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The Official Cannabis collection · sheet 58No 58 · Rainbow RuntzHistory

History

The history of Rainbow Runtz

Rainbow Runtz has no founding date and no confirmed breeder: the cross most often cited as the original is Zkittlez × Do-Si-Dos, and by 2024 Leafly also listed it as Wizard Trees’ Runtz × RS11.1,2 It grew up alongside Runtz, Leafly’s Strain of the Year in 2020, and the earliest test of it in our lab data dates from June 2021, in Michigan.3,4

Timeline

  1. 2010sZkittlez, which Leafly now lists as The Original Z, comes to market; Leafly describes it as an alleged Grape Ape × Grapefruit cross with another undisclosed strain.5
  2. 2016Zkittlez wins 1st place at the Emerald Cup.5
  3. 2018Exotic Genetix releases Rainbow Chip (Sunset Sherbert × Mint Chocolate Chip) in its Mint Chocolate Chip lineup; it becomes the mother of the company’s Rainbow Runtz.6,7
  4. 2020Runtz (Zkittlez × Gelato), popularized by the Runtz crew from Long Beach, is named Leafly’s Strain of the Year.3
  5. Jun 2021The earliest Rainbow Runtz test in our lab data, from Michigan.4
  6. 2022Exotic Genetix releases Goldust, a cross of its Rainbow Runtz with Scotty 2 Hotty.8,9
  7. 202250 of the 77 Rainbow Runtz tests in our data date from this year, the most of any year, almost all from Michigan.4
  8. 2023Leafly reports that many cultivators across the US grow RS11, the Deo Farms cut selected by Wizard Trees; Zkittlez’s growers adopt the name The Original Z in a trademark settlement with a candy company.5,10
  9. 2024Leafly lists Rainbow Runtz as also being Wizard Trees’ cross of Runtz × RS11, the version Wizard Trees sells as Rainbow RZ.2,11
  10. 2025Runtz is #1 in Leafly dispensary orders in Michigan and Nevada.12
  11. Aug 2026Runtz is the top-selling strain in Michigan, per The Marijuana Herald’s September 2026 snapshot of August sales.13
  12. Oct 4, 2026Weedmaps shows Rainbow Runtz flower at 190 store listings in 12 of 27 markets, 95 of them around Los Angeles.14

Why it spread

It rode the Runtz wave. Leafly calls Runtz "the strain that launched a million crosses", with dozens of variations on dispensary shelves, especially in Michigan, and several breeders have released their own Rainbow Runtz.1,12 SeedFinder lists five breeders’ versions and GrowDiaries six seed products, including an autoflower, while Wizard Trees sells its own as Rainbow RZ and describes its candy-like sweetness and gas profile.11,15,16

The disputed parts of the story

  • Parents: Zkittlez × Do-Si-Dos, Runtz × RS11, Rainbow Chip × Runtz, Rainbow Candy × Gelato #41 and at least three seed-company crosses (see genetics).1,17,18,19
  • Breeder: Weedmaps says the original has no confirmed breeder, and Growers Choice says the strain’s ties to the original Runtz have not been confirmed.1,20
  • Type: Leafly files it under indica, AllBud lists a 50/50 hybrid, and Weedmaps a hybrid.1,2,21
  • Date: no source we found dates the first Rainbow Runtz; Leafly describes the Zkittlez × Do-Si-Dos strain in the past tense and the Wizard Trees cross as the 2024 version.2

Sources

  1. Weedmaps, Rainbow Runtz (aka Rainbow RZ) strain page. Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  2. Leafly, Rainbow Runtz (aka Rainbow Runts) strain information. Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  3. Leafly, Runtz (aka Runtz OG, Gelato Zkittlez) strain information. Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  4. Cannlytics (CC BY 4.0), cannabis_results: public state lab results (filtered and aggregated by Official Cannabis). Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  5. Leafly, The Original Z (aka Z) strain information. Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  6. Leafly, Rainbow Chip strain information. Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  7. Exotic Genetix, Rainbow Runtz (Retired). Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  8. Leafly, Goldust strain information. Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  9. SeedFinder, Rainbow Runtz (Exotic Genetix): strain info and descendants. Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  10. Leafly, RS11 (aka RS-11, Rainbow Sherbert #11) strain information. Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  11. Weedmaps, Wizard Trees: Rainbow RZ, indoor flower, 3.5 g (brand product page). Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  12. Leafly, The best-selling weed strains of 2025 (2026-02-02). Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  13. The Marijuana Herald, The top-selling marijuana strain in all 23 states with legal recreational sales (2026-09-18). Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  14. Weedmaps listings, compiled by Official Cannabis, Weedmaps flower menu snapshot, 27 US markets, Oct 4, 2026. Accessed Oct 4, 2026. Latest capture Oct 4, 2026.
  15. SeedFinder, All Rainbow Runtz strains. Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  16. GrowDiaries, Rainbow Runtz strain: seed products and grow diaries. Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  17. Philosopher Seeds, Rainbow Runtz (feminized seeds). Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  18. SeedFinder, Rainbow Runtz (Nugs 420): strain info. Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  19. Hypno Seeds, Rainbow Runtz Auto (autoflower seeds). Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  20. SeedFinder, Rainbow Runtz (Growers Choice): strain info and seller description. Accessed Oct 4, 2026.
  21. AllBud, Rainbow Runtz marijuana strain information and reviews. Accessed Oct 4, 2026.