Our top pick in this Northern Lights strain review is the classic photoperiod Northern Lights, the Afghani indica most people picture when they hear the name. We set it against Northern Lights #5, autoflowering Northern Lights, and Northern Lights hybrids, and judged every version on four things: aroma and flavor fidelity, the shape and length of the high, how forgiving it is for a home grow, and how often it turns up on a dispensary menu.
northern lights strain indica or sativa
What we compared
The name Northern Lights gets stretched across a lot of products, so a fair review has to separate the reference indica from the versions riding on its reputation. We scored each one on the same four points.
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- Aroma and flavor: does it still carry earth, pine, and sweet spice, or has it gone flat?
- Effects: body weight, calm, appetite, and sleep pressure.
- Grow behavior: stretch, finishing time, and tolerance for beginner mistakes.
- Availability: flower, pre-rolls, cartridges, and how consistent batches tend to be.
Potency numbers shift from harvest to harvest on any cannabis product, so treat the label as a starting point and the terpene profile as the better signal of what you are actually buying.
Northern Lights Strain vs OG Kush: Which One Should You Buy?
1. Classic Northern Lights photoperiod (top pick)
This is the version worth hunting. Northern Lights is an Afghani indica line that breeders stabilized decades ago, and the classic photoperiod cut keeps the profile that made it famous: damp earth, pine, a faint sweetness on the exhale, and a heavy, quiet body high that settles in after a few minutes.
Pros
- Aroma and flavor land where most smokers expect them to
- Effect leans calm and physical, which suits late evening use
- Growers report a compact plant that forgives small mistakes
- Dense flower that trims clean and stores well
Cons
- The name is applied loosely, so two jars labeled Northern Lights can smoke like different strains
- True original clones are not on every menu
- Heavy sedation can be too much for daytime use
Best for: evening wind-down, appetite, and anyone who wants the reference indica before trying the variations.
2. Northern Lights #5
NL #5 is the selected cut that breeding houses leaned on hardest. It tends to run sharper and more resinous than the broad Northern Lights label, with a pine note that sits forward.
Pros
- Strong breeding stock, so its traits show up in many famous hybrids
- Resin production that suits hash and extract makers
- Clearer pine and spice on the nose than some generic NL flower
Cons
- Rarely sold as flower under the #5 name
- Effects can hit harder than buyers expect from a classic indica
- Availability depends on which breeder you are shopping
Best for: experienced smokers and home growers who want the parent line behind well known hybrids.
3. Northern Lights autoflower
Auto versions exist from several breeders, and they trade some of the original's depth for speed and size.
Pros
- Short cycle and small footprint, which suits tent grows and balconies
- Forgiving for a first indoor run
- Compact plants that stay manageable without heavy training
Cons
- Potency and yield often trail the photoperiod version
- Aroma can come out thinner and less complex
- Quality swings widely between breeders and batches
Best for: new growers, small spaces, and buyers who want a quick, low effort harvest.
4. Northern Lights hybrids and crosses
Northern Lights #5 sits in the lineage of hybrids such as Jack Herer and Shiva Skunk, and the indica side usually shows up as body weight under a brighter head effect.
Pros
- More menu variety, including sativa leaning crosses
- Yield potential often climbs above a pure NL line
- Good middle ground for smokers who find pure indica too heavy
Cons
- The Northern Lights character gets diluted
- You are reviewing the other parent as much as this one
- Batch to batch differences are harder to track
Best for: smokers who want the NL body effect with a lighter, more functional head.
How to choose at the counter
- Ask for the harvest date and the breeder name, not just the strain name
- Smell the jar if the shop allows it: earth and pine should read clean, not hay
- Check trim and moisture before you commit to a larger bag
- Pick flower for flavor, pre-rolls for convenience, and cartridges only if you already trust the source
Cannabis hits everyone differently, and legal rules vary by state, so buy from a licensed shop and start with a small amount before you stock up.