The Permanent Marker cannabis strain genealogy

Permanent Marker has become Leafly Strain of the Year 2023, capping a two-year tear into the mainstream of weed. But what is it? Here’s the genealogy that explains what’s going on with the hit strain from Seed Junky Genetics.

Think of Permanent Marker as ultra-refined Gelato work.

This story begins with Northern California grower Jigga, and associate Berner and the Cookies strain—aka Girl Scout Cookies, GSC—that launched the global lifestyle brand and changed the game in the 2000s. 

1. GSC begat Sunset Sherbet with Pink Panties. 
2. Sunset Sherbert begat Gelato with a type of GSC, Thin Mint.
3. Gelato kind of begat everything, including Biscotti.

Good genes spread. GSC made its way to Los Angeles breeders’ Seed Junky’s stable, via Las Vegas’ Sin Mint Cookies line. Seed Junky’s worked Sin Mint into Kush Mints, a foundational strain for the brand. They broke out with their Animal Mints work, and started the Cake wave with Wedding Cake.

By 2020, Permanent Marker pulled together various refined threads that unfurled from GSC, via Gelato. It’s (Biscott1 S1 x Sherb Bx1) x Jealousy F2. Also known as Adios MF, and Gunnpowwder, Doja Pak marketed it as Permanent Marker. You can abstract it as ‘Hyper-refinements of Gelato, Sherbert, and Biscotti.’

Pulling the cross apart:

—Jealousy F2 male comprises refined Jealousy, which is Sherb Bx1 x Gelato 41. You can abstract it as Refined Gelato.

—Biscotti S1 consists of Biscotti times itself. And Biscotti is Gelato x an OG Kush. So it’s Refined OG-Gelato.

—SherbBx? Backcrossed Sunset Sherbert (GSC x Pink Panties.) A Refined Sherbert.

Permanent Marker is such refined Gelato work that it’s leaving behind GSC’s more earthy hashy roots, and honing in on smells that evoke strange synthetic petro-solvent.

Now a whole new slew of Permanent Marker crosses await. Many official and unsanctioned ones will surely come. Here are the ones we know about:

• Red Eye (Permanent Marker x LCG)
• Magic Marker (RS11 x Permanent Marker Bx1)
• Scratch and Sniff (Gelato #41 x Animal Mints Bx x Permanent Marker) 
• Sherb Cake (Permanent Marker x Purple Push Pop)
• Permanent Paradize (PermMark x Z Bx2)
• Permanent Pineapple aka Permanent Fruz (Permanent Marker x Pineapple Fruz) 
• Banana Cream Cake x Permanent Marker
• Chimera x Permanent Marker with Beleaf the hunter
• Giraffe P2 x Permanent Marker with Doja Pak
• Permanent Marker x Jello Shotz = Permanent Shotz
• Pure Kush x Permanent Marker
• Hawaiian Rain (Z x SherbBx1) x Permanent Marker

Seed Junky J Beezy is particularly interested in the Jello Shotz and the Giraffe P2 lines. “In my opinion it’s the best combination of candy-gas right now. That’s what I’m focusing on right now.”

Seed Junky’s founder said to buy direct from SeedJunkyGenetics.com to avoid sickly clones that don’t do the strain justice. “Don’t judge it until you find your own keeper.”

Did we get anything wrong? We’re humans writing the first draft of weed history, so just drop us a polite note in the comments and we’ll tidy up.