AK-47: Cultivar Profile With Sources, Lineage Claims and Lab Data Limits

AK-47 is the name of a cannabis cultivar (commonly called a strain). It has nothing to do with the rifle beyond a shared name, and sources disagree about why the name was chosen. This page keeps documented facts apart from reported and marketed claims. It is information only. For how these pages work, see how cultivar profiles work.

Evidence labels used here: marketing claim means a statement from sellers or media without independent testing; insufficient evidence means too little to judge; Proper evidence not found means we looked and found nothing usable.

Identity, breeder and reported lineage

An encyclopedia entry says AK-47 was developed in the Netherlands by Serious Seeds in 1992, though it may have been bred as early as the 1970s.[1] A cannabis news site agrees that the version known today was first crafted by that Dutch seed house in the early 1990s, and says the background could be traced to a Thai and Afghani cross from the 1970s.[2] Breeder credit is reported by secondary sources, and we did not read the breeder's own records.

Lineage is reported. Both sources and a strain encyclopedia describe a mix of Colombian, Mexican, Thai and Afghani varieties.[1][2][3] Because the cultivar is old and the ancestors are named as regions, not as documented individual plants, confidence is "reported."

Names and conflicts. It is also called "AK."[3] Explanations for the name differ: one author says "AK" stands for the breeder and 47 for days from planting to harvest; another theory is that it names the rifle; one author says the name may mean Afghan Kush; another account ties it to fast onset of effects.[1][2] We treat the origin of the name as unresolved. See cultivar names, aliases and naming conflicts.

What genetic testing found

A study of dispensary samples used DNA markers on 122 samples from 30 named strains bought in three US states.[4] It included three samples sold as AK-47. Their within-name genetic similarity score was 0.16, on a scale where the study's strains ranged from about minus 0.22 to 0.68.[4] The authors reported significant genetic differences within samples of the same strain name, so consumers could be given inconsistent products.[4] With only three samples this is a warning about name reliability, not a full profile.

Classification

Retail sources call AK-47 a sativa-dominant hybrid.[3] The encyclopedia entry cites one author giving a 65:35 sativa-to-indica ratio and a physician giving 50:50.[1] The genetic study took 65 percent sativa from a strain website.[4] Estimates differ, and none is a chemical measurement. The same study found its two genetic groups did not match the sativa, hybrid and indica labels.[4] See indica vs sativa vs hybrid.

Cannabinoid dominance: unknown. Several seller and media pages call AK-47 high in THC, but we found no readable laboratory source with batch data, so we do not assign a category.

Appearance

We did not find a readable, non-promotional source with an appearance description, so none is given.

Aroma and constituents

Reported flavors from a strain encyclopedia: skunk, tobacco and earthy.[3] Another account calls the scent sour and earthy with sweet, floral taste notes.[2] These are descriptions. Measured terpene data for AK-47 were not available in the sources we could read. The large terpene dataset used on other pages in this library did not include it.[5] We do not infer values from the name. See terpenes in cannabis.

Potency

Verified batch data was not available, and composition varies. We checked the genetic study, the encyclopedia entries and the terpene dataset. None gave a cannabinoid result tied to a named AK-47 batch, laboratory and date. Percentages shown by media or sellers are not independent lab findings, so none are repeated. See how to read a cannabis COA.

Reported experiences

The strain encyclopedia describes effects that come across as mellow and mentally alert, and the news site describes a relaxing, euphoric high.[3][2] These come from editors and consumers. They are anecdote, not controlled research, and effects vary by person and batch. The award record cited by the encyclopedia entry reflects competition judging, not clinical evidence.[1]

Research

The encyclopedia says the plant genetics of AK-47 have been studied scientifically; the genetic study above is one example.[1] Proper evidence not found for clinical research on AK-47 by name: our literature search for the name with cannabis and trial terms returned only an unrelated synthetic-drug report. General pages such as THC do not validate this cultivar.

Safety

Cannabis can cause altered time perception and impaired thinking, memory and movement. Anxiety, panic or hallucinations are more likely with large amounts, strong products or little experience.[6] See impairment and driving and when to seek urgent help. In the US, call 911 in an emergency or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. Laws differ and change; see cannabis laws by country. This is not legal or medical advice.