Red Velvet

Red Velvet is a unknown variety from Lit Farms and can be cultivated indoors (where the plants will need a flowering time of ±60 days) and outdoors. Lit Farms' Red Velvet is a THC dominant variety and is/was only available as feminized seeds.

Lit Farms' Red Velvet Description

Red Velvet is a sweet strain bred and commercialized by some of the biggest names in modern cannabis. It boasts a rich dessert aroma with subtle floral and fruity hints as well as balanced effects that elevate the mind while relaxing the body. Some users love this strain as a daytime smoke, while others prefer settling into its relaxing effects in the afternoon or evening. Keep reading to learn more about Red Velvet's history, origins, and more.

History of the Red Velvet Strain

Red Velvet was created by Grandiflora Genetics, a cannabis brand founded in Oakland by Mark McCafferty, and commercialized through a collaboration with Cookies.

While McCafferty officially founded Grandiflora in 2008, his background as a breeder and cultivator goes back much further. Today, McCafferty is known for producing unique cannabis crosses from a variety of strains, and for his elaborate pheno hunts. After launching Grandiflora, McCafferty teamed up with rapper Prada Mack who, as a brand ambassador, helped to promote the Grandiflora brand and its strains. For a long time, McCafferty would launch his latest strain creations directly via Instagram—an act that eventually won him the attention of Cookies founder, Berner. In 2018, Berner visited McCafferty at the Grandiflora facility in Oakland. In 2019, Cookies and Grandiflora officially announced their partnership.

Some of the most famous strains created by McCafferty and Grandiflora Genetics include:

• E85

• Wild Thornberries

• Grandi Candy

• Doggystyle

• Melonatta

• Project 4516

• Hectane

Genetic Lineage of Red Velvet

Red Velvet is a well-balanced strain with a fairly equal split of indica and sativa genetics. However, there is some debate over its exact genetic origins—some believe Red Velvet is the result of Lemon Cherry Gelato x Pina Acai, while other sources suggest it is the result of a three-way cross between GSC, Thin Mint Cookies, and Pinkman. Below we'll explore Red Velvet's potential parent strains in a bit more detail.

Lemon Cherry Gelato x Pina Acai

Lemon Cherry Gelato is a potent hybrid with sweet candy aromas and plenty of THC. While it's not clear who exactly bred the strain, Lemon Cherry Gelato is often attributed to Backpackboyz—a Californian cannabis brand led by ex-MMA fighter Juan Quesada. Like other Gelato strains, Lemon Cherry Gelato is the result of a Sunset Sherbet x GSC cross, resulting in a slightly indica-dominant strain that produces small, tightly packed buds. Lemon Cherry Gelato boasts bold aromas of citrus and berries alongside sweet floral notes and hints of dank gas. Lemon Cherry Gelato also typically packs up to 25% THC or more and delivers a warm, relaxing physical stone with a positive cerebral kick.

Pina Acai, meanwhile, is a unique hybrid bred by Grandiflora Genetics from unknown parents. As its name suggests, Pina Acai exhibits a rich, complex tropical fruit aroma mixing notes of sweet and sour pineapple with a light earthy bitterness reminiscent of real acai berries. Many users also take note of the strain's unique woody aroma. Pina Acai's flavor, on the other hand, is very tropical, with upfront notes of pineapple and berries and a sweet exhale. The strain develops around 26% THC (and sometimes more) and produces a tingly, relaxing body high coupled with an uplifting euphoria. It also produces large, long flowers with a very dense structure and beautiful shades of bright green, purple, and red.

GSC x Thin Mint Cookies x Pinkman

GSC is, without a doubt, one of the most famous modern cannabis hybrids. Bred by Cookies Fam around 2008 from Durban Poison and OG Kush, GSC has a THC content of 20%, which many would consider medium potency by today's standards. But GSC's fame has to do with much more than just potency—its creation opened up the world to a whole new variety of aromas and flavors combining notes of cherries and lemons with mint and earthy undertones. Its relaxing, well-balanced euphoria is treasured by both recreational and medical cannabis smokers.

Thin Mint Cookies is a unique Cookies phenotype with waxy, deep green flowers (sometimes with purple hues) and an iconic sweet mint aroma that's occasionally elevated by subtle hints of pine. Delivering around 23% THC, Thin Mint Cookies is treasured for producing a strong high that relaxes the body while elevating the mind with a creative kick—ideal for morning or daytime use. Thin Mint Cookies is arguably the most popular GSC derivative and has been used to create other successful hybrids, including Gelato, Lava Cake, and more.

Finally, Pinkman is a mysterious strain and likely refers to Pinkman Goo—a unique mutated cannabis variety discovered by Twompson Prater and his sister. Believed to be a pure indica, Pinkman Goo is renowned for producing dense flowers with globs of sap-like resin and hues of lavender, sometimes with pink highlights. Its aroma is sweet and floral, as is its flavor.

While the exact genetics of Red Velvet haven't been revealed by Grandiflora or Cookies, many sources agree that it is the result of crossing Lemon Cherry Gelato with Pina Acai.

Physical Characteristics of Red Velvet

Like its other strains, Cookies has kept a tight grip on its Red Velvet genetics, and hasn't made the strain available in seed or clone form. Hence, there is no confirmed data on the physical traits of Red Velvet plants or their growth traits. What we do know, however, is that Red Velvet produces long, dense flowers with tight stacks of bulky calyxes, a beautiful palette of bright green, dark purple, and bright orange colors, as well as a frosty layer of resinous trichomes.

Properties and Effects of Red Velvet

Red Velvet regularly produces around 27% THC and a rich mix of terpenes that combine to give the strain an aroma that's floral, sweet, and gassy all at once. Users with a trained nose may be able to discern the strain's multiple aromatic notes, which combine earthy cake and cookies with fruity overtones and a slightly spicy, diesel-like finish. Red Velvet's flavor is similar, though much more floral than its aroma.

In terms of effects, Red Velvet is highly regarded for its intense stone. After lighting up a Red Velvet jay or bowl, expect to experience a sudden rush of creative energy that'll spark your attention and help you focus on whatever's in front of you—from video games and movies to basic work tasks and household chores. As this initial cerebral rush mellows down, expect a warm, tingly stone to settle into your upper body and quickly extend out toward your extremities. Depending on your tolerance and the dose, you may be able to stay somewhat productive and focused while under the spell of Red Velvet. If not, you may want to settle into a comfortable position and kick up your feet as you bask in the strain's relaxing and restorative stone.

Uses of Red Velvet

Red Velvet is a popular strain among both recreational users and medical cannabis patients. Rec smokers, for example, love the strain for its balance of cerebral and physical effects, which they recommend enjoying while:

• Watching movies or TV

• Going for a stroll or light bike ride

• Relaxing out in the sun

• Working from home

• Doing something creative

• Getting ready for bed

Meanwhile, medical patients with the following conditions and symptoms may opt to use Red Velvet:

• ADD/ADHD

• PTSD

• Anxiety and stress

• Depression

• Pain

• Insomnia or other sleep issues

• Appetite suppression

Like all high-THC cannabis strains, Red Velvet can cause unwanted side effects in some people, such as:

• Dry eyes

• Dry mouth

• Sedation or lethargy

• Anxiety or paranoia

Cultivation and Production of Red Velvet

As mentioned earlier, the original Red Velvet by Cookies and Grandiflora hasn't been released in seed or clone form to the public. Hence, there is no reliable information available about the strain's growth traits.

Some anecdotal accounts claim that Red Velvet reaches a medium height and features an 8–9-week average flowering time indoors. Furthermore, it’s believed to display good resilience to pests and diseases, which stands to reason given the robust nature of Cookies’ and Grandiflora’s other strains.

Note that Red Velvet seeds sold by other seed banks/breeders may not have the same lineage as the original Red Velvet bred by Grandiflora.

Red Velvet — A Delicate Sweet Treat With Heavy-Handed Effects

Red Velvet is a hybrid cannabis strain bred by Grandiflora Genetics and commercialized in collaboration with Cookies. While its exact genetic lineage isn't known, Red Velvet likely stems from Lemon Cherry Gelato and Pina Acai. With around 27% THC and a rich mix of earthy, floral, and fruity terpenes, Red Velvet makes a delicious smoke for all manner of cannabis lovers.

• Red Velvet »»» Red Velvet x Red Velvet S1
• Red Velvet x Red Velvet
  • »»» Lemon Cherry Gelato x Unknown Strain
  • Lemon Cherry Gelato probably
    • »»» {Sunset Sherbet x Girl Scout Cookies} x Lemon Haze probalby probably
    • Sunset Sherbet x Girl Scout Cookies
      • Sunset Sherbet
        • »»» Girl Scout Cookies x Pink Panties
        • Girl Scout Cookies (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)
      • Girl Scout Cookies
        • Thin Mint GSC 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
              • South African Sativa Geo Information: KwaZulu-Natal »»» Sativa
    • Lemon Haze probalby
      • »»» Santa Marta Gold x Wacky Weed Phenotype: aka Chocolate Colombian x Colombia
      • Santa Marta Gold »»» Sativa
      • Wacky Weed Phenotype: aka Chocolate Colombian »»» Sativa
      • Colombia »»» Sativa
  • Unknown Strain
    • Unknown Strain

Map of the Red Velvet Family Tree

Click to show all parents of Red Velvet in our dynamic family tree map.

Soi 420

Red Velvet x Soufle

Flava Flav

{Red Velvet x E85 Doggie Bag} x Lit OG

Jessica Rabbit

Red Velvet x Temptation

Red Onions

GMO x Red Velvet

Red Zkittlez

Zkittlez x Red Velvet

Sticky Bath

{Red Velvet x E85 Doggie Bag} x Bubble Bath

Map of the Red Velvet 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 Red Velvet! (but this maybe will need some time to load all the data!)