The Hottest Strain of 2026 Has Landed at embarc

You don’t even have to go to the Amazon and find a shaman for this trip.

Hunters of the fabled Toad Venom can find it shortly, easily, and legally at the embarc family of dispensaries across California.

The indica-hybrid cross of Sin Mintz x Animal Face is arguably the hottest strain of 2026, and embarc knows how to stock hitters for its dedicated audience.

This batch of indoor hydro Toad comes from one of California’s leading flower brands, Connected Cannabis Co., based out of Sacramento, in 3.5-gram and 10-gram jars, as well as 1-gram pre-rolls.

It's distributed by 2JC, and should be hitting shelves any minute. The batch is “very limited,” Connected said. Find your local embarc store here, search the menu, put the toad in the basket, and check out.

Toad’s evolution

Toad Venom unites three winning strains for an equally winning indica-dominant hybrid. 

It starts with Sin City Seeds’ Sin Min Cookies, a type of Thin Mint Cookies (or GSC). Breeder Ronin Seeds of Los Angeles added in some top-selling lime taffy candy terps from The Original Z strain. Now you got Sin Mintz with a ‘z’—which remains very confusing for people.

Lastly, here pounces Animal Face—Seed Junky Genetics’ of L.A. face-ripping, gassy, biting work from Archive Seeds’ Face-Off OG.

We've gotten batches from Toad Venom’s selector Green Dragon in L.A. as well as personally from Alien Labs Ted, which is Connected's sister company. There are slight differences, but the core is a minty-lime-gas attack that smells pungent and translates to the flavor. The effects can be paralytic, profound, and euphoric, resulting in giggles and a round of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Toad mutates like a chameleon, though. Connected’s batches also boast a chocolate note, which is related to the Kush Mints in there. And it gets more tropical from the Z—with notes of melon and papaya.

Hot Toad Summer

Ronin Seeds of L.A. gets credit for making the cross, while Green Dragon Glen also gets credit for making the selection from the unnamed seed pack. He called it ‘Becky,’ and said while she wasn't the hottest looker, she sure did smoke.

A Ronin team member also gets credit for picking the name Toad Venom—in reference to the ‘sinful animal’ genetics of the strain.

Drama over ownership, credit, and counterfeits helped fuel Toad's rise over the past three years. Prices overseas for the genetics are three times as high as on the West Coast. Both Ronin and Green Dragon gave out Toad clones to select players like Alien Labs/Connected.

A massive Toad clone release from both Ronin Seeds and Green Dragon occurred earlier this year in L.A., kicking off a Hot Toad Summer.

Connected’s Toad showtime

Connected Cannabis Co. Brand Manager Malique Parish said he loved smoking Toad since its Kush Clinic debut.

“It all starts with what we want to smoke. It was only a natural progression for us to want to give our consumers the experience that we would want in a jar,” Parish explained.

After Parish obtained the Toad genetic, he spent time verifying it while drama around it swirled. 

“When we source clones, we always verify as diligently as possible, so I was sure we had the right cut,” said Parish.

Now that the Toads are flowing, Connected wants to show folks what it can look like done well.

“I figured that if it were to get out, we should be the ones to put the verified cut on the market for people to try,” Parish said.

Toad Venom has a hypnotic mix of story, genetics, smell, taste and effects that's triggered endless rounds of heated high debate. Now it's your turn to ride the Toad.