Galaxy Walker OG and Master Kush: nerolidol versus caryophyllene, lineage established versus unknown

How do Galaxy Walker OG and Master Kush really differ?

The leading terpene and the state of knowledge about their origin. Galaxy Walker OG has nerolidol as its primary component, Master Kush has caryophyllene, and in one position of the latter strain, myrcene comes to the forefront. The parents of the first plant are named in the sources, while the parents of the second are not established by any available study. The manufacturers and declared content are the same for both.

The pair made it to the comparison precisely because the number itself does not separate them. Both plants are produced in Poland by the same trio of entities, both are listed in pharmacies under the same registered name, namely Cannabis flos with the manufacturer's designation, and both have the same declared content range in our data. If the only difference were the percentage, there would be nothing to write about.

The difference begins in the order of terpenes. In the profile shares of one of the services, Galaxy Walker OG has nerolidol at the forefront, followed closely by caryophyllene; Master Kush has this order reversed, and the position of Synoptis Pharma places myrcene ahead of both. The catalog descriptions of the aroma follow this: the first strain is attributed with spicy, minty, and pine notes, while the second has earthy and peppery notes with a hint of camphor.

The second difference concerns what is known about the plant, not the plant itself. The lineage of Galaxy Walker OG is named in the sources, while the lineage of Master Kush remains unestablished and is not supplemented by any catalog. This means that one of these strains can be placed in a lineage graph, while the other cannot be placed until someone publishes its parents.

What connects these two strains?

The same trio of manufacturers, the same declared content range, and the same eight-element set of terpenes in the taxonomy of one of the services. Their lineage does not connect them: the lineage graph does not provide them with a common parent, and the repeated part of the name on one side and in the parent of the other is not evidence of kinship.

The manufacturers are literally the same: S-LAB, Synoptis Pharma, and Tilray produce both strains in Poland, and in the catalog from which we read the composition, each has four registered positions. The set of names in the profile is also the same: bisabolol, humulene, caryophyllene, limonene, linalool, myrcene, nerolidol, and pinene. What differentiates them is not the list, but the order and weight of individual components.

Finally, the declared THC content range is the same, namely 16.2-24.2%. However, these are not the ranges of a single manufacturer around one declaration. The range consists of several separate registered positions with different declarations: the lower ones give 16.2-19.8%, the higher ones 19.8-24.2%, and combined they cover everything in between. Such a wide dispersion cannot be derived from the manufacturer's own tolerance.

Both positions are also connected by the method of dispensing. Dried flower is a pharmaceutical raw material dispensed by a doctor's prescription in the Rpw category, so the application and method of administration are determined by the attending physician. A completely different category, unrelated to this raw material, is dried industrial hemp with cannabidiol, sold over the counter and subject to different regulations.

Why is more known about the origin of one than the other?

Because in one case, the sources name the parents, while in the other, they provide either the region or mutually exclusive versions. Galaxy Walker OG is described as a cross between Skywalker OG and OG Kush, while the parents of Master Kush have not been established in our data, and no breeder catalog supplements this.

For Galaxy Walker OG, two independent descriptions refer directly to the Tilray entry sold in Poland, and both provide the same pair of parents. We noted the caveat along with them: the pages of the manufacturer with this information could not be found, so the lineage is based on external studies, not on the producer's document. More about this is discussed in a separate entry dedicated to this strain.

Master Kush has two versions in public circulation, and neither ends with naming the parents. The breeder's catalog speaks of a cross of two landraces from India and Afghanistan, indicating regions, not strains. The second version adds a skunk line. A landrace is a family of style, not an identified cultivar, so even accepting the first version does not provide parents that could be entered into the graph. The note on unknown origin is a result here, not a gap to fill, and is read the same way by a separate post about this strain.

An established lineage does not mean a lineage that has been fully researched. OG Kush, the parent of Galaxy Walker OG, itself has its origin marked as unknown in our graph, and Skywalker OG does not belong to that cluster at all, so the established line breaks off one generation higher. On the same side, the graph connects Galaxy Walker OG with three other cultivars in the comparison, which also have OG Kush among their parents. The two strains do not share a common ancestor at all, and the similarity of names is misleading: the word kush refers to ten cultivars, five of which have unknown origins. The sibling field is empty for both.

What do the terpene profiles of both strains look like according to the sources?

Unevenly, and this is the first result of this comparison. The composition of Galaxy Walker OG is described by two services and they differ from each other: humulene, linalool, and pinene appear in only one of them. The composition of Master Kush comes from one source, so there is nothing to compare it with or confirm.

Shares are not recorded as percentages, and this pair illustrates why. Eight positions from one service, four for each strain, have declared share sums equal to 100, 102, 102, and 100 for the first strain and 84, 83, 84, and 64 for the second. Sometimes it exceeds one hundred, sometimes it’s not even two-thirds, yet the record is the same in each of these positions. Since the sum is not constant, the denominator remains unknown, and a number pulled from such a set would appear to be a measurement, which it is not.

The discrepancy does not end with the list of names. In the second service, the S-LAB position for Galaxy Walker OG describes only one terpene, myrcene, while the Tilray position for the same strain starts the list with nerolidol. On the Master Kush side, the same service has no entry, making the comparison one-sided by definition. Even within a single source, the order can vary: three Master Kush positions prioritize caryophyllene, while the fourth, from Synoptis Pharma, highlights myrcene and lists only five names instead of eight.

Both leading terpenes boil at higher temperatures than myrcene, as shown in the source data: for nerolidol, the bases indicate 275-277 degrees Celsius, for caryophyllene around 256-259, and for myrcene about 167. However, the vaporizer setting does not equal the dried flower temperature, and the order in the profile is not a prediction of the action's course.

What do studies say about nerolidol, the leading terpene of Galaxy Walker OG?

As much as shown in mice, and not a word about this strain. Two studies describe nerolidol administered to animals, but none examined the dried flower or the entire profile. The results of neither can be transferred to the other side of this comparison, as the leading terpene is different there.

The first study was signed by Fonsêca and colleagues in 2016 in Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology (PMID:26791997), rodent model (mouse). The result reads: "Nerolidol (200-400 mg/kg) reduced the number of abdominal contractions induced by acetic acid in mice and lowered the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha and IL-1beta; the authors suggested the involvement of the GABAergic system in the analgesic effect, as opposed to the opioid mechanism and potassium channels."

The second was published by Hojjat and colleagues in 2026 in Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria (PMID:42447923), rodent model (mouse, oral administration): "Oral nerolidol (25-100 mg/kg) prolonged latency to seizures induced by pentylene tetrazole (MCS and GTCS phases) and reduced markers of oxidative stress in the brain."

The boundary of this data stands in our database, and we record it unchanged: There is no evidence that nerolidol alleviates anxiety or insomnia in humans; both available studies concern rodents and describe analgesic, anticonvulsant, and antioxidant effects, not sleep or mood.

The rest of what circulates about Galaxy Walker OG in descriptions is catalog material. Labels like "relaxing" come from strain cards, not from clinical studies, and have not been verified on any batch of this dried flower. Patient reports are also not a measurement here, as no one collects them separately for the cultivar name.

And what has been shown for caryophyllene, the leading terpene of Master Kush?

Also only on animals and in vitro, although the studies are older and more mechanistically anchored. Two positions describe binding to the CB2 receptor and reduced pain responses in mice. None of them mention the Master Kush strain itself, as they studied a single compound, not the dried flower.

Gertsch and colleagues, 2008, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) (PMID:18574142), mouse model (in vivo) and in vitro (receptor binding, human cells): "(E)-caryophyllene selectively bound to the CB2 receptor (Ki = 155 nM) and inhibited paw swelling induced by carrageenan in wild-type mice, but not in CB2 receptor-deficient mice (Cnr2-/-), indicating a CB2-dependent mechanism; the study did not include any anxiety tests."

Klauke and colleagues, 2014, European Neuropsychopharmacology (PMID:24210682), rodent model (mouse): "Oral caryophyllene reduced the late, inflammatory phase of pain in the formalin test in a CB2 receptor-dependent manner, with no effect on the early phase; in a neuropathic pain model, it alleviated thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia without developing tolerance with chronic administration."

We record the boundary of these two studies as it stands in the database: Neither of the two studies tested caryophyllene on humans or in inhaled form from dried flower; both studies concern oral or systemic administration in mice in pain and inflammation models, not sleep or mood.

The balance of both sides thus comes out similar: four studies on animals and in vitro, not a single study involving patients, zero data on the cultivars themselves. The difference in the leading terpene is a difference in the composition declared by the services, not in proven effects, and that is how it should be read.

What side effects have been reported for each of these two strains?

Separately for neither of them is there anything quantifiable. Reports go into the system under the medicinal product's batch number, not under the strain name, so it cannot be said whether anything different was reported after Galaxy Walker OG than after Master Kush. The difference in the number of reports would not, in fact, be evidence of a difference in safety.

Reports of adverse effects are collected for medicinal products with a batch number, not for the strain name, so the following pertains to hemp dried flower as a group of raw materials. The most frequently reported symptoms are dry mouth, red eyes, and increased heart rate. Dizziness upon rapid standing, daytime drowsiness, and temporary worsening of short-term memory are less frequently described, as well as anxiety that increases with dosage. A separate issue is medications taken concurrently, especially sedatives and those affecting coagulation: their assessment requires knowledge of the entire list of preparations, not just the description of the plant. We do not provide the frequency of these symptoms numerically, as public compilations for hemp dried flower in Poland do not separate them by individual products.

For both strains, the same caution applies, despite the difference in profile and pedigree. Neither the predominance of nerolidol nor the predominance of caryophyllene changes the fact that data on symptoms is collected for the product with a batch number, not for the plant with a given name.

How long does the effect of each of these strains last?

The same amount of time, as the course is determined by the route of administration, not the cultivar name. Neither the terpene composition nor the pedigree changes the fact that after inhaling vapor, everything happens faster, while after ingestion, it happens slower and lasts longer. There are no separate measurements for either of these two strains.

The route of administration determines the course more than the variety itself. After vaporization, the substance passes from the lungs to the blood almost immediately, so the first sensations appear after a few minutes, the intensity increases for another ten to thirty minutes, and the whole effect lasts for two to four hours. After ingestion, the raw material first passes through the intestine and liver, so the first sensations are awaited from half an hour to two hours, and the episode can last six, sometimes eight hours. Hence the most common mistake with oral administration: anyone who thinks nothing is happening after thirty minutes and takes another dose will receive both doses at once. The above ranges describe the route of administration, not this variety; pharmacokinetic studies for a single cultivar have not been published.

From this comparison, one thing is clear: the difference between nerolidol and caryophyllene is not about how long the episode lasts. If someone were to describe one of these strains as faster or longer-lasting, they would be referring to the method of administration or their personal impression, not the properties of the plant.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Galaxy Walker OG and Master Kush share a common ancestor?

No. In the pedigree graph of this cluster, Galaxy Walker OG has two named parents, Skywalker OG and OG Kush, while Master Kush has no established lineage. Therefore, a common ancestor cannot be identified, and the similarity in the names does not resolve this issue.

Why do we provide the same THC range for both strains?

Because both have several registered entries in pharmacies with different declarations, and we provide a range that encompasses them all, which is 16.2-24.2% THC content. This is not a variation from a single batch or a range from one producer around a single value, but rather a compilation of separate declarations from several entries.

Which terpene leads in the profile of each of these strains?

In the profiles, Galaxy Walker OG is led by nerolidol, while Master Kush is led by caryophyllene. A caveat applies to the latter: one of the four registered entries places myrcene ahead of caryophyllene, so even within a single service, the order is not fixed.

Does a different leading terpene mean different effects?

It's unclear. The order of terpenes comes from catalog declarations, and the studies we have in our database concern individual compounds given to rodents, not dried flower or these strains. Therefore, a difference in composition does not imply a difference in effect, although this is often presented in commercial descriptions.

Where can I check if any of them are currently available in pharmacies?

From the current list of available strains in this service, as availability changes faster than any description. In our data, three out of four entries for Galaxy Walker OG were marked as unavailable, while for Master Kush it was the opposite, and this is not a characteristic of the strain, but rather the supply status in a given week.

Is dried flower from a pharmacy the same product as dried flower from a store?

No. The strains described above are pharmaceutical raw materials dispensed by a doctor's prescription in the Rpw category. The over-the-counter dried flower of industrial hemp with cannabidiol is a different plant, a different mode of dispensing, and different regulations, meaning it belongs to a completely different category, despite the similar common name.

Editorial text of the service ubucha.pl, prepared by the editorial team of ubucha. The material is for informational purposes and does not replace the advice of the attending physician.