Can you tell the Strain just by looking, smelling, etc?

[MADISM]

Hey,
I have a friend of mine that says this guy he knows can tell you which strain is which just by looking at it.
We got into this huge argument because i said there are way to many strains to know.
If i look at good good weed, i cant sit here and tell you its Maui, grand daddy Purps etc. I just know its good.

He said his guy can tell you the name just from getting a sample. So i gave him a sample of some new weed i just picked up and ill let you guys know if he can tell me the strain.

What are your thoughts? How are some of the more experienced people here figuring out what strain is what?

 

[kansasgrown]

With so so so many different strains out there I would find it very hard to believe that someone could have that discerning a nose/eye to be able to differentiate one strain over another. He might be able to tell the difference between a few local strains but...I think he is trying to get some free weed off of you.

 

[Nuglover]

I'm calling bullshit. Sounds like an easy way to con people into giving you free smoke. You may be able to tell if it's indica or sativa but I doubt anyone can look at ANY plant and tell you for sure what it is. Now someone who has seen or grown a strain may be able to recognize that strain later or maybe a cross of that strain.But anyone who says they can look at ANY plant and tell you the exact strain with 100% acuracy is full of shit. You would've had to grow and smoke every strain in existance. Plus new strains come out almost daily. JMHO

 

[Hashmasta-Kut]

i cant tell every strain, and with all the crosses there is millions of varieties, but i can identify many many types of weed and lineages from odor and or appearance.

 

[l33t]

Just never say never.. I was at a friends house a few months ago (he doesn't know that I grow) and I was sitting at the couch which was 4-5ft away from the PC monitor screen .. as I was puffing totally stoned with my eyes semi-closed at the couch I noticed that my friend had a new windows background/desktop pic..I said to him ''wow nice desktop mate..this sativa looks like pure Haze''..he says ''wtf how could you tell??!!'' (was indeed an OriginalHaze)
I 've grown and seen enough haze so it wasn't too hard to tell..

It could have been something different or a Haze hybrid of course ..but I could see that it was similar to what I know to be pure haze. Basically I can tell if its a Skunk or a Haze or an Afghani by the smell/looks , I may not be able to tell accurately if its an SSH specifically or another Haze hybrid with similar makeup.. but I usually come close if I have previously seen/smelled a strain and the more experience with it the easier it makes to identify..

The more strains and plants you grow and see the more easily you can tell what it is.
It can be hard to know exactly with all the hybrids and hacks out there..but still I remember at OverGrow site years ago there were contest threads where people had to find , just by looking at a pic, what the strain was..many members were spot on..just from seeing a pic ...so some people can be accurate as long as its a known strain that is around for a while and people have got to know it well as far as growth habits are concerned. Things are easier if you know its an elite cut..With seedplants its more difficult..

l33t

 

[John Ditchweed]

if I have smoked it or grown it beofre I can probably tell you what it is...... if it is a new varitey to me I may be able to tell you one of the parents.... but it is unlikely that I can guess every strain