GMO Strain Profile From Terpenes to Effects

By Brandon Topp
February 12th, 2026

"GMO" on a dispensary menu has nothing to do with your groceries. In cannabis, GMO stands for Garlic, Mushroom, Onion. It's a nod to this strain's aggressively savory aroma, which smells more like a roasted garlic bulb than a bag of weed.

Most guides skip that clarification or bury it halfway down the page, which leaves new shoppers confused for no good reason.

This guide covers everything worth knowing about GMO: its genetics, backstory, terpene profile, and a minute-by-minute breakdown of the effects. 

You'll also get honest potency numbers and options for GMO-lineage flower shipped to your door. Check out Mood’s Dark Rainbow — a GMO cross — today. 

Table of Contents:

• What Is the GMO Strain?

• The Terpenes Behind GMO's Garlic Funk

• How GMO Makes You Feel: From First Hit to Couch Lock

• Is GMO the Strongest Strain You Can Buy?

• Winding Down with GMO

• Getting GMO Effects Through Hemp Shipped to Your Door

• Wind Down with GMO (or Something Close to It)

What Is the GMO Strain?

GMO is an indica-dominant hybrid (90% indica, 10% sativa) born from a cross of Girl Scout Cookies (GSC) and Chemdawg D. 

You'll also see it listed as Garlic Cookies, GMO Cookies, or GMO Garlic Cookies depending on the dispensary. All four names refer to the same genetics.

The strain traces back to Mamiko Seeds in the early 2010s. A grower known as Skunkmasterflex grew out their "Chem Cookies" seeds and found one phenotype that stood out from the rest.

He named it GMO after the garlic-onion-spice smell that hit him every time he opened the jar. The name stuck because nothing else on the market smelled quite like it.

GMO won 1st Place for Best Indica Flower at the 2017 Midwest Cannabis Cup, which put it on the national radar. The buds are dense and olive-green with purple hues, coated in thick trichome frosting with bright orange pistils. 

That heavy resin production made GMO a favorite among concentrate makers and helped it become a parent strain for dozens of popular crosses.

The Terpenes Behind GMO's Garlic Funk

Three dominant terpenes shape how GMO smells, tastes, and feels.

Caryophyllene is GMO's most abundant terpene. It brings the spicy, peppery bite you notice on the inhale. Caryophyllene is also the only terpene known to directly activate CB2 cannabinoid receptors, which makes it a favorite subject in cannabis research.

Myrcene is the earthy, herbal note underneath the garlic. GMO contains an abundance of myrcene, and it's closely associated with heavy, body-focused effects.

Dr. Ethan Russo's research in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research found that sedation in most cannabis strains comes from myrcene content, not the indica or sativa label.

Limonene adds a subtle citrus brightness that keeps GMO from being entirely savory. A 2024 double-blinded trial from Johns Hopkins and University of Colorado found that d-limonene combined with THC shifted the experience in a more positive direction.

Beyond these three, trace sulfurous terpenes produce GMO's garlic-mushroom funk. These compounds are uncommon in other strains and gave rise to an entire "funky strains" subcategory in cannabis breeding.

How GMO Makes You Feel: From First Hit to Couch Lock

The short answer: GMO starts with a giggly, almost sativa-like cerebral buzz. That transitions into heavy full-body relaxation, settling into full couch-lock within about 15 minutes.

Here's what the timeline actually looks like.

Minutes 1 through 3: An uplifting cerebral euphoria kicks in fast. You'll likely feel giggly and mentally energized, which catches a lot of people off guard given GMO's reputation as a heavy indica. Enjoy this phase while it lasts.

Around minute 10: The euphoria starts giving way to warmth and heaviness spreading through your body. Your limbs get heavy, your thoughts slow down, and the couch starts feeling very, very comfortable.

By minute 15: Full couch-lock. If you haven't heard that term before, it means extreme physical relaxation where you feel little desire (or ability) to get up and do anything. Users on AllBud describe it as "floating on a cloud."

Total duration: Expect 2 to 3 hours of full effects with lingering relaxation for roughly another hour after that.

The surprise factor is real. GMO's two-phase progression (euphoria first, heaviness second) trips up people who expect an indica to feel heavy from the very first puff.

Mood's Dark Rainbow, a GMO cross, follows this same arc. Knowing the progression ahead of time helps you plan the session rather than wonder why it suddenly hit different ten minutes in.

Does GMO make you want to rest? Absolutely. The abundant myrcene content creates a progressive wave of relaxation that makes GMO an evening-only strain.

If you have errands to run or work to finish, save this one for later.

Is GMO the Strongest Strain You Can Buy?

GMO ranks among the most potent indicas on the market, but calling it "the strongest" depends on which batch you're looking at. Leafly's "Strongest Weed Strains of 2025" list includes GMO Cookies alongside Permanent Marker, Motorbreath (26%+ average), and Runtz. It belongs in the conversation, but it doesn't sit alone at the top.

One thing that confuses people: published THC numbers for GMO vary wildly. AllBud lists 20 to 24%, JANE Dispensary says 28 to 33%, and Leafly lands at 28%.

The differences come down to harvest timing, testing methodology, and which phenotype was grown. Expect batch variation rather than a single fixed number.

For concentrates, GMO BHO extracts frequently exceed 80% total THC. That's a detail you'll find in AI-generated answers but rarely on legacy strain pages.

If you're newer to potent flower: Start with 1 to 2 puffs and wait 15 to 20 minutes before deciding whether you want more. At 25 to 30% THC, each puff delivers roughly double what a beginner-friendly 12 to 15% strain would. There's no rush.

Common effects at baseline include dry mouth and dry eyes. At larger amounts or for people with lower tolerance, the experience can become uncomfortably intense.

Mood's Dark Rainbow product page carries a similar note for its GMO-lineage flower. Taking it easy is the way to go with strains in this potency range.

Winding Down with GMO

GMO's terpene profile and potency make it a natural pick for the last couple hours of the evening. If you've got nowhere to be and nothing left on the to-do list, this is your strain.

This is not a "grab the leash and walk the dog" strain. This is a "sink into the couch with a movie and some snacks" strain.

People in cannabis communities describe GMO as their go-to for movie nights, end-of-day decompression, or getting into full couch-potato mode. The two-phase effects (giggly onset into deep physical relaxation) make the first few minutes entertaining before everything settles into a warm, quiet evening.

One thing worth noting: significant variation exists across different GMO cuts and grows. If you tried a batch that didn't impress you, the specific grow may be the issue rather than the strain itself. 

Batch-specific COA testing reveals more than a strain label alone, so checking lab results before buying is always a smart move.

Getting GMO Effects Through Hemp Shipped to Your Door

Not everyone lives near a dispensary, and not every state has a recreational cannabis program. If GMO's profile sounds like what you're after but you can't walk into a shop and buy it, there's a hemp-derived option worth knowing about.

Dark Rainbow (GMO × Rainbow Belts F1) is Mood's THCa flower that inherits GMO's garlic-diesel funk and couch-lock progression at 27.78% THC. It's categorized under Mood's "Chill" collection and carries 4.65 stars across 1.9k+ reviews.

The GMO parent contributes that savory garlic-mushroom funk that no other strain quite replicates. The Rainbow Belts F1 side adds a candy sweetness to balance the profile.

To be clear: Dark Rainbow is a GMO-lineage derivative, not a GMO rebrand. It's its own strain with its own flavor profile and characteristics. If you have dispensary access, you can absolutely buy GMO directly.

This option is for readers who can't get to a dispensary. Mood provides batch-specific COAs and organizes products by the experience you're looking for rather than expecting you to memorize strain names.

Wind Down with GMO (or Something Close to It)

GMO is an evening powerhouse with a predictable arc: garlic-forward terpenes, 20 to 33% THC, and euphoria that melts into couch-lock in about 15 minutes. Expect 2 to 3 hours of deep relaxation. It earned its reputation for good reason.

If you have dispensary access: Look for GMO or Garlic Cookies at your local shop and check batch-specific lab results. The strain name alone doesn't tell you what's actually in the jar.

If you don't have dispensary access: Dark Rainbow from Mood delivers GMO-lineage genetics at 27.78% THC, shipped direct to 23+ states. Every order comes with batch COAs and a 100-day satisfaction guarantee.

If GMO's profile sounds right but you want to explore, browse Mood's THCa flower collection by mood category to find what fits.