How Did Gorilla Glue Get Its Name?
By Jeff Eckenrode
Image credit: sciencephoto.com
Quick Answer: Gorilla Glue gets its name from its legendarily sticky resin — so thick it glued trimming scissors to breeder Joesy Whales' hands during harvest. Born from an accidental cross of Chem's Sister, Sour Dubb, and Chocolate Diesel, it became one of the most awarded strains in cannabis history. Now officially known as GG4!
Strong, Sticky and Celebrated
Some strain names take a little digging to understand. Gorilla Glue is not one of those strains.
The name tells you almost everything you need to know before you've even opened the jar: something impossibly sticky with the kind of strength that doesn't let go.
And as origin stories go, this one is hard to beat!
Why? Because Gorilla Glue wasn't supposed to exist at all.
Image credit: DNA Genetics
An Accidental Legend
The story of Gorilla Glue starts not with careful planning, but with a happy accident.
Around 2009, a former crane operator turned cannabis cultivator named Joesy Whales connected with other growers through the online cannabis community ICMag.
They exchanged elite clones like Chem's Sister, Sour Dubb, and Chocolate Diesel. And from there Whales began experimenting with crosses.
At some point, a Chem's Sister plant was accidentally pollinated, setting off a chain of events that would eventually produce one of the most celebrated cannabis strains in history.
From a small batch of seeds, Joesy and his partner Mardogg grew out several phenotypes. Most were discarded. But three plants stood out: GG1, GG2, and what would become the legendary GG4.
Nobody planned it. It just happened!
And nobody could have predicted that GG4 would become an iconic part of modern cannabis history.
Image credit: Icon Commerce
So Why “Gorilla Glue”?
Here's where the name comes in — and it's exactly as literal as it sounds.
When Joesy and his team began trimming the first harvest of GG4, the resin was unlike anything they had encountered before.
The trichomes were so dense and so impossibly sticky that scissors gummed up completely during trimming.
Resin coated everything it touched. According to the origin story, the buds were so sticky they glued Joesy's phone right to his hand.
The comparison was instant and obvious: this stuff was like Gorilla Glue — the famous heavy-duty adhesive brand known for bonding virtually anything to anything else, permanently.
The name Gorilla Glue really stuck! (Pun absolutely intended.)
Image credit: Andrés Gómez
The Genetics Behind the Stickiness
So what makes Gorilla Glue so extraordinarily resinous in the first place?
The credit goes to its parent strains: Chem's Sister, Sour Dubb, and Chocolate Diesel.
All three are known for their strong terpene profiles and significant trichome production. When those genetics collided — and were then carefully selected down to the best phenotype — the result was a plant that produces an almost absurd quantity of resin.
Those trichomes are packed with cannabinoids and terpenes, giving Gorilla Glue its notoriously high THC content (often above 25-28%), its complex flavor profile of earthy pine, chocolate, and diesel, and of course, that legendary stickiness that started everything.
The buds themselves often appear dense, dark green, and frosted with so much crystalline resin that they look like they've been dusted with powdered sugar. It's a visual that lives up to the name.
Image credit: spencer gray
The Awards Came Fast
GG4 didn't stay underground for long.
Once it started circulating in the cannabis community, word spread quickly.
The strain took first place in both the Michigan and Los Angeles Cannabis Cups in 2014, and followed that up with a win at the High Times Jamaican World Cup in 2015.
For a strain born from an accident and a sticky pair of scissors, that's a remarkable run!
Image credit: Tingey Injury Law Firm
The Legal Drama: Gorilla Glue Meets Gorilla Glue
Here's where the story takes an unexpected turn.
The actual Gorilla Glue Company — makers of the adhesive brand — was not amused by a cannabis strain borrowing their name. In 2017, the company pursued legal action, and rather than fight it out in court, GG Strains agreed to officially rename the strain.
The new official name became Original Glue (or simply GG4). Sister strains GG1 and GG5 were rebranded as Sister Glue and New Glue, respectively.
But here's the thing: cannabis consumers largely refused to make the switch. The name Gorilla Glue had already become too embedded in the culture. Dispensaries, consumers, and reviewers kept right on using it. The legal paperwork said one thing; the community said another.
Whether you call it Gorilla Glue, GG4, or Original Glue, everyone knows exactly what you're talking about.
Where Can I Find Gorilla Glue?
Whether you're shopping online or visiting us in Redmond, we're happy to help you find what you're looking for. That includes Gorilla Glue (a.k.a. Original Glue / GG4)!
Currently we carry GG4 in smokeable flower and pre rolls from Good Earth Cannabis.
Image credit: Good Earth Cannabis
What makes GG4 by Good Earth Special?
Good Earth Cannabis is on a mission to Be Good for the planet.
That's why they grow their GG4 in a precision-controlled indoor environment, hand-trim every bud to protect its delicate trichomes, and use organic practices to keep every jar they fill free from synthetic chemicals, heavy metals, and inorganic pesticides.
Want to learn more? Visit their website at: https://www.goodearthcannabis.com/
Want to buy some today? Click on our online menu link below to see our current availability.
FAQ Gorilla Glue
Why is Gorilla Glue called Gorilla Glue?
The name is about as literal as a strain name gets — and the story behind it is genuinely memorable. When breeder Joesy Whales and his team trimmed the first harvest of what would become GG4, the resin production was unlike anything they had experienced before. Trichomes were so dense and so impossibly sticky that scissors gummed up completely during trimming, and according to the origin story, the resin was thick enough to glue Joesy's phone directly to his hand. The comparison to Gorilla Glue — the famous heavy-duty adhesive brand known for bonding virtually anything permanently — was instant and obvious. The name stuck. You could say it had no choice.
Was Gorilla Glue intentionally bred or was it an accident?
Entirely an accident — and that's one of the best parts of the story. Around 2009, Joesy Whales, a former crane operator turned cannabis cultivator, connected with other growers through the online cannabis community ICMag and began exchanging elite clones including Chem's Sister, Sour Dubb, and Chocolate Diesel. At some point a Chem's Sister plant was accidentally pollinated, setting off a chain of events nobody planned or predicted. From a small batch of resulting seeds, Joesy and his partner Mardogg grew out several phenotypes. Most were discarded. Three stood out — GG1, GG2, and the legendary GG4. One of the most celebrated strains in modern cannabis history happened completely by accident.
What are Gorilla Glue's genetics and why is it so sticky?
GG4's extraordinary resin production comes directly from its three parent strains: Chem's Sister, Sour Dubb, and Chocolate Diesel. All three are known for strong terpene profiles and significant trichome production, and when those genetics collided and were selected down to the best phenotype, the result was a plant that produces an almost absurd quantity of resin. Those dense trichomes are packed with cannabinoids and terpenes, giving GG4 its notoriously high THC content (often above 25–28%), its complex flavor profile of earthy pine, chocolate, and diesel — and of course, that legendarily sticky texture that started everything.
What does Gorilla Glue smell and taste like?
GG4's flavor profile is a direct expression of its parent genetics — a complex, multi-layered combination of earthy pine, dark chocolate, and diesel fuel that's immediately recognizable as something bold and serious. The aroma is pungent and resinous, with a damp earthiness that carries the Chem and Diesel influence clearly. On the taste, the earthy pine comes forward first, followed by a chocolatey smoothness and a diesel finish that lingers. It's not a sweet or dessert-forward profile — GG4 is firmly in the classic, fuel-and-earth sativa-hybrid tradition, which gives it a distinctly different character from the fruity and cookie-forward strains that dominate modern menus.
What effects does Gorilla Glue produce? GG4 delivers a potent, heavy-hitting hybrid experience that leans toward full-body relaxation without completely shutting down the mind. The onset is fast and euphoric, with a mood-lifting cerebral warmth that gives way to a deeply comfortable, couch-friendly physical relaxation as the high develops. Its notoriously high THC content means this is a strain for consumers who have some experience — newer users should start low and give it time. At its best, GG4 delivers the kind of thoroughly satisfying, tension-melting experience that won it multiple Cannabis Cup awards and built one of the most devoted consumer followings in modern cannabis.
Why is Gorilla Glue now called GG4 or Original Glue?
This is where the story takes an unexpected legal turn. The actual Gorilla Glue Company — makers of the adhesive brand — was understandably not thrilled about a cannabis strain borrowing their trademark name. In 2017 they pursued legal action, and rather than fight it out in court, GG Strains agreed to officially rename the strain. The official name became Original Glue (or simply GG4), with sister strains rebranded as Sister Glue (GG1) and New Glue (GG5). But cannabis consumers largely refused to switch. The name Gorilla Glue had already become too embedded in culture. Whether you call it Gorilla Glue, GG4, or Original Glue, everyone in the cannabis world knows exactly what you mean.
Want to learn more about legendary hybrid cannabis strains?
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