Hindu kush is one of the original land race strains that precipitated the popularization of cannabis throughout the world, Hindu Kush is a potent pure indica. It is indigenous to the Hindu Strain mountain chain that forms the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The meaning of the word “Kush” is disputed, and has been traced back to a Persian term for “Hindu killer” (in reference to the danger of crossing the inhospitable mountains) as well as to Avestan words meaning simply “water mountain.” In any case, Kush has become a byword for weed and is often used a suffix in the names of different strains, regardless of whether those strains have Hindu Kush in their lineage. Seeds of Hindu Kush — along with seeds of other Asian land race varieties like Afghani — were brought to the U.S. in the 1960s and 70s by cannabis enthusiasts and explorers who traveled along a route that has come to be known as the “hippie trail.” In time, Hindu Kush has, perhaps inevitably, been crossed with other strains to allow for stability and adaptation to a radically different climate than its mountainous point of origin; as such, “true” Hindu Strain may not be widely available in the Western Hemisphere. Nevertheless, Hindu Strain is a relatively pure strain, simpler and often more potent that the novelty crossbreeds that continue to multiply in today’s competitive cannabis market.