Sour Diesel

Strain Type: Sativa (90% Sativa, 10% Indica)

Dominant Terpenes: Caryophyllene, Myrcene, Limonene

Cannabinoid Content: THC: 19 – 26% | CBD: 0 – 2%

Popular for Treating: Stress, Depression, Anxiety, Fatigue, Headaches

Positive Effects: Energetic, Talkative, Creative

Negative Effects: Dry Mouth, Dry Eyes, Paranoia

Overall 5/5: Sour Diesel is a classic daytime strain beloved for its energizing, cerebral effects and ability to leave consumers feeling motivated, creative, and uplifted.

Sour Diesel is a classic, energizing sativa strain known to deliver a one-of-a-kind cerebral high that will leave patients feeling creative, elated, and motivated. This strain has been one of the most popular on the market for decades, and its uplifting effects make it a classic for daytime use, if not for all purposes: patients report feeling motivated, sociable, meditative, happy, and giggly under the influence of this strain.

These properties make Sour Diesel excellent not only for recreational use, but also for medical use and symptom management, and the strain has gained widespread popularity for patients treating depression, stress, anxiety, fatigue, and other physical and mental health conditions.

Below, we discuss the full range of effects and benefits associated with Sour Diesel, providing everything you need to know about this sativa strain. In collecting this information, we’ve combined hundreds of reviews from real consumers, with scientific studies on its dominant terpenes, to help patients decide whether Sour Diesel is right for them.

By synthesizing the scientifically-backed benefits of this strain’s compounds with feedback from real consumers, we aim to offer a more holistic, informative strain review than others available online.

Strain Characteristics & Cannabinoid Content

Sour Diesel is sativa dominant (90% sativa, 10% indica) with THC levels ranging from 19-26%, and CBD content ranging from 0-2%. Because this strain is so popular and its genetics have been harnessed by various breeders, the exact CBD and THC content of Sour Diesel will vary depending on its source.

Sour Diesel Genetics

Sour Diesel is the offspring of Chemdawg–a classic, sativa-dominant hybrid–and Super Skunk, an indica known for remarkable medical benefits.

Chemdawg is a relatively balanced hybrid that combines the best of both worlds: this strain delivers a euphoric, uplifting, and creative head high, while relieving pain, managing stress, and reducing anxiety. Chemdawg is a parent to several classic strains, and like Sour Diesel, it’s known for its sharp, gaslike, and pungent aroma. This potent strain combines intense cerebral effects with a strong body buzz that strikes the perfect balance between relaxation and invigoration.

Super Skunk is an indica strain that has become a staple for medical patients looking for full-body relaxation and relief from pain, stress, and insomnia. Super Skunk delivers all of the classic effects that indica-lovers seek for recreational and medical purposes alike.

Smell, Taste, and Appearance

As its name suggests, Sour Diesel has a pungent, gas-like aroma that consumers describe as sharp and citrusy. Its flowers are dense and light green in hue, marked by orange hairs or pistils throughout under a thick trichome coating that speaks to its legendary potency. Consumers report that the strain delivers a great-tasting, smooth smoke with piney, sweet undertones.

Terpene Profile

Sour Diesel’s effects are consistent with the benefits of its dominant terpenes: humulene, caryophyllene, limonene, and myrcene. Terpenes are naturally-occurring compounds that give cannabis strains and other plants their distinctive aromas, while offering therapeutic benefits often harnessed in essential oils.

Why Terpenes Matter

Alongside cannabinoids, terpenes are key contributors to the distinctive characteristics of each strain. Different cannabis strains have different terpene profiles, which is why the high you experience from marijuana may differ from one strain to the next. The terpenes in Sour Diesel are predominantly relaxing, pain-relieving, and stress reducing, which is why this strain is popular for winding down and relieving discomfort.

When selecting the right strain for you, it’s important to pay attention to terpene content. Most cannabis terpenes have been widely studied for their unique effects and benefits, and are linked to various therapeutic properties. By keeping track of the terpenes in your favorite strains, you can make an educated guess on which options will deliver both the recreational effects, and medicinal benefits, that are best-suited to your unique needs and desires.

Limonene

Limonene is a citrus terpene found in lemons, known for its uplifting, mood-boosting effects. This terpene certainly plays a key role in Sour Diesel’s legendary ability to increase energy and boost mood. And with many studied mental health benefits, limonene’s presence in Sour Diesel may explain why so many consumers love this strain for fighting depression and anxiety. Limonene acts as an antidepressant and antianxiety agent by regulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and GABA. Researchers have found that this terpene elevates mood while enhancing cognition, and could even boost alertness and focus. Limonene is an antioxidant with neuroprotective benefits that is thought to be especially helpful in managing GI disorders, while managing overall pain and inflammation.

Caryophyllene

Sour Diesel is also abundant in caryophyllene, another terpene with well-researched mental health benefits. Caryophyllene has been shown to reduce depression and anxiety by managing the brain’s emotional responses to stress. It also reduces pain and inflammation, including difficult-to-manage forms of pain such as neuropathy. Caryophyllene is an antioxidant with neuroprotective benefits, and some studies suggest that it may exhibit anticancer activity.

Myrcene

Myrcene is the predominant terpene in all cannabis strains–including Sour Diesel. However, myrcene levels are more concentrated in indicas that produce sedating effects. But in sativa strains such as Sour Diesel, lower concentrations of myrcene allow consumers to bypass sedation while still reaping its therapeutic benefits–which are highly significant, and not to be ignored when assessing the full medicinal potential of this strain.

Myrcene facilitates a pleasant body high by acting as a muscle relaxant, while providing relief from pain–possibly by acting upon opiate receptors--and easing inflammation and arthritis. Like this strain’s other terpenes, myrcene is also an antioxidant that may exhibit antitumor and anticancer effects. In Sour Diesel, myrcene complements the energizing, uplifting effects of the aforementioned terpenes by inducing a subtle note of relaxation that underrides this euphoric, invigorating high–allowing for calm focus and bodily comfort.

What Consumers are Saying:

The Positives

A strain’s terpenes and their associated effects are always a good way to get a sense of the experience it may deliver. But what do consumers say about Sour Diesel? Here at Nationwide Dispensaries, we’ve gathered hundreds of reviews from real consumers who have tried this strain, and below, we’ve included some of the most frequently reported benefits and effects that patients have reported firsthand.

Euphoric and Uplifting. Consumers love Sour Diesel’s cerebral effects, and report feeling euphoric, uplifted, and invigorated after indulging in this strain, making it the perfect strain for daytime use.

Great for Anxiety, Depression, and Mental Health. Sour Diesel contains terpenes such as limonene and caryophyllene known to benefit mental health, which is why this strain is so popular among patients managing anxiety, depression, stress, and other issues.

Creative, Motivating, and Focused. In addition to feeling energized, consumers of Sour Diesel also report that the strain leaves them feeling motivated and focused, while also facilitating creative thinking. Despite its potency, consumers report that though Sour Diesel definitely delivers a pronounced high, they still feel relatively “in control” compared to other, high potency strains.

Extremely Cerebral. Consumers can’t seem to overemphasize the cerebral intensity of the high that Sour Diesel delivers, reporting a head high that is meditative, introspective, and thoughtful. In fact, some consumers describe the Sour Diesel experience as almost exclusively cerebral, while noting that it delivers a potent high with none of the couchlock associated with other potent strains.

Physically Relaxing, But Not Sedating. Though consumers emphasize that there is virtually no couchlock associated with this strain, they also point out that it delivers a highly subtle yet comfortable body high by relaxing the muscles and easing physical tension.

Giggly, Talkative, and Sociable. Because of its energizing and cerebral effects, consumers love using Sour Diesel to socialize, and report feeling engaged, giggly, and talkative when consuming the strain in the company of others.

Great Stress Reliever. Sour Diesel invigorates the mind while melting away stress, making its cerebral effects perfect for unwinding from a long day, or for going into one without letting stress get in the way of you and your daily activities–or your mental wellbeing.

Great Anti-Inflammatory. In addition to its benefits for mental health, a number of consumers report that Sour Diesel has been helpful in managing painful conditions such as Chrons’, migraines, and joint stiffness, and back pain, as well as PTSD and ADHD.

The Negatives

Though Sour Diesel’s lasting popularity is largely due to its positive effects, this strain may not be ideal for everyone. Ultimately, whether Sour Diesel is right for you depends on the effects and benefits you’re looking for. Consumers who aren’t crazy about Sour Diesel often emphasize that the strain’s effects can be too cerebral for some, while contributing to dry mouth and dry eyes.

Though both positive and negative experiences can be idiosyncratic, here are some of the main drawbacks that consumers have reported after using this strain.

Paranoia. Because Sour Diesel is so intensely cerebral–a trait that many love–it can in some cases cause paranoia, which is common with many sativas, especially when consumed too fast or in high quantities. For this reason, we recommend starting with less and taking your time until you find your “sweet spot” when it comes to dosing this strain.

Dry Mouth, Dry Eyes. Like many cannabis strains, Sour Diesel can cause dry mouth and dry eyes. Contrary to popular belief, these effects are not caused by exposure to smoke while consuming marijuana. Instead, scientists believe that this is the result of THC binding to endocannabinoid receptors in the eyes and salivary glands, which may alter ocular pressure and saliva production. If you encounter these issues when you consume cannabis, we suggest keeping your favorite eye drops, gum, or mouthwash handy when you kick back and relax with this strain.

Potential Medical Benefits

Below are a list of conditions that Sour Diesel may be helpful in managing. We have selected these conditions based upon two sources: reviews from consumers who report using the strain to manage these symptoms, and/or substantial scientific evidence suggesting that its dominant terpenes may help manage the conditions listed below.