High Families
Classification
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Each family is a distinct terpene profile. The mood we attach to it is our reading of that chemistry — a starting point for finding strains, not a clinical finding.
The Chemistry Map
The study proposed extending the existing chemotype idea — THC-dominant, balanced, CBD-dominant — with its six terpene clusters. That is two axes, so here are both: chemotype down the side, terpene cluster across the top.
- Strains mapped
- 2756
- THC-dominant
- 2589
- Balanced (II)
- 134
- CBD-dominant (III)
- 33
Only 167 of 2756 mapped strains (6.1%) carry meaningful CBD. The grid below is deliberately top-heavy with empty cells — that is what the market looks like, and it is why the two CBD rows name every strain individually while the THC row is shown as a count.
Select any cell to list its strains.
A cluster is not a potency rating
Every one of the study's six clusters averaged between 18.33% and 25.52% THC — these were potent medicinal flowers, all of them. The terpene axis describes how a strain smells and, we think, how it lands. It says nothing about how strong it is. That is what the chemotype axis and the label on the jar are for.
The Science
Understanding the High Families
A modern approach to cannabis classification based on peer-reviewed chemistry research.
Beyond Sativa vs Indica
Traditional labels like "Sativa" and "Indica" describe plant structure, not effects. The 2025 German Chemovar Study proved these labels have no statistical correlation with terpene profiles (p > 0.05). The High Families focus on what actually matters: the terpenes.
Research identified 9 terpenes that explain 86% of profile variation: Myrcene, Caryophyllene, Limonene, Linalool, Humulene, Pinene, Terpinolene, Fenchol, and Ocimene.
Each High Family groups strains by their dominant terpenes. What a given profile feels like is our inference, not a study result — the authors call for clinical trials on exactly that question.
The 2025 German Chemovar Study
Peer-Reviewed Research
"Classification of Cannabis Strains Based on their Chemical Fingerprint"
Herwig N, Utgenannt S, Nickl F, Möbius P, Nowak L, Schulz O, Fischer M. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research 2025;10(3):409-419.
The study used K-means clustering to identify 6 statistically-distinct terpene clusters across 140 German medicinal cannabis flowers. Each cluster is defined by its terpene composition, and nothing else — the paper labels them "Cluster No. 1" through "Cluster No. 6" and does not name them or claim an effect for any of them.
Our six High Families are patterned on those six clusters. The chemistry is the study's. The names, and every effect or time-of-day suggestion we attach to them, are ours. On the therapeutic side the authors are explicit: "It is possible that different medical applications can be derived from the different terpene contents. This has to be investigated in clinical trials."
How We Mapped the Science
Each High Family is patterned on one of the 6 terpene clusters in the study. The two right-hand columns split what is measured from what is inferred: the terpene and THC figures are the study's data, and the cluster names and effect readings are ours.
| High Family | Study cluster (our name) | Defining terpenes (measured, mg/g) | Mean THC (measured) | Our effect reading (untested) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uplifting High | Uplifting Citrus | limonene (4.99), caryophyllene (2.54), linalool (2.50) 18.39 mg/g total | 25.52% | Mood elevation, Anxiety relief |
| Energetic High | Rare Energizer | terpinolene (4.13), ocimene (4.05), myrcene (4.98) 18.43 mg/g total | 21.63% | Energizing, Antioxidant |
| Relaxing High | Relaxing Body | myrcene (5.43), caryophyllene (2.04) 14.07 mg/g total | 18.33% | Sedating, Anti-inflammatory |
| Balancing High | Gentle Balance | caryophyllene (2.64), humulene (1.00) 7.61 mg/g total | 19.63% | Subtle aroma, Even profile |
| Relieving High | Therapeutic Spice | caryophyllene (3.63), humulene (1.45), limonene (2.38) 14.23 mg/g total | 22.98% | Pain relief, CB2 activation |
| Entourage High | Full Spectrum | myrcene (4.77), limonene (3.87), caryophyllene (3.56) 18.15 mg/g total | 24.41% | Complex, Potent |
None of these families is a "mild" family
Every cluster in the study averaged between 18.33% and 25.52% THC. These were German medicinal flowers, and they were potent across the board. The lowest of the six is Relaxing High, and it still averaged 18.33% THC. Where a family reads as quiet, gentle or subtle, that is describing its terpene content — 14.07 mg/g in that cluster, the lowest of the six — and never its strength. A family name is not a dose. If you are new to cannabis, read the label, start with a small amount, and wait.
Why This Matters
When you choose a strain from the Relaxing High family, you're selecting on measured myrcene content rather than a marketing label. Strains in the same family are chemically alike in a way that "Indica" and "Sativa" strains are not — the study showed those labels don't track chemistry at all. Whether chemical similarity produces a similar experience is the next question, and it is not one this study answered.
Want the Full Story?
Dive deeper into how the German study analyzed 140 strains, identified the 9 key terpenes, and why we built High Families on this foundation.
Read: The Science Behind High FamiliesQuick Jump to a Family
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Scan Your LabelHigh Families FAQs
What are High Families?
High Families are our six strain categories, patterned on the six terpene clusters found in the 2025 German Chemovar Study (Herwig et al.). The study identified the clusters and labelled them by number — "Cluster No. 1" through "6" — and named none of them. The names Uplift, Energy, Relax, Balance, Relief and Entourage are ours, and so is every description of how a family feels.
How are the High Families different from Sativa vs Indica?
The 2025 German study found no statistical correlation between Sativa/Indica labels and terpene profiles (p > 0.05). The High Families group strains by chemistry instead — specifically the 9 terpenes that explain 86% of profile variation. What that chemistry feels like has not been tested clinically; the study measured the groupings, not the experience.
Which High Family is right for me?
Pick by the chemistry you want to try: Uplift is limonene-dominant, Energy has the rare terpinolene/ocimene profile, Relax is myrcene-dominant, Balance has the lowest total terpene content, Relief is caryophyllene-dominant, and Entourage is the broadest mix. Note that none of these is a low-potency category: every cluster in the study averaged between 18.3% and 25.5% THC, including Balance at 19.6%. Terpenes describe how a strain lands, not how strong it is — read the label and start low.
What scientific research backs the High Families?
The chemistry comes from Herwig et al. (2025), "Classification of Cannabis Strains Based on their Chemical Fingerprint," in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research (DOI: 10.1089/can.2024.0127). The study analyzed 140 German medicinal cannabis flowers via GC-MS and used K-means clustering to identify 6 distinct terpene clusters. The clustering and the measurements are theirs. The family names, and the effects and times of day we attach to them, are our inference — the authors are explicit that therapeutic differences between the clusters "has to be investigated in clinical trials."
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