Strain profile · Indica
Zkittlez
The candy-shelf indica that fathered Runtz, won the 2016 Emerald Cup and then lost its own name to a trademark settlement. Grape, grapefruit and berry, an unusually well-documented history, and a partner shelf where the word almost always appears with a modifier.
Reported ancestry
ResultZkittlez
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Zkittlez history & lineage
Leafly, which now files the strain as The Original Z, reports that it was bred from an alleged mix of Grape Ape and Grapefruit crossed with another undisclosed strain. The catalogue traces the cut to the 2010s and an individual nicknamed Gas Station Bob, and credits the growers Fields and Tony Mendo, operating as Terp Hogz, with popularising it — with help from Brandon Parker of 3rd Gen Family — through cultivation, competition entries and crossbreeding.
The competition record is unusually concrete for a modern cultivar: Leafly lists first place at the 2016 Emerald Cup, the 2023 King of Z Hill and placings at Cannabis Cups in San Francisco and Michigan. In 2023 Terp Hogz announced it would use the name The Original Z following a trademark settlement with a candy company, which is why the same plant now travels under two names.
Aroma notes & reported terpenes
Grapefruit, grape and berry are the catalogue’s descriptors, and the candy comparison the name invites is descriptive language, not evidence of added flavouring. A sweet, fruity nose is also the trait breeders chased when they crossed it into Runtz.
Terpenes named by the catalogue: Caryophyllene, Linalool, Humulene. These names are not measurements for a particular sample.
Reported effects, in context
These terms summarize the cited catalogue’s user-report categories. They are anecdotes, not controlled evidence or a promise of an effect. The library does not use them to recommend a strain for a medical condition.
For a particular sample, this article does not establish potency, contaminant results or suitability. Read our evidence guide to understand the difference between a catalogue description and a lab result.
Shop Zkittlez at our partners
On a hemp shelf, Zkittlez mostly means a terpene profile rather than a plant. Our retail partners listed 11 products (seven at CBD.co and four at LooperVerse) carrying the name when we checked on 28 September 2026 — from Destino Farms, Modus, Big Chief, Pixie Connect, Binoid, Hi On Nature and Looper — across pre-rolls, disposables, cartridges and vapes. The pre-rolls are the only flower-based option; the rest carry a Zkittlez-style terpene blend. None of them is sold as verified Zkittlez genetics. Where a card says option, the strain is one choice on a multi-strain product, so pick it on the vendor's page.
The December problem, in one paragraph
Almost every jar of "Zkittlez-style" hemp flower on sale in the United States is sold as THCA flower, and THCA flower has a deadline on it. Section 781 of Public Law 119-37 rewrote the federal hemp definition to measure total THC rather than delta-9 alone, and total THC counts the THCA sitting in the bud. That single word removes essentially all THCA flower from the federal hemp category.
The date is contested and we hedge it deliberately. Several states bite earlier still. Our standing advice has not changed: plan for 12 November and treat 11 December as upside. We keep every moving part dated in the federal hemp deadline tracker, and the state-by-state guide is where to check your own.
Names, aliases & distinctions
Search aliases: The Original Z, Z, Zkittles, Skittlez
Zkittles, Skittlez and Z are spellings and shortenings of the same name; The Original Z is the breeder’s post-settlement name for the same cut. Watermelon Zkittlez, Tropical Zkittles and Berry Zkittlez, which is what most vendor listings actually carry, are separate crosses and flavour blends that borrow the word and should not be filed as the original.
Runtz is reported as Zkittlez × Gelato. A parent and a descendant can share the fruit vocabulary while remaining distinct cultivar records; see our Runtz profile.
Zkittlez FAQs
Can I buy Zkittlez online?
Yes, as pre-rolls, disposables, cartridges and vapes. Our partners listed 11 Zkittlez products — seven at CBD.co and four at LooperVerse — on 28 September 2026, from Destino Farms, Modus, Big Chief, Pixie Connect, Binoid, Hi On Nature and Looper. None of them is flower sold as Zkittlez genetics — hemp growers largely sell their own cuts under their own names — so ask what is actually in the product and whether a batch COA backs the name.
Is Zkittlez indica, sativa or hybrid?
The cited catalogue classifies Zkittlez as an indica. This is a catalogue label; it does not establish a uniform chemical profile or reliably predict an individual’s experience.
What are Zkittlez’s parent strains?
The cited catalogue reports Grape Ape × Grapefruit × Undisclosed strain. This is an attributed ancestry account, not genetic authentication.
What does Zkittlez smell like?
The catalogue describes grapefruit, grape, berry notes. These are sensory descriptions, not an ingredient list or an identity test. Different samples carrying the same name need not match the description.
What effects are reported for Zkittlez?
The cited catalogue’s user-report categories include relaxed, sleepy, hungry. These are subjective reports, not controlled clinical findings, guaranteed outcomes or evidence that the strain treats a condition.
What is the THC percentage of Zkittlez?
There is no single verified THC percentage assigned to Zkittlez in this guide. A useful potency figure must be tied to a particular tested sample or batch, with a laboratory, date and units. A catalogue average or maximum cannot establish another sample’s THC or CBD content.
Which terpenes are reported for Zkittlez?
The catalogue names Caryophyllene, Linalool, Humulene. This is an attributed description, not a measured ranking for a sample. A quantitative terpene chart would need a traceable laboratory report rather than percentages inferred from smell or the strain name.
Why is Zkittlez now called The Original Z?
Leafly records that in 2023 Terp Hogz, the growers who popularised the strain, announced they would use the name The Original Z following a trademark settlement with a candy company. Same plant, new label; vendor listings still overwhelmingly use the old spelling.
Is Watermelon Zkittlez the same strain?
This library does not treat it that way. Watermelon Zkittlez is a separate cross that carries the family word, and most of the products our partners sell under the Z name are that cross or a flavour blend rather than the Emerald Cup cut. Keep the full name and read the listing.
Sources & editorial notes
- Leafly: Zkittlez (The Original Z) strain profile. Industry catalogue used for attributed naming, classification, ancestry, aroma and reported-effect descriptions. Accessed September 26, 2026.https://www.leafly.com/strains/zkittlez
- CBD.co: "Zkittlez" search listing. Partner retailer, read for current product names, brands and prices. Read September 28, 2026.https://cbd.co/search-results?q=zkittles
- LooperVerse: product catalogue. Partner retailer, read for current product names and prices under the Zkittlez name. Read September 28, 2026.https://looperverse.com/
- Public Law 119-37 §781 and Public Law 119-103 §2019. The statutory basis for the total-THC standard and its delay. Tracked continuously in our federal hemp deadline tracker.
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My Cannabis Reviews: strain library methodology. Explains catalogue evidence, batch results and uncertainty.
Read the methodology
Source addresses are provided as plain text. No original tasting, laboratory analysis or genetic authentication was performed for this article. Vendor catalogues were read on the date shown and change without notice.
Affiliate disclosure: some links above are affiliate links. My Cannabis Reviews earns a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you, and it does not change our scoring or what we publish. We do not sell cannabis products. Every vendor listing and price on this page was checked on 28 September 2026; stock and pricing change constantly, so check the storefront before you buy. For adults 21+. Educational information only, not medical or legal advice.