It seems like we talk a lot of cannabis science here at Growers Network. We love science, after all, and that’s the direction in which the industry is heading… but who doesn’t love a good story??
Every so often we get to hear the stories of where our favorite fabled strains originate. Sometimes these stories include chance meetings between legendary growers/breeders, entertainers, cowboys and rodeo clowns, and often just an average person like you with some magical seeds. These stories can span the distances of continents and many contain the elements of a good story: tragedy, comedy, adversity and triumph…All these elements meet at the confluence of oral history; this is what truly captures our imaginations.
Often these stories still remain in the realm of oral history. Many of our legendary growers and breeders are aging and in many cases already gone, taking with them their cherished memories of strain lineage. Many have chosen to remain in the shadows, their stories never to be told…
To that end, we would love to hear where your favorite strains came from! What are your strains’ stories? Do you know the story of the chance encounter at a Grateful Dead show between a famous grower from New York and a deadhead grower from Oregon; the meeting leading to “The 8 Fabled Beans”? Do you know the one about the bull-riding black cowboy from Texas who picked up some crazy Afghani seeds along one of his many journeys with the rodeo…leading to the famous Afghani Bullrider strain?
These stories are legendary…and we want to hear them! Please use this thread to share where your favorite strains come from.
I have 2.
First, back in 1981, I was given a cut of a strain that was only known as the “winner of the Seattle Bong-a-thon” 3 years running. It was by far the most potent strain I had ever come across to that point in my life. I have no other information regarding the genetics and the strain was lost in the late 80’s as I moved into commercial ag and the person that gave it to me moved into state controlled living for a few years. I would love to find someone that was around back then that knows about this strain and may have the genetic information as to what it was made up of.
Fast forward 30+ years and I received a gift of a strain known only as “West Seattle” and was told it had been cultivated “by some old guy” in West Seattle for 40+ years and that it “was good”. Turns out it is a high cbd strain consistently testing at 14% CBD and 7% THC. Again though, I have no information on the genetic makeup. I have heard stories of another strain with the same name but the genetics it is from weren’t around 40 years ago so I highly doubt it is the same.
My first encounter that took me for a heck of a ride, at the time in the 80’s, was known as “Texas Creeper”. After long research, i was able to discover it to be “Hippie Killer”! So… got to finally discover it countless months of research what it really was! Best surprise, a little dispo in Trinidad had it on their shelf! Talk about hot trip to grab up! When i made it there, i found out they were out. I shared my story, and the owner was nice enough to crack into his personal stash for me… Wow… talk about a trip back in time, like over 20 years since that first hit!
One of my own personal endeavours involved the pain and expense of getting Shanti Shiva out of Australia. Their customs are very unforgiving!
I love chasing a lot of the stories, and chatting with those folks involved! A look back in time!
We’d love to help you find that killer strain, @ron! What made the Seattle Bong - a - thon strain so amazing?
We all have those “ones that got away” stories with strains! I learned my lesson about the importance sharing genetics about 15 years ago with a a perfect cross between granddady purps and green crack. I was very stingy with cuts and refused to share them with fellow growers. Big mistake and feel karma got the best of me.
After refusing to share cuts once again, a knock came to my front door. When I peered out the blinds and saw the flurry of badges and guns I ran to the grow and killed every single clone. Turns out my friendly local PD was looking for a suspect on the run in the neighborhood and they were ringing every bell in the building. I could not undo what had already been done and all I had to show for my work was a jar full of finished buds of one of the best plants I have ever grown before or since. But no way to ever grow them again.
I learned two important lessons from the experience (one of which any kindergartener can appreciate) the importance of sharing and the value of legal growing.It’s soooooo much better to be a legal grower!
I linked up with a couple canadian growers on their way through down under and got them to stop by the Shanti Bay to meet up with reputable grower down there. He also tossed me some of his “Insano Bud”, which has been breed to some tazmanian bushweed. I will see how that turns out!
I have been on the search for it after working back and forth with growers down there, as its very resistant to heat and wind!
Back in the early 80’s there weren’t many strains available that grew well indoors. Especially when you had to work in secrecy. Low ceilings, warehouse lighting, lack of information, poor nutrients, etc. This strain was an indoor growers dream. Easy to clone, quick, vigorous veg times, shorter growth/stretch and amazingly dense flowers which not only yielded incredibly but it was by far the most potent flower I had ever grown to date and this was right after moving to the PNW from Hawaii where we were growing what we thought was some pretty incredible cannabis. This strain dropped many people to the floor (several ending up in the ER!) because no one was used to flower this strong at that time. I have countless stories of introducing people to this strain and their reactions once they over indulged a bit.
That stuff you guys grew in the 80’s in Hawaii is LEGEND today! I once had a very close relative who may or may not have done some every successful smuggling from the 70’s until she died. When I turned 18, she had me over and made way to her freezer. Gleefully, she produced from the freezer a mason jar wrapped in black tape. From this jar she pulled out some Puna buds she had supposedly smuggled in from Hawaii the week I was born. I was acclimated to the weed of this century, so seeing these buds from the 80’s was like stepping into a time machine. It was a very cool honor and opportunity to inhale that killer island bud from back in the day. I have smoked some amazing bud in Hawaii, but this 80’s ganja was a bit different and unique. Like you said, @ron, it was a bell-ringer! So cool!
The strain I was talking about was a PNW strain. The Hawaii reference was to point out that we thought what we were growing there was the strongest we had ever seen but the Seattle bong-a-thon strain put it all to shame.
I brought many seeds back from Hawaii but none of them did well indoors(always sativa leaning and way too tall!) That is one of the many qualities that made the Seattle strain so amazing. Even took some back to the big island on a visit and surprised a lot of people there with my PNW indoor grown flower!
Ohhh… I love good stories like this!
