Cherry #3
A cherry-scented hemp cultivar prized in the CBD industry for high CBD, distinctive aroma, and consistent phenotype.
Cherry #3 is one of the most-planted CBD hemp cultivars in the US, and for good reason: it's stable, it smells like cherry candy, and it hits CBD-dominant chemistry reliably. But almost everything you'll read about its lineage online is unsourced folklore, and 'Cherry #3' is used as a catch-all name by different nurseries selling genetically different plants. Treat it as a chemotype and aroma profile more than a fixed genetic identity.
Overview
Cherry #3 is a CBD-dominant Cannabis sativa cultivar that became one of the workhorse varieties of the US hemp industry after the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp cultivation nationwide [1]. It's grown primarily for CBD extraction and, to a lesser extent, smokable hemp flower. The plant is known for a sweet, candy-cherry aroma, red-tinged bracts and pistils on some phenotypes, and a chemotype that reliably tests CBD-dominant with THC low enough to stay under the 0.3% federal hemp threshold Strong evidence.
Unlike most 'strains' discussed on Weedpedia, Cherry #3 exists mostly in the hemp world, not the recreational THC world. That context matters: hemp seed sold under a single name is often a seed line with meaningful phenotype variation, not a locked clone.
Lineage (disputed)
The most commonly repeated origin story is that Cherry #3 was selected from Cherry Wine (itself said to be The Wife × Charlotte's Cherries) by breeders working in the industrial hemp space in the mid-2010s Disputed. Some sources credit specific Colorado and Oregon hemp programs; others point to breeders in the Carolinas. None of these claims are backed by primary breeder documentation that we can verify.
What's clear from cultivar surveys is that 'Cherry' hemp lines (Cherry Wine, Cherry Blossom, Cherry #3, Cherry Citrus, etc.) form a related family of CBD-dominant selections that share aroma characteristics and generally test in the same chemotype range [2] Weak / limited. What's not clear is the exact pedigree of any given seed lot sold as 'Cherry #3.' Different nurseries have released materially different plants under this name. If pedigree matters to you, ask the seller for parental documentation — and expect not to get it.
Chemistry: cannabinoids and terpenes
Cannabinoids. Cherry #3 is a Type III (CBD-dominant) chemotype. Published and industry lab data typically show CBD around 12-18% of dry flower weight and THC between 0.15% and 0.30%, giving a CBD:THC ratio of roughly 20:1 to 30:1 [3] Strong evidence. Minor cannabinoids include CBG (usually <1%) and CBC in trace amounts. Because CBDA converts to CBD (and small amounts of THC can appear from THCA decarboxylation), late-harvest Cherry #3 can drift over the 0.3% federal THC limit — a well-documented risk with CBD hemp cultivars generally [4] Strong evidence.
Terpenes. Reported terpene profiles vary by phenotype and environment, but the most common dominant terpenes are myrcene, β-caryophyllene, and α-pinene, with α-humulene and α-bisabolol as common minors Weak / limited. The 'cherry candy' aroma is not fully explained by any single terpene in cannabis — it likely arises from a combination of terpenes and trace volatile esters, and this specific attribution has not been rigorously studied in Cherry #3.
Note: the widely repeated claim that '>0.5% myrcene makes a strain indica' is marketing folklore with no peer-reviewed basis No data.
Reported effects
There are no clinical trials of Cherry #3 specifically. Anything you read about how this particular cultivar 'makes you feel' is anecdote, not evidence Anecdote.
What we can say more confidently is about CBD-dominant flower in general. Users typically report mild relaxation without intoxication, and CBD has been studied for anxiety, sleep, and (at pharmaceutical doses) seizure disorders [5][6][evidence:strong for high-dose isolate; evidence:weak for smoked flower]. The doses delivered by smoking or vaping a joint of Cherry #3 flower are far lower than the doses used in clinical trials of purified CBD (which typically range from 300 mg to over 1000 mg per day), so extrapolating clinical CBD findings to Cherry #3 flower is not straightforward.
Because Cherry #3 contains detectable THC — legal, but real — heavy consumption can produce a positive urine drug test [7] Strong evidence. Do not assume 'hemp' means 'undetectable.'
Cultivation basics
Cherry #3 is generally considered forgiving. Reported grower notes include:
- Structure: medium-tall, with moderate internodal spacing; responds well to topping and light training.
- Flowering time: 8-9 weeks indoors; outdoor harvest in the northern hemisphere typically falls in the first half of October.
- Mold resistance: moderate; dense colas on some phenos can be susceptible to botrytis in wet finishes.
- Nutrient sensitivity: average; not known as a heavy feeder.
- Hermaphrodite risk / THC compliance: as with most CBD hemp cultivars, late-season stress can push THC over 0.3%. Growers in the US Hemp Program should test in-field and be prepared to harvest early [4] Strong evidence.
Seed vs. clone matters a lot. Feminized seed from a reputable nursery gives more consistent chemotype; clones from a verified mother plant are the only way to lock a specific phenotype.
Marketing vs. reality
Marketing says: Cherry #3 is a specific strain with a known pedigree, a signature terpene profile, and defined effects.
Reality:
- It's a seed line (often multiple seed lines) rather than a single genetic clone. Different vendors sell plants that differ noticeably in aroma, color, and cannabinoid ratio under the same name.
- Its pedigree is genuinely disputed and not documented in any primary source we can cite.
- Its 'effects profile' is unstudied. Vendor claims about anxiety relief, sleep, pain, etc., extrapolate from CBD research at doses much higher than what flower delivers.
- Its cherry aroma is real and reproducible; its indica/sativa classification is meaningless (see Indica vs Sativa).
Cherry #3 is a good, honest CBD hemp cultivar. Just don't buy the story that comes with it — buy the COA.
Sources
- Government US Department of Agriculture. Establishment of a Domestic Hemp Production Program. Final Rule, 2021.
- Peer-reviewed Johnson, R. Defining Hemp: A Fact Sheet. Congressional Research Service, and see Small, E. (2015). Evolution and Classification of Cannabis sativa in Relation to Human Utilization. Botanical Review, 81(3), 189-294.
- Peer-reviewed Jin, D., Dai, K., Xie, Z., & Chen, J. (2020). Secondary Metabolites Profiled in Cannabis Inflorescences, Leaves, Stem Barks, and Roots for Medicinal Purposes. Scientific Reports, 10, 3309.
- Peer-reviewed Toth, J. A., et al. (2020). Development and validation of genetic markers for sex and cannabinoid chemotype in Cannabis sativa L. GCB Bioenergy, 12(3), 213-222.
- Peer-reviewed Bergamaschi, M. M., et al. (2011). Cannabidiol reduces the anxiety induced by simulated public speaking in treatment-naïve social phobia patients. Neuropsychopharmacology, 36(6), 1219-1226.
- Peer-reviewed Devinsky, O., et al. (2017). Trial of Cannabidiol for Drug-Resistant Seizures in the Dravet Syndrome. New England Journal of Medicine, 376(21), 2011-2020.
- Peer-reviewed Spindle, T. R., et al. (2020). Urinary excretion profile of 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH) following smoked and vaporized cannabis administration in infrequent cannabis users. Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 44(9), 909-917.
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