Dr. William Courtney chose the high-CBD strain Cannatonic, also known as the CBD Queen, after receiving a packet of seeds from the strain’s original breeder, Spain-based Resin Seeds.
Testing by SC Labs revealed that the resulting ACDC, which is only sold as a clone, has a 20:1 CBD-to-THC ratio and is incredibly high in CBD. According to Resin Seeds, the plant smells like a combination of cherry, diesel, gas, and Mandarin peel. In ACDC, myrcene is the dominant terpene.
ACDC is the parent of several hybrids high in CBD. Thunderstruck (an S1 hybrid of ACDC and ACDC), Treasure Island (Swiss Gold and ACDC), HarleSin (ACDC and Harlequin), and Incredible Power (OmRita, BluePower, and ACDC) are four ACDC hybrids that Sin City Seeds offers with different CBD-to-THC ratios.
Other notable hybrids include TOCI (ACDC and Xena), EMT (ACDC and Canna-Tsu), Valhalla (ACDC and Sky Dragon), Bodhi Seeds’ CBD Rich Blessing, and others from Love Genetics, Med Tree Seeds, and Bodhi Seeds. CBD Rich Blessing, a cross between ACDC and a CBD-rich Good Medicine male, has in turn been used by its breeder to produce a number of other CBD-rich crosses.
The strain reportedly has average height growth, medium yields of large, dewy buds, and thin leaves. The strain thrives in warm, indoor environments. It is said to flower in 63–70 days, though it might take longer in colder climates. Beginner and intermediate growers with limited grow space may want to look elsewhere for a high-CBD plant because ACDC can be finicky.
Short, bushy plants with thin leaves that typically reach a height of four feet are typical of the ACDC clone. Moderate levels of genetic variation were found in an ACDC clone named Harborside that Phylos Bioscience submitted for genetic analysis.