Northern Lights NYC snapshot: on 12 of 32 licensed dispensary menus on Oct 17, 2026, $30 to $53 per eighth, 25% to 32% THC on labels

Northern Lights Strain: History, THC and Where to Buy It in NYC

Northern Lights is a classic indica built mostly on Afghani landrace genetics, first grown near Seattle and taken to the Netherlands in 1985, where it became one of the most influential strains ever bred. It is a parent of Jack Herer, Shiva Skunk and Super Silver Haze. On Oct 17, 2026 it was on 12 of the 32 licensed NYC dispensary flower menus we read, at $30 to $53 per eighth with 25% to 32% THC on the labels.

Northern Lights at a glance

Type Indica, per Leafly, Weedmaps and NYC menus
Lineage Mostly Afghani landrace; Leafly and Weedmaps give Afghani x Thai
Origin Near Seattle, Washington; taken to Holland in 1985
Breeder Unknown grower in the Pacific Northwest; spread by Nevil Schoenmakers’ Seed Bank, later Sensi Seeds
Best-known cut Northern Lights #5
THC About 18% on Leafly; 16% to 19% on Weedmaps; 25% to 32% on NYC menu labels
Terpenes Myrcene, then caryophyllene and limonene, per Leafly
Aroma and flavor Pine, earth and wood
Effects people report Sleepy, relaxed, hungry
Offspring Jack Herer, Shiva Skunk, Super Silver Haze, Hash Plant
On NYC menus 12 of 32 on Oct 17, 2026
NYC menu price $30 to $53 per eighth (citywide median: $40)

NYC figures come from our read of 32 licensed dispensary flower menus on Oct 17, 2026; two of them (FlynnStoned Chelsea and Unlimited Cannabis) could only be partly read. See how we built the dataset. Page published Oct 17, 2026.

Where Northern Lights comes from

Northern Lights started as a set of indica plants grown in secret in the Pacific Northwest. Leafly’s history of the strain describes 11 seedlings grown from Afghani landrace genetics on an island near Seattle, each one numbered, with #5 the standout. In 1985 the line went to Holland and Nevil Schoenmakers’ Seed Bank, which Sensi Seeds bought in 1991, per Wikipedia.

The details are murky because the people involved were working illegally and kept few records. Leafly and Weedmaps list the parents as Afghani and Thai, and Weedmaps calls it “predominantly Afghani” with a history that is “partly undocumented.” The grower-compiled database SeedFinder tells a different version, with #5 crossed to a Hawaiian rather than a Thai plant. No account has been confirmed by the original breeders.

Its real importance is as a parent. Sensi crossed Northern Lights #5 into Haze to make Jack Herer, and Leafly names Shiva Skunk, Super Silver Haze and Hash Plant among its descendants. SeedFinder lists more than 300 direct descendants.

Aroma, flavor and terpenes

Leafly lists myrcene as the dominant terpene, followed by caryophyllene and limonene, and its flavor tags are pine, earthy and woody. Weedmaps reviewers mostly report earthy, herbal and floral notes. SeedFinder quotes a 1987 High Times review that called it a “state of the art indoor indica” that “does not have much taste,” a fair warning that it is bred for effect more than flavor.

THC and effects

Leafly lists about 18% THC and Weedmaps gives 16% to 19%. NYC labels on Oct 17, 2026 ran from 25% to 32%, well above those reference figures, so the jar in front of you is likely much stronger than the strain’s reputation suggests.

Across about 3,800 Leafly ratings, the most common tags are sleepy, relaxed and hungry, which is why it is usually treated as a bedtime strain. The most reported downsides are dry mouth, dry eyes and dizziness. Those are consumer reports, not predictions. Our THC calculator turns a label percentage into milligrams per serving.

Forms and brands of Northern Lights in New York

In New York, Northern Lights is mostly a flower strain. These are the growers whose Northern Lights was on NYC flower menus on Oct 17, 2026, plus the other New York products we could confirm:

Form Brand (New York) Where we saw it
Flower Back Home Cannabis Co., Doobie Labs, Ish, Papa’s Herb, Platinum Reserve, Revert, Untitled, Zips 12 NYC dispensary menus (see below)
Vape cartridge, 1g Silly Nice, a New York brand, 84.66% THC on the listing Licensed NY dispensaries, per the brand
Infused pre-roll blunt, 1.25g Dank By Definition, a New York brand Brand listing; NY retailers not confirmed

We could not confirm a Northern Lights edible from a New York licensed brand. Some unlicensed shops sell out-of-state “Northern Lights” vapes and pre-rolls, so check the store on the state list before you buy.

Where to buy Northern Lights in NYC

On Oct 17, 2026 we read the public flower menus of 32 state-licensed dispensaries across the five boroughs. Northern Lights was on 12 of them. Each shop below has its address, phone number, a Google Maps link, its online menu, our listing for it and the Northern Lights products we saw on its menu that day. Menus change daily, so check the menu or call before you go.

Bar chart of NYC dispensaries stocking Northern Lights by borough: Manhattan 5 of 13, Brooklyn 5 of 11, Queens 2 of 6, the Bronx 0 of 1, Staten Island 0 of 1
Northern Lights by borough: licensed NYC dispensaries carrying it, out of the menus we read in each borough on Oct 17, 2026.

Northern Lights in Manhattan (5 shops)

Northern Lights in Brooklyn (5 shops)

Northern Lights in Queens (2 shops)

  • Bayside Cannabis (Bayside and Little Neck). 224-15 Union Turnpike, Oakland Gardens, NY 11364. Phone: (347) 548-0304. Google Maps · Online menu · Our listing. On the menu Oct 17: Papa’s Herb, 14g, $85, 30.4% THC; Untitled, 3.5g, $23, 29.7% THC (small buds); Revert, 14g, $80, 26.8% THC; Back Home Cannabis Co., 3.5g, $30, 26.1% THC; Untitled, 3.5g, $30, 26.8% THC; Zips, 14g, $75, 32.2% THC.
  • Kushie (Forest Hills and Kew Gardens). 104-39 Queens Blvd, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Phone: (347) 738-4008. Google Maps · Online menu · Our listing. On the menu Oct 17: Back Home Cannabis Co., 3.5g, $30, 31.4% THC.

The growers on those menus were Back Home Cannabis Co., Doobie Labs, Ish, Papa’s Herb, Platinum Reserve, Revert, Untitled and Zips. Eighths ran from $30 to $53, against a citywide median of $40. The live entry is under Northern Lights in our NYC weed strains database, and our NYC dispensary directory lists every licensed shop by borough.

Bar chart comparing how many of 32 licensed NYC dispensary menus carried each strain on Oct 17, 2026: Ice Cream Cake 13, Cap Junky 13, Northern Lights 12, Durban Poison 12, White Widow 10
How this batch of five strains compares on NYC menus, Oct 17, 2026.

Is Northern Lights legal in New York?

Northern Lights is legal to buy in New York only from a licensed adult-use dispensary or licensed delivery service. The rules below come from the state Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and other government sources; our New York cannabis guide covers them in more depth.

  • Age: you must be 21 or older to buy, possess or consume cannabis in New York (OCM, adult-use information).
  • How much you can carry: up to 3 ounces of cannabis and 24 grams of concentrated cannabis, which covers vapes, oils and edibles (same OCM page).
  • Licensed shops only: a business needs an adult-use license to sell cannabis. Licensed stores post the state’s Dispensary Verification Tool, a QR code, near their main entrance. You can check any store on the OCM dispensary verification page or with our license checker. A smoke shop or bodega selling “Northern Lights” without a license is not a legal seller, whatever the bag says.
  • Hemp products: under a federal law signed in November 2025, hemp products with more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container become unlawful in November 2026 (OCM, 2025 federal hemp law FAQ).
  • Where you can use it: in a private home or in most places where tobacco smoking is allowed, but not in a motor vehicle and not where smoking is banned. In New York City the Smoke Free Air Act covers smoking and vaping cannabis in most workplaces, parks, beaches, pedestrian plazas, and the indoor and outdoor areas of bars and restaurants (NYC Health, Smoke Free Air Act). Hotels and employers can set their own bans.
  • Driving: it is illegal to drive impaired by cannabis.
  • Taxes: retail cannabis carries a 9% state excise tax and a 4% local excise tax, 13% in total, and no sales tax (NY Department of Taxation and Finance). For sales on and after June 1, 2024, the old THC potency tax on distributors was replaced by a flat 9% distributor tax.
  • Growing it at home: adults 21 and over may grow 3 mature and 3 immature plants, with a cap of 6 and 6 per household (OCM).
  • Travel: it is illegal to take cannabis across state lines, and you cannot use it on federal land. TSA does not search for marijuana, but it refers anything it finds to law enforcement (TSA).
  • Federal law: on April 23, 2026 the Justice Department moved FDA-approved marijuana products and products regulated under a state medical marijuana license into Schedule III (U.S. Department of Justice). A broader rescheduling was still pending when we last checked, so adult-use cannabis remains illegal under federal law.

Northern Lights in the news

Leafly’s “Strain Highlight: Northern Lights, the Indica Legend Up Close” by Bailey Rahn (first published 2014, updated 2020) is one of the fullest histories of the strain online. It follows the strain from the 11 Afghani seedlings near Seattle to the 1985 move to Holland and Sensi Seeds’ purchase of the Seed Bank in 1991, and explains why so much of the story is unrecorded.

Northern Lights FAQ

What strain is Northern Lights?

Northern Lights is a classic indica built mostly on Afghani landrace genetics. It was first grown near Seattle, taken to the Netherlands in 1985, and later sold by Sensi Seeds.

Is Northern Lights indica or sativa?

It is an indica. Leafly, Weedmaps and NYC dispensary menus all list it as one.

How strong is Northern Lights?

Leafly lists about 18% THC and Weedmaps gives 16% to 19%. Labels on NYC dispensary menus ranged from 25% to 32% on Oct 17, 2026.

Where can I buy Northern Lights in NYC?

On Oct 17, 2026 it was on 12 of the 32 licensed NYC menus we read: 5 in Manhattan, 5 in Brooklyn and 2 in Queens. Prices were $30 to $53 per eighth.

What is Northern Lights #5?

Northern Lights #5 is the best-known of the numbered plants in the original line. Sensi Seeds crossed it with Haze to make Jack Herer.

Is Jack Herer related to Northern Lights?

Yes. Leafly lists Haze x Northern Lights #5 as the parents of Jack Herer.

More strain guides

Sources

For adults 21 and over. Nothing on this page is medical advice. Effects people report vary from person to person. Phone numbers and addresses were checked against each shop’s own site or listing in October 2026.