Teddy Edwards
Well-Known Member
Fallen Cannabis Warrior: Franco Loja: May 20th 1974 - January 2nd 2017
It was with great sadness that the Cannabis world learnt of the death of master breeder and Strain Hunter, Franco Loja, from a cerebral form of malaria. A globetrotting collector from Italy, the manager of the Green House Coffeeshop & Seed Company and partner of Arjan Roskam, Franco Loja was, Master Cultivator, Head Breeder and Partner for the multiple cannabis cup winning, Amsterdam-based seed company. According to the Green House Seed Company, Franco Loja was visiting the Democratic Republic of the Congo to provide aid to victims of malaria when he suffered an attack of the deadly mosquito-borne illness.
Established in 1985, Green House Seed Company rapidly became the go-to seed company for many of today's best breeders. Dubbed the "Kings of Cannabis" by Vice TV, Arjan Roskam and Franco Loja were instrumental in the cultivation of many of today's most sought-after strains.
The pair traveled the globe in search of landrace strains for preservation, and to identify and reproduce unique characteristics into their cannabis breeding programs.
Their travels were presented in the hugely successful Strain Hunters documentary series which saw them head to India, Jamaica, Morocco, Africa and beyond. As a brand, Strain Hunters released seeds alongside merchandise adorned with their logo.
It was when Vice media launched their Kings of Cannabis documentary that Franco was elevated to a much larger audience beyond the dedicated cannabis crowd. The film documented Franco, Arjan and their crew of Strain Hunters searching Colombia for three of the country's rarest types of landraces.
Franco had an extraordinary level of dedication and appreciation of the cannabis plant. As he himself said, "Cannabis is my passion, my bread, my home. I feel it is my duty to make sure this amazing plant is preserved and enjoyed. I am a smoker, a grower, a breeder, and a strain hunter. For life."
After brief stints in the hospitality industry and translating instruction manuals for the role-playing game Warhammer, Franco ran into Arjan Roskam of Greenhouse Seeds in Amsterdam, the other half of what became the Strain Hunters. His dedication quickly lead Franco to become a part of the most heavily awarded breeding projects of all time. Franco regularly graced European stages long before the American cup scene took off and strains he'd been involved with developing, like Super Lemon Haze, took home awards from across the world.
His great passion, and the foundation of his breeding success, were Landraces - that is, locally adapted, traditional varieties of the species that have developed over time, through adaptation to their natural environment, their terroir, due to isolation from other populations of the species. As Franco said of them, "Landraces are the most natural form of cannabis existing on the planet because they have been constantly adapting and evolving, improving their harmony with the environment they live in. They are the basis of breeding, and the most ancient pure cannabis races existing on the planet. Landraces have been obeying a basic rule of nature inside their own environment: survival of the fittest. It is our duty to preserve cannabis landraces for the future of scientific and medical research, and for the basic human right to use a plant that has been used for millennia. Landraces could hide cannabis profiles that one day may be used to create new medicines, and these medicines could improve or even save lives."
Franco's funeral was on January 7, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain, where the exclusive Strain Hunters Cannabis Social Club is located.
We here at 420 Magazine are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend and fallen Cannabis Warrior. We will continue to keep his memory alive by promoting his work into the future, for the benefit of all mankind. Sending you all our love and positive energy through the universe, dear brother. Wherever you are.
It was with great sadness that the Cannabis world learnt of the death of master breeder and Strain Hunter, Franco Loja, from a cerebral form of malaria. A globetrotting collector from Italy, the manager of the Green House Coffeeshop & Seed Company and partner of Arjan Roskam, Franco Loja was, Master Cultivator, Head Breeder and Partner for the multiple cannabis cup winning, Amsterdam-based seed company. According to the Green House Seed Company, Franco Loja was visiting the Democratic Republic of the Congo to provide aid to victims of malaria when he suffered an attack of the deadly mosquito-borne illness.
Established in 1985, Green House Seed Company rapidly became the go-to seed company for many of today's best breeders. Dubbed the "Kings of Cannabis" by Vice TV, Arjan Roskam and Franco Loja were instrumental in the cultivation of many of today's most sought-after strains.
The pair traveled the globe in search of landrace strains for preservation, and to identify and reproduce unique characteristics into their cannabis breeding programs.
Their travels were presented in the hugely successful Strain Hunters documentary series which saw them head to India, Jamaica, Morocco, Africa and beyond. As a brand, Strain Hunters released seeds alongside merchandise adorned with their logo.
It was when Vice media launched their Kings of Cannabis documentary that Franco was elevated to a much larger audience beyond the dedicated cannabis crowd. The film documented Franco, Arjan and their crew of Strain Hunters searching Colombia for three of the country's rarest types of landraces.
Franco had an extraordinary level of dedication and appreciation of the cannabis plant. As he himself said, "Cannabis is my passion, my bread, my home. I feel it is my duty to make sure this amazing plant is preserved and enjoyed. I am a smoker, a grower, a breeder, and a strain hunter. For life."
After brief stints in the hospitality industry and translating instruction manuals for the role-playing game Warhammer, Franco ran into Arjan Roskam of Greenhouse Seeds in Amsterdam, the other half of what became the Strain Hunters. His dedication quickly lead Franco to become a part of the most heavily awarded breeding projects of all time. Franco regularly graced European stages long before the American cup scene took off and strains he'd been involved with developing, like Super Lemon Haze, took home awards from across the world.
His great passion, and the foundation of his breeding success, were Landraces - that is, locally adapted, traditional varieties of the species that have developed over time, through adaptation to their natural environment, their terroir, due to isolation from other populations of the species. As Franco said of them, "Landraces are the most natural form of cannabis existing on the planet because they have been constantly adapting and evolving, improving their harmony with the environment they live in. They are the basis of breeding, and the most ancient pure cannabis races existing on the planet. Landraces have been obeying a basic rule of nature inside their own environment: survival of the fittest. It is our duty to preserve cannabis landraces for the future of scientific and medical research, and for the basic human right to use a plant that has been used for millennia. Landraces could hide cannabis profiles that one day may be used to create new medicines, and these medicines could improve or even save lives."
Franco's funeral was on January 7, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain, where the exclusive Strain Hunters Cannabis Social Club is located.
We here at 420 Magazine are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend and fallen Cannabis Warrior. We will continue to keep his memory alive by promoting his work into the future, for the benefit of all mankind. Sending you all our love and positive energy through the universe, dear brother. Wherever you are.
