Most cannabis strains come and go with only a few leaving a major mark. There is one strain that has changed everything and the genetics of many strains to date. The Cookies strain, originally known as Girl Scout Cookies, did not just become popular but became a cultural movement. This strain and its presence has shifted into a global brand and the foundation of a billion dollar empire that started in one of San Francisco’s most iconic neighborhoods.
The Neighborhood Where It All Began
The story of Cookies starts in the Sunset District of San Francisco, a fog-covered neighborhood on the western edge of the city. In the early 2000s, a tight-knit group of cannabis enthusiasts and growers began working together in that community. They called themselves the Cookie Fam and they were quietly doing something extraordinary inside grow rooms and garages that the rest of the world had not yet heard of.
At the center of it all was a skilled cultivator named Jai Chang, known to his crew simply as Jigga. According to 420 Magazine, the original Girl Scout Cookies strain was first created around 2007 when Jigga crossed a prized Durban Poison plant with a variation of OG Kush. The result was something entirely new with the flavor being unlike anything in the cannabis world at the time, carrying sweet, earthy and minty notes that reminded people of freshly baked desserts. That combination of genetics from Durban Poison and OG Kush created a potent hybrid that consistently tested between 19 and 28 percent THC.
The strain was so rare in its early days that people could not easily get their hands on it. Original GSC cuttings were passed around quietly within trusted circles. One early recipient described getting his first look at the flower as something he immediately recognized as special. That small act of sharing is what started the wildfire spread of Cookies genetics around the world.
The Man Who Turned The Strain Into A Brand
Every great product needs a great storyteller. For Cookies, that person was Gilbert Anthony Milam Jr., the San Francisco rapper known as Berner. He started working at a local dispensary called The Hemp Center at age 18 and eventually befriended Jigga. Together, they began selling Jigga’s strains to dispensaries around the Bay Area, including the strain that would become the most famous cannabis variety on the planet.
In 2010, Berner officially launched the Cookies brand and became one of the earliest cannabis entrepreneurs to understand the power of social media. He wore Cookies clothing in music videos, promoted the brand through his music and partnered with fellow rapper Wiz Khalifa to spread the word even further. While other brands were relying on traditional word of mouth, Berner was building a community on Instagram one post at a time. According to Cannabis Now, the Cookie Fam was the first cannabis collective to truly exploit social media as a marketing tool and it worked brilliantly.
By 2012, clones of the original Girl Scout Cookies strain were selling for up to $1,000 per cutting. The strain had already won a high-profile U.S. Cannabis Cup in 2013, and its reputation was growing faster than the plant itself.
A Name Change and a Legal Showdown
With fame came complications. The Girl Scouts of the USA took notice of the strain’s name and sent a cease-and-desist letter to the state of California. The trademark connection to a beloved American institution was too close for the organization to ignore. Dispensaries and producers in legal markets eventually moved toward calling the strain simply “GSC,” and the broader brand became known as Cookies. The name change did nothing to slow the momentum and in reality it gave the brand its own clean identity that was entirely its own.
The original Girl Scout Cookies strain gave birth to an entire family of beloved varieties. Gelato, one of the most popular strains of the modern era, was born from crossing Thin Mint GSC with Sunset Sherbet. Sunset Sherbet itself came from the Cookie Fam’s genius. Cherry Pie, London Pound Cake and dozens of other award-winning varieties trace their roots back to that original garage grow in the Sunset District. According to CULTA, Cookies today holds over 75 proprietary cannabis strains in its portfolio and more than 2,000 products.
The terpene profile of the original GSC is still considered one of the most complex and interesting in cannabis. Rich in caryophyllene, limonene and linalool, the strain delivers earthy, citrusy and minty aromas that genuinely smell like something coming out of an oven.
From a Garage to the Cover of Forbes
Today, Cookies is the most globally recognized cannabis brand in the world. The company operates dispensaries across the United States, Canada, Israel and Thailand. In 2021, AdAge named Cookies one of America’s Hottest Brands, making it the first cannabis business to ever receive that honor. In 2022, Berner became the first cannabis executive to appear on the cover of Forbes magazine, a historic moment for the entire cannabis industry.
The Cookies story is more than a cannabis origin tale. It is proof that a great product, a strong community and a clear vision can turn something that started in a San Francisco garage into a global cultural institution. The next time you pick up a strain with Cookies in the name, you are holding a little piece of that history.
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