Any list of the best indica strains is an opinion, so here’s ours with the working shown. These are the twelve indica and indica-leaning strains on this site that Americans search for most, each with its documented lineage, the THC its makers’ labs reported, and what it costs. Northern Lights is the best-tested true indica we carry: a median of 87.9% across 7 batch results.
The 12 indica strains compared
| Strain | Lineage | US searches/mo | Vapes | Tested THC | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon Cherry Gelato | Sunset Sherbet × GSC (debated) | 33,100 | 7 | 82.3%–87.7% | $21–$32 |
| Wedding Cake | Triangle Kush × Animal Mints | 27,100 | 2 | 93.9% | $17.50–$39.99 |
| Permanent Marker | (Biscotti × Sherb Bx) × Jealousy | 27,100 | 2 | 85.0% | $30–$32.50 |
| GMO | Chemdawg × Girl Scout Cookies | 18,100 | 6 | 78.5%–89.1% | $25–$46 |
| Northern Lights | Afghani × Thai landraces | 18,100 | 10 | 79.3%–90.0% | $9–$35 |
| Ice Cream Cake | Wedding Cake × Gelato #33 | 18,100 | 7 | 78.9%–81.1% | $19.99–$39.99 |
| Girl Scout Cookies (GSC) | OG Kush × Durban Poison | 12,100 | 6 | 82.4%–84.7% | $16–$63.75 |
| Purple Punch | Larry OG × Granddaddy Purple | 12,100 | 5 | 64.1%–86.1% | $10–$34 |
| Granddaddy Purple | Purple Urkle × Big Bud | 9,900 | 12 | 76.7%–90.7% | $7–$49.99 |
| Blue Zushi | Zkittlez × Kush Mints | 9,900 | 7 | 79.4%–87.6% | $32–$60 |
| Skywalker OG | Skywalker × OG Kush | 9,900 | 2 | 81.5% | $7–$40 |
| Bubba Kush | Unconfirmed | 6,600 | 3 | 79.1% | $10–$45 |
Searches are Semrush’s US monthly figures for each strain name. Vapes, tested THC and price are our own listings. A dash means no maker published a batch result for that strain.
Pure indica strains, and the ones that only lean
Very few modern strains are 100% indica, and the ones that come closest are the old ones. Northern Lights goes back to Afghani indica and Thai landrace stock grown around Seattle in the late 1970s; AllBud calls it a pure indica. Granddaddy Purple, which Ken Estes introduced in 2003 from Purple Urkle and Big Bud, is filed as an indica by Leafly, and every GDP listing we carry agrees. King Louis XIII and Sweet Tooth are two more that Leafly files as indica outright.
Everything else on the list is an indica-leaning hybrid, and the lean is an estimate. AllBud puts GMO near 90% indica, Skywalker OG at about 85%, Bubba Kush and Purple Punch at about 80%, and Permanent Marker at about 70%. Lemon Cherry Gelato, the most searched name here, is rated 60% indica, and its parentage is still argued over.
What the newer names have in common
Half of this list descends from Girl Scout Cookies. Girl Scout Cookies (GSC) itself is OG Kush × Durban Poison. Wedding Cake and Ice Cream Cake both come from Seed Junky Genetics’ Cookies-line work, GMO is Chemdawg × GSC, and Permanent Marker is another Seed Junky cross, named Leafly’s Strain of the Year for 2023. If you like one of them, the others are close relatives.
Strongest indica strain by batch result
The highest single result among indica-leaning strains on this site belongs to Berry White, at 95.8%, with Wedding Cake at 93.9% and Blackberry Kush at 92.2%. Those are single batches. Across every indica-labeled vape we list, the median is 84.2%, a point and a half below sativa. In other words, indica isn’t the stronger label or the weaker one. The extract decides that.
How to pick one
- For the deepest choice, Granddaddy Purple (12 vapes from 9 brands) and Northern Lights (10 from 8).
- For the lowest price, both start under $10: Lume Cannabis Co. sells a 1 g Northern Lights cart for $9.
- For solventless, GMO: four of its six listings are rosin, from Tropics and others.
- For a label you can trust, the two old indicas. Brands disagree about the type of 46% of the strains we carry from several makers, but not about these.
All twelve, and the other 125 strain pages, are reachable from the Weed Pen store. Products are for adults 21 and over.
Indica strain questions
What is a 100% indica strain?
One with no sativa ancestry. They’re rare now. Northern Lights is the closest on our shelves: AllBud calls it a pure indica, from Afghani and Thai landrace stock.
What strain is 90% indica?
AllBud rates GMO at about 90% indica to 10% sativa. Skywalker OG is rated about 85%.
What are the top 5 indica strains?
By US searches among the strains we carry: Lemon Cherry Gelato, Wedding Cake, Permanent Marker, GMO and Northern Lights.
What is the strongest indica strain?
By single batch result on this site, Berry White at 95.8%. By repeated results, Northern Lights, with a median of 87.9%.
Is indica an upper or downer?
Indica is described as the relaxing style, but it isn’t a drug class. An indica vape is THC oil, the same as a sativa one, and tests almost identically.
Sources and method
- Leafly and AllBud strain entries for each strain (type and lineage), as cited on our strain pages
- Semrush, US monthly search volume for each strain name, September 2026
- Weed Pen catalogue: 213 indica-labeled vape listings, 142 with a batch result
Catalogue figures are counts, medians and ranges over the listings on this site on September 19, 2026. Tested THC is the maker’s own batch result as shown on each listing; we don’t run our own lab tests. Products are for adults 21 and over, and cannabis laws differ by state.