Jealousy Strain

Jealousy Strain: The 2022 Strain of the Year That Earned Its Name

The Jealousy strain is Seed Junky Genetics' cross of Sherb Bx1 and Gelato #41 — a dark purple, frost-caked hybrid that smells like creamy Gelato, plum and citrus with black pepper and gas underneath. Leafly named it the 2022 Strain of the Year after it went from about 90 listed stores to more than 1,500 in a single year, and clones were changing hands for $500 apiece. The high is the reason people kept coming back: giggly and talkative up top, relaxed in the body, rarely couch-lock. For dense, dessert-and-gas flower in the same family, start with our THCA flower collection.

It's also one of the most counterfeited names in cannabis — the breeder himself says most of what's sold as Jealousy isn't it. Below: what the breeder-linked sources actually say about the lineage (including the "Gel Bern" detail most guides miss), how the name came about, why it won, how strong it really tests, how the high unfolds, the strains it spawned, how to grow it, and how to judge a bag.

Jealousy Strain Genetics & Lineage

• Type: Hybrid. Leafly files it as a hybrid; AllBud lists an even 50/50; PAX describes it as about 60% indica, 40% sativa. In practice it plays as a balanced hybrid that gets heavier as the dose goes up.
• Breeder: Seed Junky Genetics — credited by Leafly, SeedFinder and Leafly's 2022 award announcement. Leafly's February 2024 strain highlight calls it "bred by Seed Junky Genetics of LA."
• Ancestry: Sherb Bx1 × Gelato #41, per Leafly. SeedFinder writes it the other way round — Gelato #41 × Sherbet BX1 — which is the same cross.
• THC: Leafly lists 25%; published ranges run from about 17% to 30%. Details in the potency section below.
• CBD: negligible — one grow guide lists 0.07%, others "under 1%." Leafly lists about 1% CBG.
• Release: late 2019, in California adult-use stores, as one of the lead-off flavors of The Minntz, a collaboration brand between Cookies and Seed Junky.

Both sides trace back to Girl Scout Cookies

Jealousy is pure Cookies-family breeding. SeedFinder fills in one level up:

• Gelato #41 — Sunset Sherbet × Thin Mint Cookies. It brings the creamy, sweet Gelato nose and the dense, resin-heavy buds.
• Sherb Bx1 — a backcross of Sunset Sherbet. Leafly's 2022 feature describes it as Sunset Sherbert bred with itself and Animal Cookies by Seed Junky co-owner J Beezy; SeedFinder lists it as Sunset Sherbert × (Sunset Sherbert × Animal Cookies Bx2). It adds the fruit-sherbet sweetness and some of the dark color.

Both paths run back to GSC (Girl Scout Cookies) — which is why Jealousy smells like a Gelato turned up rather than something new.

The "Gel Bern" detail

Most strain pages stop at "Gelato 41." Leafly's 2022 Strain of the Year feature goes further: in 2018, J Beezy crossed Sherb Bx1 with a specific Gelato cut called "Gel Bern," from Cookies' breeder Jigga — not with ordinary Gelato #41 bagseed or S1 seed. Databases still list the parent as Gelato #41, and the cut is generally treated as a Gelato #41 selection, but we couldn't find a source that confirms Gel Bern and #41 are the identical plant. Either way, it's a Gelato clone from the Cookies inner circle, which helps explain why authentic cuts were so hard to get.

Why it's called Jealousy

Two explanations, both from the people involved. Leafly quotes Cookies founder Berner: "I called it Jealousy because I knew people were going to be jealous when they saw that pheno." The name also nods to the "gel" in Gelato. J Beezy remembers Berner's first reaction to the smell: "It smells like Gelato times 100."

Jealousy's offspring

SeedFinder counts 158 direct descendants — and Leafly's David Downs noted that "more than a dozen new, notable strains crossed with Jealousy capitalize on its lineage and prestige." The best known:

• Permanent Marker — (Biscotti × Sherb Bx1) × Jealousy F3, also from Seed Junky, and Leafly's 2023 Strain of the Year. A Jealousy grandchild winning the very next year says a lot about the line.
• Purple Octane — (Biscotti × Sherb Bx1) × Jealousy F2: grape, diesel and a sleepier finish.
• Super Runtz — Biscotti × Sherb Bx1 × Jealousy F2, per Leafly; its clones sold for $1,000 each at the December 2021 Emerald Cup.
• The Glove — Gary Payton × Jealousy.
• Jealousy × Banana Cream Cake — placed second in ice water hash at the May 2022 Emerald Cup.
• Jealousy Bx1 — Seed Junky's refined backcross, released in 2021 according to SeedFinder.
• Others: Jealous Mike (Skunk House Genetics), Infatuation (Sin City Seeds), Banana Jealousy Auto (Ethos) and Jealousy F3 S1 (Underworld Genetix), per Leafly. Shelf names like Jealousy Runtz, Jealousy Mintz, Jealousy Pie, Cherry Jealousy and Serial Jealousy (Cereal Milk × Jealousy) come from many different growers, and their exact parentage varies.

Jealousy Terpene Profile

Leafly lists caryophyllene as Jealousy's dominant terpene, followed by limonene and myrcene, with linalool and humulene sometimes showing up. Leafly's 2022 feature also says Jealousy regularly tests at "several percent terpenes," against under 0.5% for most lab-tested weed — which matches its reputation as a loud jar. Leafly's own writer admits the big three don't fully explain the nose; minor compounds and esters fill in the cream and plum. Caryophyllene is the one with real research behind it: a 2008 PNAS study identified beta-caryophyllene as a "dietary cannabinoid" that binds CB2 receptors.

• Caryophyllene: The black pepper, clove and warm spice on the exhale — and the "spicy aroma" Leafly's award release points to. It's the reason Jealousy reads gassier than plain Gelato.
• Limonene: The citrus snap — grapefruit to one Westword reviewer — and likely part of the quick, giggly mood lift early in a session.
• Myrcene: Earthy, musky and ripe-fruit. Often associated with the heavier body feel that builds as the session goes on.
• Linalool and humulene: Minor players — linalool adds a floral, lavender-like softness, humulene a dry, hoppy edge. One grow guide also lists alpha-bisabolol.

Researchers such as Ethan Russo have proposed that terpenes and cannabinoids work together — the "entourage effect" — but the human evidence is still thin. Treat terpene-to-effect links as likely flavor guides, not guarantees.

Appearance

Real Jealousy is a looker. Leafly's 2022 award announcement describes flower that's dark purple to black with bright green dapples, and Leafly's feature adds orange hairs and heavy frost. AllBud describes smaller, spade-shaped, olive-green nugs with purple undertones and purple-tinted trichomes; PAX reports large, dense, bulbous buds on a plant with extremely dark purple leaves. A Westword reviewer who tried several Denver cuts found dense buds with chunky calyxes — dark green, with violet spots that are common but not guaranteed. That spread is normal for a strain this widely grown: color depends on the cut and on night temperatures late in flower. What shouldn't vary is the resin — a thick, silvery coat of trichomes is why processors love it for hash and live rosin.

Aroma and Flavor

Open a jar of good Jealousy and the first hit is sweet and creamy — Leafly's 2024 highlight calls it a "creamy-berry-gassy ultra-Gelato nose." Underneath you'll find:

• Fruit: plum and apricot (Leafly's flavor tags), berry and cherry (AllBud), and a cereal-sweet note that Leafly and PAX both compare to Fruit Loops.
• Citrus: a sour citrus edge that AllBud says gets stronger on the exhale; one Westword reviewer got sharp grapefruit first.
• Spice and fuel: black pepper, pine and earthy diesel — the caryophyllene side. Reviewers on Leafly describe the overall taste as "earthy and funky."

On the inhale it's smooth and sweet — Westword compared the smoke to "a milkshake IPA." The exhale brings the pepper and pine. Grinding pushes the gas forward, and PAX notes that vaporizing brings out more pepper and pine than the fresh bud suggests. If your "Jealousy" smells flat and grassy with no cream and no pepper, it's either old or not Jealousy.

Recreational Effects

Jealousy is a mood-first strain. On Leafly, where it holds a 4.6 rating across hundreds of reviews, the most-reported effects are:

• Giggly: the headline effect — a fast, silly lift.
• Talkative: social and chatty; Leafly's 2024 highlight calls it a party and cooking strain.
• Relaxed: Leafly's award release sums it up as "mentally relaxed but physically energetic."
• Euphoric and creative: AllBud adds creative, happy, motivating and uplifting; Leafly's feature mentions stress relief and a sense that time slows down.
• Munchies: appetite stimulation shows up across grow-guide and reviewer reports.

How the high unfolds: onset, peak and duration

• First few minutes: a quick, euphoric, giggly lift. Leafly's feature calls the onset fast.
• 20–45 minutes: the peak — talkative and social up top while the body loosens. One Westword reviewer found the first half hour "spacey" and a little disorienting, which is worth knowing if you're anxiety-prone.
• 1–3 hours: a long, relaxed taper. Most reviewers say it rarely tips into couch-lock, but at higher doses the indica side takes over — PAX notes it can get sedating.

Edibles made from it take 30–120 minutes to start and can run four hours or longer. For most people, late afternoon or evening is the sweet spot.

→ Experience it yourself — shop Diesel Hemp's THCA Flower

How Strong Is Jealousy?

Jealousy is a high-THC strain, and authentic cuts regularly test in the mid-to-high 20s. The published numbers:

• Leafly: 25% THC, with a note that it can test in the high 20s, plus about 1% CBG.
• Leafly's 2022 feature: lab tests on different batches top out at 30% THC.
• AllBud: 28–30%.
• Grow guides: 17–25%, sometimes up to 30% (ilovegrowingmarijuana); 20–30% (Vivosun).
• PAX: about 18% on average, with some plants reaching the high 20s.

One long-form guide quotes 22–33% THCA without citing any lab. The honest summary: expect low-to-high 20s from a real cut, with the low end of the spread likely coming from knockoffs and weaker phenos. Concentrates are another story — live rosin and resin from Jealousy run several times stronger than flower, so dose them far more carefully.

THCA flower is labeled differently from dispensary flower: the lab reports THCA, which converts to THC when heated, plus a small amount of delta-9 THC. When you compare a batch of Jealousy against the 17–30% range above, compare total THC on the COA, not the headline number — our guide on how to read a THCA flower COA walks through the math.

The Jealousy Story: From Clone-Only Hype to Strain of the Year

Seed Junky Genetics started in 2007 in co-owner J Beezy's basement, according to Leafly, and grew into a Northridge, California, operation in a former rocket factory with about 100 employees across three states. J Beezy and Berner met in 2017; a year later, J Beezy made the Sherb Bx1 × Gel Bern cross that became Jealousy.

• Late 2019: Jealousy hits California adult-use shelves as a lead-off flavor of The Minntz. Leafly's award release says it "flew off the shelves"; by mid-2020, Cookies could barely keep up.
• 2021: listed in about 90 stores on Leafly. Seed Junky releases a refined Jealousy Bx1.
• 2022: listed in more than 1,500 stores. Seed packs sell out at $750; Cookies stores debut authentic clones at $500 each in June, with hundreds of buyers waiting for hours. Flower, pre-rolls and carts sell from Long Beach, California, to Long Island, New York.
• 2022 awards: at the May Emerald Cup, a Jealousy × Banana Cream Cake took second in ice water hash and LitHouse's Jealousy took second in greenhouse; LitHouse's Jealousy also placed second in the High Times Cannabis Cup People's Choice SoCal in July.
• December 2022: Leafly names it Strain of the Year — the fifth winner after Gelato (2018), Wedding Cake (2019), Runtz (2020) and Dosidos (2021).
• 2023: it wins a trophy in Arizona, and its descendant Permanent Marker becomes Leafly's 2023 Strain of the Year.

Why it won

Leafly's award isn't a taste test, and it can't be bought by advertisers. Per Leafly's 2022 award announcement, Leafly's team tracks year-over-year growth in strain-page views, menu availability and orders, then weighs how new the strain is, its pedigree and breeder, its effects, its market fit and how widely it's available in adult-use states. Jealousy jumped into Leafly's top 100 out of roughly 6,000 strains in a little over two years.

The counterfeit problem

That kind of hype breeds imitations. "Ninety percent of stuff called 'Jealousy' is not it," J Beezy told Leafly. SeedFinder notes that Jealousy was never released as feminized seeds, and the authentic version has mostly moved as clones — so a lot of shelf "Jealousy" is a different Gelato cross with a borrowed name. Berner's take: imitation is "a compliment to your work." For you, it means provenance matters more with this strain than most.

Jealousy vs Similar Strains

• vs Gelato #41 and Gelato: the parent line. Jealousy keeps the creamy Gelato sweetness but adds more pepper and gas — "Gelato times 100," in Berner's words — and usually a darker bud.
• vs Sunset Sherbet: the grandparent on both sides. Sunset Sherbet is fruitier and more sherbet-sweet; Jealousy is louder and gassier.
• vs Permanent Marker: its best-known descendant, and the one we stock. Both are dense, frosty, Seed Junky dessert-gas strains with sweet candy over fuel. Permanent Marker leans floral and marker-ink — the Biscotti side — where Jealousy leans creamy Gelato, plum and pepper. Many smokers find Permanent Marker a touch heavier.
• vs Purple Octane: another Seed Junky grandchild — grape and diesel, and sleepier than Jealousy.
• vs Lemon Cherry Gelato: the fruit-forward Gelato option — cherry and lemon over cream, with less pepper and fuel.
• vs Biscotti and Kush Mintz: other Cookies-world dessert strains in the same conversation — Biscotti sweet-cookie and gas, Kush Mintz minty and earthy.

Who Jealousy Is (and Isn't) For

Good fit: experienced smokers who want a loud, creamy-gas jar; social evenings, music, cooking and food; people who want relaxed without passing out; and hash and rosin fans.

Poor fit: brand-new users and people prone to THC anxiety — "anxious" is one of Leafly's top-reported negatives, and the first half hour can feel spacey. If you need a clear head for work, choose something brighter. For the same Seed Junky dessert-gas lane on our shelf, Permanent Marker is the pick, from $65.

How to Use Jealousy THCA Flower — and How Much

THCA has to be heated to do anything. Raw, it isn't intoxicating; heat converts it to THC (decarboxylation), which is why the method matters as much as the strain.

• Smoking (joint, pipe, bong): the fastest onset. Take one or two small hits, then wait 10–15 minutes before deciding on more.
• Dry-herb vaporizer: a good way to taste the cream and fruit before the pepper takes over. Lower temperatures, around 340–370°F, keep the Gelato sweetness bright; 390–410°F brings out the pepper, pine and gas.
• Pre-rolls: the no-prep option — see our THCA pre-rolls.
• Homemade edibles: decarb the flower first. Edibles take 30–120 minutes to kick in and last far longer, so start low and wait the full two hours.

How much? New or occasional users: one small hit, then wait 10–15 minutes — this is a high-THC strain. Regular users usually find two or three hits gives the full giggly-to-relaxed arc. With rosin, start with a rice-grain-sized dab. You can always add more; you can't take it back.

Medicinal Benefits

These are uses consumers report on Leafly and AllBud, not established clinical outcomes. Individual response varies with dose, tolerance and chemotype.

• Anxiety: the most-cited reason on Leafly (about 32% of reviewers) — but "anxious" is also a reported negative, so keep the dose low.
• Depression and low mood: about 22% of Leafly reviewers; AllBud also lists depression and mood swings.
• Stress: about 20% of Leafly reviewers, and the effect Leafly's 2022 feature highlights first.
• Fatigue, nausea and appetite loss: listed by AllBud; the munchies are widely reported.
• Everyday aches and tension: reported anecdotally by reviewers who use it in the evening.

For a neutral overview of what the research does and doesn't show, see the NCCIH's cannabis fact sheet.

For a plain-language primer on how terpenes are thought to shape these effects, see Project CBD on terpenes. Nothing here is medical advice, and nothing on this page is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you take prescription medication or have a health condition, talk to your doctor before using any cannabis product.

Side Effects and Cautions

• Dry mouth and dry eyes — the most common complaints across Leafly, grow guides and reviewers.
• Anxiety — a top-reported negative on Leafly, especially at high doses or low tolerance.
• Headache — the third of Leafly's top negatives; dizziness shows up in some grow-guide reports.
• Heavy eyes and sedation at high doses — the relaxed side can tip into sleepy if you overdo it.

Is Jealousy good for sleep? It can help you unwind in the evening, and higher doses get heavy, but it's not a classic knockout strain — most reviewers describe it as relaxing rather than sedating. Don't drive after using it, and talk to your doctor first if you take prescription medication, are pregnant or nursing, or have a heart condition.

Is It Real Jealousy? How to Judge a Good Bag

• Ask for the source. A Seed Junky cut, or flower from a grower who can name where their clone came from, is the documented version. With a name this widely copied, a vague answer is a red flag.
• A current third-party COA naming the lab, with THCA, delta-9 and total THC. Treat 30%+ claims without paperwork as marketing. Ours are on the lab results page.
• Cream and pepper. Real Jealousy smells like sweet Gelato cream and fruit over black pepper and gas. All sweet with no spice, or all earth with no cream, suggests a different cross.
• Dense, frosty buds — chunky calyxes and a heavy, silvery trichome coat. Purple is common but not guaranteed, so don't judge on color alone.
• A proper cure — slightly sticky, not crunchy; a hay or grass smell means it was rushed.

Growing Jealousy

Sources disagree on difficulty: Leafly rates Jealousy a hard grow, Vivosun calls it moderate, and ilovegrowingmarijuana says easy. The middle ground: it's manageable, but it rewards a dialed-in environment.

• Flowering: 8–9 weeks per Leafly; 8–10 weeks per Vivosun and PAX; 9–10 weeks per ilovegrowingmarijuana. SeedFinder lists 65–70 days for the Sherb Bx1 parent.
• Height and structure: short to medium with strong branching. Top early and use low-stress training to even the canopy; SeedFinder notes the dense colas may need support late in flower.
• Yield: Leafly says medium. Vivosun lists 450–550 g/m² indoors and 500–600 g per plant outdoors; ilovegrowingmarijuana gives lower figures (1–1.5 oz/ft² indoors).
• Environment: dense buds mean bud-rot risk — keep humidity down in late flower and defoliate for airflow. Outdoors it wants a warm, sunny, Mediterranean-style climate and finishes around mid-October. It's pungent, so plan on a carbon filter indoors.
• Color: growers commonly drop night temperatures in the last two weeks to coax out the purple, though it depends on the cut.
• Seeds and clones: the original moved mainly as clones and was never released as feminized seeds, per SeedFinder. Many "Jealousy" seeds on the market are other breeders' versions — check who made them.

Is Jealousy THCA Flower Legal?

Under the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp is federally legal when it contains no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis — see the USDA hemp program. THCA flower is sold under that rule. State laws differ and are changing, so check your state before you order. And whatever the label says, THCA flower will show up on a drug test — heated, it is THC.

Shop Premium Flower at Diesel Hemp

• Permanent Marker THCA Flower — our featured pick — a Jealousy descendant with dense, frosty buds and a sweet candy-over-gas nose, from $65.
• THCA Flower — the full lineup, grown in Colorado by Diesel Hemp and partner farms.
• THCA Pre-Rolls — the same flower, pre-rolled.
• THCA Small Buds — same genetics, smaller nugs, better price per gram.
• What THCA flower actually is — the encyclopedia explainer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Jealousy indica or sativa?

Jealousy is a balanced hybrid. AllBud lists it as 50/50 and PAX as about 60% indica. It feels giggly and social up top with a relaxed body, and gets heavier at higher doses.

What is Jealousy a cross of?

Sherb Bx1 × Gelato #41, per Leafly and SeedFinder. Leafly's 2022 feature adds that the Gelato side was a specific cut called "Gel Bern" from Cookies' breeder Jigga. Both parents trace back to Sunset Sherbet and Girl Scout Cookies.

Who bred the Jealousy strain?

Seed Junky Genetics, the Los Angeles-area breeder run by J Beezy. It debuted in late 2019 through The Minntz, a collaboration brand between Cookies and Seed Junky.

Why is it called Jealousy?

Berner of Cookies named it: "I called it Jealousy because I knew people were going to be jealous when they saw that pheno." The name also nods to the "gel" in Gelato.

Why did Jealousy win Strain of the Year?

Leafly picks its Strain of the Year by year-over-year growth in page views, menu availability and orders, plus novelty, pedigree, breeder, effects and market fit. Jealousy went from about 90 listed stores in 2021 to more than 1,500 in 2022.

How strong is Jealousy?

Leafly lists 25% THC and says it can test in the high 20s; Leafly's feature says batches top out at 30%. Published ranges run from about 17% to 30%, so it's best for experienced users.

What does Jealousy taste like?

Sweet and creamy like Gelato, with plum, berry and citrus, then black pepper, pine and earthy gas on the exhale. Leafly calls it a "creamy-berry-gassy ultra-Gelato nose."

What are the effects of Jealousy?

Leafly reviewers report giggly, relaxed and talkative effects. The onset is fast and euphoric, the body relaxes over the next 20–45 minutes, and the high usually lasts two to three hours.

Is Jealousy good for anxiety?

It's mixed. About 32% of Leafly reviewers say it helps with anxiety, but "anxious" is also a top-reported negative, and the first half hour can feel spacey. Keep the dose low.

Is Jealousy good for sleep?

It's better for winding down than for knocking you out. Higher doses get heavy and can feel sedating, but most reviewers describe it as relaxing rather than sleepy.

What's the difference between Jealousy and Permanent Marker?

Permanent Marker is a Jealousy descendant — (Biscotti × Sherb Bx1) × Jealousy F3, also from Seed Junky — and Leafly's 2023 Strain of the Year. Both are dense, frosty dessert-gas strains; Permanent Marker leans floral and marker-ink, Jealousy leans creamy Gelato and pepper.

What is Jealousy Runtz?

A shelf name for crosses of Jealousy with Runtz, generally sweeter and more candy-fruit. Several growers sell versions under that name and their exact parentage varies, so check the grower's lineage and COA.

How long does Jealousy take to flower?

About 8–9 weeks per Leafly, or 8–10 weeks per most grow guides. Leafly rates it a hard grow; Vivosun lists 450–550 g/m² indoors.

Where can I buy Jealousy THCA flower online?

Jealousy isn't in the Diesel Hemp shop right now. Our closest pick is a Jealousy descendant: Permanent Marker THCA Flower — (Biscotti × Sherb BX) × Jealousy, dense and frosty with a sweet candy-over-gas nose, from $65 for a half ounce, third-party lab tested. It leans more floral than creamy, so for a solventless option try our HBIC live rosin. Add a pre-roll to ship free over $75.

Related Strains

• Gelato #41 — Jealousy's Gelato parent.
• Sunset Sherbet — the grandparent behind both Gelato #41 and Sherb Bx1.
• Permanent Marker — Jealousy's best-known descendant and Leafly's 2023 Strain of the Year.
• Purple Octane — another Seed Junky grandchild — grape and diesel.
• Super Runtz — the Biscotti × Sherb Bx1 × Jealousy F2 cross.
• Gary Payton — crossed with Jealousy to make The Glove.
• GSC (Girl Scout Cookies) — the Cookies ancestor behind both parents.
• Gelato — the 2018 Strain of the Year that started the line.
• Biscotti — the other half of Permanent Marker and Purple Octane.
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