Original landrace and other heirloom strains are often lost in today's hyperkinetic world of breeding. 'Landrace' refers to strains that are indigenous to an area, such as Red Congolese. 'Heirlooms' are strains that were collected worldwide during the 1970s and propagated in Hawaii and Northern California. Our constant desire for new strains leads breeders to continually cross and re-cross existing strains looking for the next big thing. There is, however, a small but growing contingent of cultivators who're returning to our cannabis roots and propagating old landrace and heirloom strains. Varieties range from pure African sativas to Afghani indicas, collected by world travelers on the infamous Hippie Trail (also referred to as the "Hashish Trail").

All during the 1970s and early 1980s, cannabis aficionados of all stripes traveled the world smoking the finest cannabis and hashish available. From Nepalese temple balls to the famed Mazar-i-Sharif Afghani Black, the Hashish Trail was filled with exotic delights. The trail rolls on through Lebanese Red to Moroccan Kif, with stops in Bangkok for Chocolate Thai, and Columbia and Mexico for their infamous golden strains. Many of these intrepid souls also collected seeds during their travels. It was these landrace strains that became the basis for the nascent cultivation culture that eventually sprang forth in both Hawaii and Northern California.

From Nepalese temple balls to the famed Mazar-i-Sharif Afghani Black, the Hashish Trail was filled with exotic delights. 

The scene in California at this time was slightly different. Northern California, as beautiful as it is, ain't Hawaii. The Emerald Triangle rests approximately on the same parallel as Afghanistan and the Hindu Kush mountains. While Southern Californians could grow Columbian and Mexican sativas, their northern counterparts found the stocky indica plants much better adapted for their climate. Shorter flowering time allowed harvest to occur before the fall rains came with their mold-inducing downpours. These short and chunky plants produced the infamous skunkweed that became Northern California's calling card. Again, anyone old enough to remember this cannabis will never forget the pungent, almost rancid, skunk-like aroma. I remember going to parties in the early '80s with this herb double-bagged-and still being outed minutes after walking in. "Yo man, I know you're holding, share the love!" Our own Steve DeAngelo also has memories of this era, saying that to this day he's not seen cannabis like what he saw from Northen California in the late '70s and early '80s.

So what does all this nostalgia mean for modern patients and cannabis aficionados? Well, several breeders have also recognized the value in these old-school strains. Ace Seeds, CannaBioGenn, Reeferman Seeds and Tom Hill, as well as the one-and-only Neville, are all selling a wide variety of landrace and heirloom seeds. Look for some of these to be available at Harborside in the near future. Growers who're looking for ways to stay ahead of the curve in an increasingly competitive environment are turning to these varieties. For patients, many of these strains offer powerful relief in a different fashion than some of the more modern varietals. It's not that they're necessarily better, just different, and perhaps more effective for some patients' specific conditions or needs. In any case, they're strains definitely worth checking out.

Rick's Product Pick: 

Clean Green

This week's pick is not a specific item but a certifiable class of them.Many longtime Harborside patients are familiar with our Clean Green (CG) program. CG is a third-party, organic-certification program founded by attorney Chris Van Hook, who is also a registered U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic inspector. Chris started the program over seven years ago when he saw a need for independent organic certification of cannabis crops. Since the USDA owns the rights to the word, "organic," and cannabis is not yet legal in the eyes of the federal government, Chris developed an alternative program. Patterned after the government's standards-but arguably, even more stringent-CG certification offers patients assurance that their medicine was grown organically. CG certification also allows farmers who use organic methods of cultivation, which is more expensive and time-consuming, to be officially recognized for their efforts.

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Harborside Health Center became the first Clean Green certified dispensary in early 2009; Chris returns every year to inspect and re-certify us as compliant. A garden inspection is required of any growers seeking CG status. During the inspection, leaf and soil samples are taken. An independent laboratory then analyzes these samples, looking for any chemically derived elements in the soil, as well as pesticides that might've been used. The inspection also includes an extensive questionnaire asking what inputs (i.e., fertilizers) are used, as well as what type of medium, any energy conservation practices that may have been employed, and a host of other questions.

 

Patient-vendors of Harborside benefit by the fact that top-quality CG medicine generally sells faster than its non-certified brethren. Many patients ask for it by name. Clean Green is the only valid, third-party, organic-certification process in California. It's also recognized by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Available extensively at Harborside, CG cannabis is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to be assured that their medicine was produced without harmful chemicals and fertilizers.