Type 2 Flower- THCa:CBD

The category we helped make famous — in its final season

Balanced flower is where Flow Gardens made its name. When we started releasing Type 2 strains in early 2021, nobody was doing it — and one launch drew 450 people onto the store at once and oversold on the spot. Those genetics went on to medal at the Emerald Cup in open competition against the whole country, and a Reddit community grew up around the category with a page named after the strain that started it, Banana Mac. Our founder has called Type 2 the future of cannabis.

The law had other plans. The federal rules changing on December 11, 2026 hit this category hardest of all, so this year our grower is finishing one final run of nearly all his classic Type 2 genetics, released as small-batch eighths. If Type 2 is your category, this is the season to stock your jars.

What Type 2 means, and what a 1:1 really is

Type 2 flower carries meaningful amounts of both CBD and THCa in the same bud. People often call it 1:1 flower, and some of ours genuinely is equal parts — Blue Cheese was — but commercial Type 2 hemp usually leans toward CBD, around two parts CBD to one part THCa. The exact ratio varies by strain and by batch, and it's printed on every certificate of analysis in the COA library.

Why that ratio matters: the CBD rounds off the intensity while the THCa keeps the character. You get the flavour, the structure and the feel of real flower with the edges taken off. Our grower's own comparison is that Type 2 is the glass of wine to Type 1's spirits.

Who balanced flower is for

Type 2 suits people who find high-THC flower too much and CBD flower not quite enough. It's the category people land on after a bad experience with something very strong — when they still want cannabis, just not the anxiety, the racing, or losing the evening to it. Customers describe the effect as noticeably present but gentler and rounder, and the reviews on this page are some of the most loyal in our catalog.

It's also where some of our most decorated genetics live. The strains that won our Emerald Cup clean sweep and our Spannabis medal in Barcelona were Type 2s.

The strains in the final run

Our grower is currently finishing flower in North Carolina with almost his entire Type 2 library — one or two plants of each, broken down into small-batch eighths as a last hurrah for the old farm bill. Names in that run include:

Butterberry — two parts CBD to one part THCa, and the strain that beat the whole country at the 2024 Emerald Cup. Seeds came from Hoku Seed Company in Oregon; a ten-pack was popped and every single plant came out different, which almost never happens. This one smelled like a strawberry peanut butter and jelly sandwich, bread note included, and finishes pink-purple. It's his favourite strain he's ever grown, and he reaches for it at night.

Blue Cheese — one of the oldest strains on the farm, roughly equal parts, and a medal winner in both 2022 and 2024. Blueberry cheesecake with a proper funk to it; close enough to UK cheese that anyone who grew up on it will recognise the family.

BOB — Body Odor Berries, named with total honesty. Outrageously pungent, hits hard and reads almost sativa, and people freaked out over it.

Bordeaux — a huge hit in its day, and it smells like sweet red wine.

Flo's Cookies — a cookie strain with a skunky funk underneath it. Phenomenal, and genuinely unusual.

Tang — a Butterberry sibling from that same wild seed pack, named because it smells exactly like orange powdered Tang.

Frosted Pines, Tangerine Dream and a handful of others are in the same run.

Why this is the last one

The federal definition of hemp moves to a total-THC standard on December 11, 2026. Balanced strains are squeezed hardest by that new maths, because they carry real THCa by design — it's the entire point of the category. Rather than let his classic genetics quietly disappear, our grower is giving them one proper release. Details, and what survives afterward, are in the December rule guide.

If you want these genetics to outlast the rule, that's what the seed collection and clone room are for — Type 2 lines are available in both, stored in a refrigerated vault until they ship.

Reading a Type 2 label properly

Type 2 is the one category where the COA genuinely changes what you should buy, because the ratio does more to shape the experience than the totals do.

A jar at 8% CBD and 4% THCa and a jar at 16% CBD and 8% THCa are both 2:1, but the second one is twice the strength of the first. Equally, two jars with identical total cannabinoids can feel completely different if one is 2:1 and the other is 1:1. So read it in two steps: the ratio tells you the character, the totals tell you the strength.

As a rough guide to what our regulars report: nearer 2:1 in CBD's favour reads gentle and rounded, with the THCa present but well-mannered. Nearer 1:1 reads noticeably stronger, closer to Type 1 with the edges filed off. Both are a long way from high-THC flower, which is the entire reason this category exists. Every batch's figures are published in the COA library.

Stocking up for the long term

If this is your category, this season is not a normal buying decision — it's the last proper release of most of these genetics. Worth knowing how to store them so the purchase is still good in a year.

Airtight glass, not plastic. Mason jars are what our grower recommends and what we use ourselves. Plastic holds static, pulls trichomes off the flower, and breathes more than people think.

Cool and stable, around 70°F. Stable matters as much as cool — repeated warming and cooling drives moisture in and out of the flower.

Dark. Light degrades cannabinoids faster than almost anything else. A cupboard beats a shelf.

Not too dry. Over-dry flower smokes harsh and loses its nose. Humidity packs help on long holds, though they're no substitute for a jar that seals.

Don't open it daily. Every opening exchanges the air. If you're laying down several eighths, keep one jar as the working jar and leave the rest sealed.

Done properly, good flower holds its character for six months comfortably and remains thoroughly enjoyable well past that. Done badly — a warm room, a plastic bag, a sunny windowsill — it can be flat in a month.

The community that grew up around this category

It's worth saying plainly that Type 2 wasn't a marketing idea; it was a bet that turned out to have an audience nobody had served. When Banana Mac launched, 450 people hit the store simultaneously and the run oversold on the spot — our grower says he has never seen anything like it before or since. A Reddit community formed around the category, including a page named in honour of that first release.

That's also why the reviews on this page are worth reading before you buy. Not because we curated them — we don't touch them — but because the people who found this category early have strong and specific opinions about which strains were best, and they're a better guide than any description we could write.

Type 2 flower FAQ

What does Type 2 mean?

Flower carrying meaningful amounts of both CBD and THCa. Commercial Type 2 hemp typically leans CBD — around two parts CBD to one part THCa — with the exact ratio varying by strain and batch.

Is Type 2 the same as 1:1 flower?

Close, and the terms get used interchangeably. A true 1:1 is equal parts CBD and THCa, which some of our strains are. Most commercial Type 2 sits nearer 2:1 in CBD's favour. Check the COA for the batch you're buying.

Does Type 2 flower get you high?

There's a noticeable effect — the THCa is real — but customers describe it as gentler and rounder than Type 1, with the CBD taking the edge off. It's the glass of wine to Type 1's spirits.

Type 2 or Type 3 — which should I choose?

If you want to feel something, Type 2. If you want none of the high at all, Type 3 CBD. The simplest way to decide is to buy an eighth of each and find out, which is exactly what a lot of our regulars did.

Will it show on a drug test?

Yes, very likely — it contains real THCa. If you're tested, avoid it.

Why is this the final run?

The federal definition of hemp moves to a total-THC standard on December 11, 2026, and balanced strains are squeezed hardest by the new maths. Our grower is giving his classic Type 2 genetics one last proper release rather than letting them fade out. Details in the December rule guide.

Which should I try first?

Read the reviews — they're unedited, and Type 2 has the most loyal customers in our catalog. Butterberry is the one that beat the country, Blue Cheese is the old guard, BOB is for people who want something genuinely strange. Sold out means sold out, so the mailing list is the way to catch final drops.

Can I grow these myself?

Yes — Type 2 lines are available as feminized seeds and, for proven keepers, as clones cut from the same mothers that supply our own grow. Cultivation rules vary by state, so know your local laws first.

How should I store it?

Airtight, cool, dark, not too dry. If you're stocking up on the final run, that matters more than usual: around 70°F in a sealed mason jar, good flower holds its character for six months or more.

What was Banana Mac?

Our first Type 2 release, in early 2021, and the one that put the category on the map. The launch drew 450 people onto the store at once and oversold immediately. A Reddit community ended up naming a page after it.

Is Type 2 a good starting point for a beginner?

It's arguably the best one, yes — you get the character of real flower with the intensity moderated. That said, "gentler than Type 1" is not "gentle": start with a small amount. If you want no high whatsoever, go to Type 3 instead.

Can I mix Type 2 with other flower?

Yes, and plenty of people do — a little Type 2 in a bowl of Type 1 is a common way to take the edge off without giving up the strength. A pinch of CBG does something different again.

How much should I buy if I want these to last?

That's your call, but understand what you're buying: these are small-batch eighths of genetics that aren't scheduled to return. Stored properly in sealed glass they'll be good a year from now. Stored in the bag they came in, on a warm shelf, they won't.

What were the award-winning Type 2 strains?

Butterberry took the 2024 Emerald Cup, Blue Cheese medalled in both 2022 and 2024, and the Emerald Cup clean sweep included BOB alongside them. Our Spannabis medal in Barcelona came from this category too.