First Impressions – After reading the impressive Cannabis Indica: Vol. 1, I was especially excited to read Cannabis Sativa: Vol. 1, the second strain guide written in the series. Boasting “100 amazing strains from 100 great breeders”, and filled with beautiful photography, this is eye candy at it’s finest and easily lived up to my “high” expectations. Similar to the predecessor in the series, this book holds it’s own on the stunning photography alone, but the detailed strain descriptions provide much additional value.
Digging Deeper
This book is not only attractive – it also has value in preserving some cannabis history for posterity. The books in this series seem to be a labor of love, and they chronicle a wide variation of strains and breeders. Classic landrace strains like “Thai” from Original Seeds (as pure as it gets for a sativa) are well represented, but so are completely obscure strains like “Wisconsin Flame”, from an “Unidentified Wisconsin Grower”. This is a dream book for compiling one’s sativa bucket-list!
Cannabis Sativa: Vol. 1 has a high-quality feel to it, with gorgeous photos on thick paper stock. Each strain in the guide has a detailed description, and many have interesting side-stories relating to the history of the plant, the breeders involved, or tips for growing the strain successfully. The preface has a nice story explaining the origins of the author’s own love affair with sativas, and is an interesting read. There is also a great introduction to the sativa plant by Greg Green that outlines some breeding history and the difficulty in cultivating sativas, relative to the shorter-statured, easier-grown indicas.
Overall Recommendation
This is a celebration of sativas and their breeders – not a guide to strains commonly found in seed-banks. While there are certainly strains with recognizable names that can be purchased or reasonably acquired via clone or seed, many contained within will seem relatively obscure to all but the most die-hard sativa fanatics – so this book may not be for everybody.
Sativa lovers, however, especially those who want to explore beyond what the seed-banks carry, will really treasure this wonderful guide and the beautiful photography. It’s refreshing to see the diversity of plants and breeders represented, and inspiring to read about the tireless work put into creating these amazing plants. Finally, the included web address for some of the breeders will be of value to many readers wishing to grow the strain for themselves.
Reasonably priced at $20 USD, anyone looking for an attractive, comprehensive guide to sativas from breeders large and small, will love this book!
Book Review by: XLR8 – 420 Magazine Staff Writer
Cannabis Sativa: The Essential Guide to the World’s Finest Marijuana Strains
