Italian Ice

Italian Ice is an indica/sativa variety from Cali Connection and can be cultivated indoors (where the plants will need a flowering time of ±72 days) and outdoors. Cali Connections Italian Ice is a THC dominant variety and is/was only available as feminized seeds.

Cali Connections Italian Ice Description

Italian Ice is a hybrid cannabis strain descending from the almighty Gelato genetic line. While it's not clear who first bred this strain, it is available in seed form from one of America's biggest seed banks, and as dry flower grown by one of California's most popular cannabis collectives. Keep reading to learn all there is to know about the Italian Ice cannabis strain, its origins, genetic lineage, growth traits, and more.

History of the Italian Ice Cannabis Strain

Italian Ice is a cannabis strain with mysterious origins, and there is some debate over who created it. Below we'll explore two of its supposed origin stories.

Some sources suggest that Italian Ice was created by The Cali Connection, one of America's oldest legal seed banks. Founded in 2008, The Cali Connection is run by Edward "Swerve" Clarizio, a now-renowned figure in the cannabis industry. Like many cannabis entrepreneurs, Swerve has a personal story connecting him with the plant—not only did he fall in love with cannabis pretty much instantly after getting high for the first time at 13, but Swerve also treasures the plant for its huge therapeutic potential.

Swerve has struggled with eye conditions, like vitreous tumors, uveitis, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and more, since the age of 9. He was also diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and has used cannabis to offset some of the symptoms that accompany these conditions, as well as the side effects of his medications. Since the early 2000s, Swerve has been developing his own genetics; in 2008, he founded The Cali Connection after transitioning out of the adult film industry (where he'd worked as a cameraman and video editor).

Swerve's idea behind creating the Cali Connection was to serve the growing need of growers (both hobbyists and professionals) as well as medical patients wanting access to highly sought-after Californian strains. Shortly after its launch, The Cali Connection made a huge name for itself by bringing multiple clone-only strains to seed, particularly OGs such as SFV OG Kush. Today, The Cali Connection is renowned for its huge lineup of US strains in seed form.

Another potential origin story of the Italian Ice strain involves the Backpack Boyz—a cannabis brand led by MMA fighter Juan Quesada. Quesada started fighting in 2008 and used martial arts as an outlet to stay out of jail. After fighting a large number of amateur and professional fights, Quesada got tipped off by a friend about starting a cannabis delivery service. After meeting with and paying a lawyer, Quesada got his official license to run a cannabis delivery service under California's Prop 215 in 2017.

Initially, Quesada tried to run the service by himself as much as possible. However, he eventually expanded his operations and brought on more people, particularly growers and breeders, and formed the brand Backpack Boyz. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Backpack Boyz brand grew exponentially thanks to the quality of its strains, which Quesada continues to source directly from breeders and growers across Cali. According to the Backpack Boyz website, the brand developed Italian Ice in collaboration with fellow Californian cannabis brand 5 Points Los Angeles.

Genetic Lineage of Italian Ice

While the origins of Italian Ice are debated, its genetic lineage isn't—this high-powered hybrid combines genetics from Gelato #45 and Forbidden Fruit. Below we'll explore both of these strains, and see how they may have influenced Italian Ice.

Gelato #45, as its name suggests, is a unique cut of Gelato. Combining genetics from Thin Mint Cookies (a unique Cookies phenotype) and Sherbet, Gelato is renowned for its potency, delicious aroma, and long-lasting stone. Similar to Gelato #33, Gelato #45 is known to have a sweet fruit aroma with notable creamy, almost vanilla-like undertones. However, many users find Gelato #45 to smell more piney. Like many high-caliber California cannabis strains, Gelato #45 is hard to source and reportedly only sold in clone form.

Italian Ice's second parent, Forbidden Fruit, is another popular hybrid, bred from Cherry Pie and Tangie. Known for its dense flowers that boast beautiful dark green and purple hues with bright orange highlights, Forbidden Fruit has plenty of eye candy. As its name implies, it also has a very sweet, fruity aroma with notes of ripe grapefruit and pomelo coupled with mango overtones. Some users also report picking up on berries, cherries, and other stone fruits. While the exact genetic split of Forbidden Fruit isn't known, many users suspect it to be indica dominant, thanks to its strong sedative effects.

Italian Ice is said to be around 60% indica dominant. The intense purple-green color and dense bud structure of Gelato and Forbidden Fruit, respectively, can be observed in this hybrid.

Physical Characteristics of Italian Ice

At the time of writing, Italian Ice seeds are available for purchase from The Cali Connection, though the seed bank provides little real information about the plant's physical traits. Backpack Boyz, on the other hand, doesn't sell Italian Ice in seed or clone form, meaning there is also no information available regarding the grow traits of their version of this strain.

Making assumptions based on genetic lineage, Italian Ice likely has a fairly standard hybrid structure. The Cali Connection suggests the plants are easy to clone and grow to moderate heights, with a strong central cola and few side branches. Other sources claim that the strain is fairly vigorous and easy to grow.

Based on pictures, The Cali Connection's Italian Ice produces bright green flowers with a typical pine tree shape, tight clusters of medium-sized calyxes, and bright orange pistils. Meanwhile, Italian Ice by Backpack Boyz produces smaller yet extremely dense flowers with hues of lime green, deep purple, and bright orange—reminiscent of the flowers produced by Gelato and Forbidden Fruit.

Properties and Effects of Italian Ice

Italian Ice is recognized as a potent strain that is rich in THC and terpenes. While The Cali Connection hasn't released the THC/terpene levels of its version of Italian Ice, Backpack Boyz’ Italian Ice flower has tested at up to 26% THC, with some batches containing over 30% THC.

While the dominant terpenes of Italian Ice aren't known, the strain is known to have a strong aroma that couples a rich, complex earthiness with hints of nuts and a sweet, fruity finish. Smokers with a trained nose may also pick up on the strain's spicy kick. Italian Ice's flavor, on the other hand, is very earthy with notes of dark tobacco and only a touch of sweetness that most smokers notice on the exhale.

In terms of effects, Italian Ice is strong but not overwhelming. Many find that it makes for a great daytime or late-afternoon smoke, producing a solid mix of uplifting cerebral effects with a relaxing body high. Recreational users, for example, label it as a happy and social smoke that, in small-to-medium doses, leaves them in a carefree, happy mood without causing any overly distracting or sedative effects.

Uses of Italian Ice

Italian Ice is a popular strain among both recreational and medical smokers. Rec users find it a great strain to pair with:

• Playing video games

• Watching movies or TV

• Creative activities, such as playing an instrument or painting/drawing

• Social occasions, such as dinner parties or nights out with friends

• Going on walks or bike rides

• Household chores or basic taskwork

Medical cannabis users, on the other hand, report using Italian Ice to address a wide variety of symptoms. MMJ patients with the following conditions may have an interest in using Italian Ice:

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Stress

• Poor mood

• Physical pain

• Sleep issues

Despite its strong THC levels and rich mix of terpenes, many users (especially those with a moderate–high tolerance) find Italian Ice to be a mellow strain with balanced effects. Recreational smokers recommend it even for beginners, while medical patients praise it for providing daytime relief without leaving them feeling groggy or unproductive.

Nevertheless, like all high-THC cannabis strains, Italian Ice can produce negative effects in some people. These include:

• Dry eyes

• Dry mouth

• Anxiety

Cultivation and Production of Italian Ice

As mentioned earlier, there is very little grow information available about the Italian Ice strain. Based on the limited information published by The Cali Connection and some growers, this strain is apparently easy to grow, fairly resilient to pests, and simple to clone. It seems to grow to medium heights and, once in bloom, takes around 70 days to be ready for harvest. Depending on how she's grown, Italian Ice might yield up to 320g/m² indoors. Italian Ice by Backpack Boyz, on the other hand, isn't readily available for home cultivation.

Italian Ice — A Unique Gelato Hybrid From Backpack Boyz and The Cali Connection

Italian Ice is a hybrid strain descending from Forbidden Fruit and Gelato #45. While it's not clear who bred the strain first, it is currently offered in seed form by The Cali Connection, and as dried flower by California's Backpack Boyz. Despite packing high THC levels and many terpenes, both rec and medical cannabis users report that this strain produces well-balanced effects ideal for daytime use by individuals of all tolerance levels.

• Italian Ice »»» Forbidden Fruit x Gelato #45
• Forbidden Fruit
  • »»» Cherry Pie x Tangie
  • Cherry Pie
    • »»» Durban Poison x GDP
    • Durban Poison IBL
      • Durban Poison Geo Information: Durban
        • South African Sativa Geo Information: KwaZulu-Natal »»» Sativa
    • GDP Probably
      • »»» Purple Urkel x Big Bud Probably
      • Purple Urkel
        • Unknown Mostly Indica »»» Mostly Indica
      • Big Bud
        • »»» {Big Bud x NL#1} x Big Bud
        • Big Bud x NL#1
          • Big Bud »»» Indica
          • NL#1 IBL
            • »»» Purest Indica x Afghani probably from Neville IBL
            • Purest Indica
              • Afghani (specified above)
            • Afghani probably from Neville
              • Afghanistan Probably Indica »»» Indica
        • Big Bud »»» Indica
  • Tangie
    • »»» California Orange x {Skunk x Unknown Strain}
    • Skunk x Unknown Strain
      • Skunk
        • Skunk #1
          • »»» {Afghanistan x Colombia} x Mexico
          • Afghanistan x Colombia
            • Afghanistan »»» Indica
            • Colombia »»» Sativa
          • Mexico »»» Sativa
      • Unknown Strain
    • California Orange
      • USA, Kalifornien/Humboldt »»» Indica/Sativa Hybrid
• Gelato #45 #45
  • Gelato 45 #45
    • Gelato
      • »»» Sunset Sherbet x Thin Mint Cookies
      • Sunset Sherbet
        • »»» Girl Scout Cookies x Pink Panties
        • Girl Scout Cookies
          • Thin Mint GSC (specified above)
        • Pink Panties
          • »»» OG Kush South Florida x {OG Kush South Florida x Burma}
          • OG Kush South Florida x Burma
            • OG Kush South Florida
              • »»» Unknown Strain Unknown Strain: Emerald Triangle x Hindu Kush Neville
              • Unknown Strain Unknown Strain: Emerald Triangle »»» Unknown Strain
              • Hindu Kush Neville »»» Indica
            • Burma
              • Burma Probably Sativa »»» Sativa
          • OG Kush South Florida (specified above)
      • Thin Mint Cookies probably
        • »»» OG Kush South Florida x F1 Durban probably
        • OG Kush South Florida (specified above)
        • F1 Durban S1
          • »»» F1 x Durban S1
          • F1
            • Unknown Strain
          • Durban (specified above)

Map of the Italian Ice Family Tree

Click to show all parents of Italian Ice in our dynamic family tree map.

Delizie al Limone

Wedding Cake x Italian Ice ^reversed

Gelato al Limone

Gelato 33 x Italian Ice ^reversed

Lemon Delight

Tahoe OG Kush x Italian Ice ^reversed

Lemoncino

Italian Ice ^#16 x Italian Ice ^reversed

Semifreddo al Limone

SFV OG Kush x Italian Ice ^reversed

Map of the Italian Ice Descendants

If you are with a big screen and not browsing with your mobile, check out our dynamic family tree map with all known hybrids of Italian Ice! (but this maybe will need some time to load all the data!)