For many cannabis cultivars, Santa Marta Colombian Gold has been a proverbial genetic goldmine. It’s been used in many popular creations, including the Original Skunk and Love Potion strains. Unlike some of the newer strains out there without a lot of mileage yet, Santa Marta Colombian Gold is about as classic as cannabis gets, dating back to popular usage in the United States in the 1960s after being grown in Colombia (in the Santa Marta mountains that became its namesake). Keep reading to learn about how this strain can still bring it after six decades of highs.

Also called “Colombian Gold,” this strain is a genetic relative of Acapulco Gold, which is famous in its own right. Santa Marta is a Sativa-dominant strain (75/25) from the breeder known as Reeferman, bred from two Colombia cuts, one pure Sativa and one Sativa/Indica hybrid. Being adapted from landrace strains, Santa Marta Colombian Gold has the heartiness inherent to its natural evolution, growing in warm climates out in the barren mountains. It’s a slow grower, taking as long as 11 weeks to flower. However, its long lineage rewards patient growers with a clump of orange-green buds on a smallish plant (and the promise of an incredible evening). The plants grow with plentiful leaves that come in loosely arranged, farther apart from each other than you may be used to. The buds grow in long shapes around the pale green leaves with a lot of resiny white, almost yellow trichomes. Even in the ground, they give off the scent of earthy skunk, pine, and a hint of lime.

The strain can still be bought on the west coast of the United States, though it’s not nearly as popular as it used to be. Though the strain’s many popular children have occluded it, the original Santa Marta (some call it “Dahnva”) still has a lot to offer. With THC hovering in the upper teens, up to 20%, and a happy high, it’s easy to see how this went from landrace to universal cultivar in the early days of the cannabis craze in the U.S. Its effects center on long-lasting cerebral energy that makes you feel calm and peaceful, yet focused. The strain can give your brain an escape hatch out of anxiety, depression, and stress with a dose of energizing euphoria, an increase in hunger, and a settled, more manageable mood.

We recommend Santa Marta Colombian Gold for long days spent doing stuff, especially when a little focused calm and motivated energy will go a long way. This strain may not be the heavy hitter it once was, but it wouldn’t have been used so universally if it didn’t pack a punch! Even today, Santa Marta earns its name.