Project MK Ultra – A CIA Strain Name Game

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Because it hits so heavy, they named it MK Ultra. Do you know why? Test your knowledge with a crossword first and then check out the dark history behind this strain’s name.


1. A bushy strain with fat leaves, MK Ultra is commonly classified as an BLANK plant.
2. Known for creating a strong effect, MK has a potent BLANK profile. What is BLANK? Starts with G
3. This strain was named after a series of mind control experiments that began in the 1950s, code name BLANK MK Ultra.
4. These experiments were conducted by the BLANK and continued until 1973.
5. During Project MK Ultra, drugs such as BLANK were unknowingly given to both civilians and government officials.
6. Some people volunteered for these government drug trips, including Grateful Dead Lyricist, Robert BLANK.

Project MK Ultra

Between 1953 and 1973, a series of top secret experiments were conducted by the CIA. Known as Project MK Ultra, the goal was to test the mind control potential of drugs like LSD. At that time in history, it was the height of the Cold War. The United States had concerns that countries like Russia, North Korea and China could brainwash American POWs. In order to address the potential threat of mind control, the CIA decided to do some first hand research. 

These experiments took place in hospitals, prisons and universities, all in the name of national security. Project MK Ultra was all about influencing brain function; the tests were meant to find substances and techniques for effective mind control. The CIA wanted this information for essentially for two reasons: 

  1. Help American soldiers withstand interrogation. 
  2. Improve the efficiency of enemy interrogation.

Both civilians and government officials would be dosed without their knowledge and then put through a series of tests. The whole point was to find ways to coerce information from an unwilling participant, so it often required the subject to be unaware. Later deemed to be illegal, uninformed consent was a key aspect of MK Ultra; but, there were instances where the participants had volunteered. Grateful Dead Lyricist, Robert Hunter was a volunteer for an MK Ultra experiment at Stanford University. He and other students were paid to take LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline, then give feedback on what they experienced.

Why the name?

So why name this strain MK Ultra? Simple, because the genetics can be surprisingly potent and the throwback in the name serves as a warning. If you only want to smoke a bit of something and not get too stoned, avoid this strain. Many have fallen victim to the couch after a single hoot, expecting one thing and feeling another… that’s why they call it MK Ultra.  

MK Ultra

Feature image courtesy of Everett/Shutterstock

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