

Where Does Girl Scout Cookies Come From?

Girl Scout Cookies, or GSC, is an indica dominant hybrid first developed in San Francisco by the cannabis growing collective Cookie Fam. Although the exact nature of its creation remains a secret, the strain is believed to have been bred by rapper and Cookie Fam member Berner, and its heritage likely includes some combination of OG Kush and Durban Poison. 

In the years since GSC rose to prominence, Cookie Fam has refined several variations of the strain, including Thin Mints and Platinum cookies.

When Did Girl Scout Cookies Come Out?

The Girl Scout Cookies strain was first publicly released in 2010 in California, where it was marketed heavily by Berner. The strain has since won numerous awards, including 2nd place in the 2013 High Times Cannabis Cup hybrid category. Its distinct terpene profile in particular has made the strain’s genetics sought after, and many hybrids have been created in the past decade using GSC as a main genetic contributor. These include Animal Cookies, 

What Does Girl Scout Cookies Look Like?

The buds of girl scout cookies are light green with bright orange hairs and a heavy coating of trichomes. High quality Girl Scout Cookies are known for the streaks of dark purple that can be seen on their otherwise green buds. 

What Does Girl Scout Cookies Taste Like?

This strain is famous for its fresh, earthy flavor that reminds many smokers of the taste of thin mint cookies. It contains relatively high levels of the terpene caryophyllene, which can add a spicy, herbal flavor. It also contains the terpenes limonene, pinene, and myrcine in significant concentrations.

What Does Girl Scout Cookies Smell Like?

GSC has a skunky, lightly sweet smell with hints of lemon and mint. This strain has a strong scent which can fill a room with its aroma, especially after grinding. 

Is Girl Scout Cookies an Indica or Sativa?

Girl scout cookies is an indica dominant hybrid and is considered to be approximately 60% indica and 40% sativa. Because the process used to breed Girl Scout Cookies has not been made public, the exact ratios of parent genetics cannot be determined. However, its lineage likely includes some percentage of both OG Kush, a hybrid strain, and Durban Poison, a pure sativa.

What are the Different Variations of Girl Scout Cookies?

The Girl Scout Cookies strain has two other main phenotypes, Thin Mints and Platinum Cookies. Thin mints are known for having a more intense mint like flavor with hints of chocolate. Platinum cookies have a heavy dusting of pale trichomes and a spicy, fruity taste.

Besides these phenotypes, GSC is an important contributor to many hybrid strains, including Animal Cookies, Sunset Sherbert, Gelato, and more.

Animal Cookies is a hybrid of Girl Scout Cookies and Fire OG, with small, brightly colored nuggs and a skunky, tangy flavor.

Sunset Sherbert is a hybrid strain bred by cookie fam, and is a cross between GSC and pink panties. Although this strain is a little less potent than the original GSC, it makes up for it with its signature sweet, fruity flavor.

Gelato is a potent cross between GSC and Sunset Sherbert, which blends the high potency and gassy taste of Girl Scout Cookies with the sweet, fruity flavor of Sunset Sherbert.

Girl Scout Cookies Variation is the Strongest?

All three “cookie” phenotypes have approximately similar THC levels, typically in the mid to upper twenties. Of the three hybrid strains mentioned, Gelato has the highest THC levels, with percentages typically in the upper 20s.  

How Much THC in Girl Scout Cookies?

Girl scout cookies is considered to be a potent strain, with THC values between 19% on the low end and 27% on the high end, with average values around 24%. Hybrids and variants of GSC typically also have THC percentages in the mid to upper 20s.

How Much CBD in Girl Scout Cookies?

Girl Scout Cookies is low in CBD, with typical CBD levels between 0.09% on the low end and 1% on the high end. The Platinum Cookies and Thin Mints phenotypes also have low CBD levels of 1% or less.

What Effects Does Girl Scout Cookies Have?

Many users consider the high from Girl Scout Cookies to have an ideal blend of sativa and indica characteristics. GSC is known to produce an uplifting, mood boosting high coupled with full body relaxation. 

Many users also report getting the munchies or wanting to stay on the couch after smoking girl scout cookies, so make sure to have your snacks and entertainment ready beforehand. However, in smaller quantities GSC can also be an excellent daytime strain for socializing or general pain relief.

What Conditions is Girl Scout Cookies Good For?

Girl Scout Cookies is considered a good strain for relief of both mental and physical symptoms including general or social anxiety, headaches, or other chronic pain. In addition, the strain’s appetite boosting properties make it ideal for those struggling with nausea, loss of appetite, or stomach aches.

What is the Girl Scout Cookies Veg Time?

Girl Scout Cookies can be expected to begin flowering after about 8 to 10 weeks when grown indoors. This strain is known to be particular about its growing conditions, and requires a consistent warm temperature and good lighting to flower. Many growers find they have better luck growing GSC in a hydroponics medium than in soil.

What is the Girl Scout Cookies Flowering Time?

Perhaps due to its sativa genetics, GSC tend to have a relatively long flowering period. Once flowers appear, the buds can take anywhere from 8-14 additional weeks to be ready for harvest. Since time from flowering to harvest can be so variable, inspecting your plant’s trichomes to determine if it is ready to harvest is far more reliable than waiting a specific number of days or weeks.

How Tall Does Girl Scout Cookies Grow?

GSC is a relatively short plant, typically growing to less than one meter tall, with an average of 70-80 centimeters tall for an adult plant. Because of this, GSC is a space efficient plant to grow indoors, and can comfortably fit in as little as 2-3 square feet per plant.

When to Harvest Girl Scout Cookies?

The best way to tell if your Girl Scout Cookies’ buds are ready for harvest is by inspecting its trichomes under a microscope or magnifying glass. While under ripe trichomes will be clear and relatively dry, ripe trichomes will be milky white and sticky, eventually maturing to an amber color. The best time to harvest is when the bud has a roughly 50-50 mixture of milky white and amber trichomes. 

Plants which are harvested early tend to have a more light, euphoric high, while plants harvested a bit later generally have more of a relaxing body high.

How Much Does Girl Scout Cookies Yield?

Girl Scouts cookies have a low to moderate yield, varying from 5 to 10 ounces of dried flower per plant. However, because each plant is relatively small, a larger number of GSC plants may fit into your grow space compared to larger, bushier strains. 

GSC is known to be a moderate difficulty cannabis plant to grow, and the quality and size of your harvest will depend on the conditions that the plant was grown in. This strain is susceptible to having leafy, lower potency buds if it is not exposed to sufficient light, especially on its lower branches.

Summary

First released in 2010 by San Francisco based growing collective Cookie Fam, Girl Scout Cookies is a potent hybrid strain containing genetics from OG Kush and Durban Poison. The strain is known for its distinctive lime green and dark purple buds, with heavy trichome dusting and bright orange hairs. The buds have an earthy and lightly sweet smell with hints of mint, lemon, and fruit.

Girl Scout Cookies is a high potency strain, with average THC levels between 19% and 27% depending on batch. Its high is uplifting and deeply relaxing, combining the best of sativa and indica effects. Medical users prefer Girl Scout Cookies for relief from anxiety, chronic pain, lack of appetite, nausea, and more.

The GSC plant is small, typically not reaching more than one meter in height. This plant can be picky about its growing conditions, and many growers find that it does best in a hydroponic growing medium. The Girl Scout Cookies plant can be expected to flower within 8-10 weeks, and be ready for harvest another 8-12 weeks after buds first appear. Although growing Girl Scout Cookies can be demanding, these colorful and delicious buds will prove more than worth the wait.