Original source seeds from the 70's: Yes I have some

B

Big Sur

Well-Known Member
Call them landrace, indigenous, heirloom, F1s, or whatever. Many years after starting my seed collection of some of the better available sativas from central and south America, and a few indicas from Asia and some early hybrids in Northern and Central California. Many people say that these types of seeds simply no longer exist or are extinct. However, I have a seed bank from the golden years of cannabis in California in the mid to late 1970s. They are from the era when we bought lids with seeds in them from all over. They used to leave the males in the fields when they flowered to get them to go to seed in order to increase the weight, and thus make more money on sales. Amazing really, in that they were selling us the capacity to both get stoned immediately ~and~ to grow our own weed with their local genetics in the future. A massive marketing mistake in hind sight I guess? Most people just threw the seeds away in those days. Some of us planted them, but we did not really know how to cull the males and grow better bud until the late 70's. Myself, I noted the source location, the high, and the quality of the pot and froze them for growing later. I also supplied several early growers with seeds then in trade for bud later on. I have some stories to tell about that early stuff, in the days before people knew the real potential for growing high quality herb.

I have many original source seed strains that I have kept frozen for over 35 years now. I have tested them most years and I get upward of 100% viable seeds that germinate. I no longer live in Big Sur or on the Monterey Peninsula (waaaay to expensive to live there now), but that is my alias here. In the late 70's I could buy a full ounce of sense buds grown in Garrapada or Polo Colorado for all of $60-$80 and smoke myself into nirvana. That was before High Times came out with their &^%#ing marijuana price lists and people started showing up in Cali from back east and the Midwest with suitcases full of money to buy up all of our lovely product. Inflation hit hard and California weed prices quintupled overnight. It has never been the same since. However, that is now changing again now that it is legal in 4 states and DC and Medical MJ is legal in a lot more places.

Anyway, my first post here... :smokin2:
 
Wow, that sounds amazing. How did you categorize and label the seeds? What are some of the strains you guess/think/know you have?
 
In those days we did not call them by strains. They were just called by the source location, from places like Colombia, Guerrero, or Cambodia. If they had a particular trait or color, they got named that as well, like Kona Gold or Cambodian Red. Other typical types were named African, Thai or Ganja. Then along came names like Maui Waui, which I guess is considered as a strain now. From its looks, texture and color, I would say that Maui Waui was a sativa originally sourced from Mexico. I shipped some Mexican sativa sinsemillia to my brother when he lived on Maui, and no one (and I mean no one) there believed him that it was from the mainland. They wanted to know what island it was from. That particular batch was seedless, and the buds were about 2 inches long and a half inch round. They were perfectly cylindrical, light green and glistening with trichomes. I have never seen buds like that before or since. Never mind that it was only $40 an ounce!

Some of the early 'sinse seeds' that I have (presumably self pollinated by herm male flowers) was from weed called skunk, purple, or Mendo. I guess those are also considered strains now. I also have a few types of sinsemillia seeds from some incredible stuff that came up from Mexico (as noted above) before local weed growing took over the market and just after paraquat 'gold' pretty much killed off the Mexican import market. That era of weed was short lived. For a while they grew, manicured and smuggled some great sinsemillia into California from Mexico. Cross breeding and clone names did not occur until after sinsemillia hit the local California and Hawaii growing scene and seeds in weed became a thing of the past. So at that time seed collecting also pretty much became a thing of the past, but I kept my seed collection in the freezer and moved it with me up and down the Pacific coast.

I put each seed type in packets and noted the quality of the high, where they were from, how much it cost, any name associated with it, and anything else that came to mind. I also dated them and noted any traits, like "little black seeds from the most beautiful purple tops", or "mellow high, long lasting". I also have separate notes on growing them. Of late I have been growing a very early flowering sativa that I dubbed 'Groovy Gorilla' from Guerrero. I never thought in my wildest dreams that the seeds would go for as much as they do now. Seeds? They were trash! We all had rolling trays and we had to break up the tops and separate the seeds and stems to roll joints, and everyone just tossed them out! All that genetic material, gone. Poof!
 
There are some people on this forum who will be dying to talk to you once they stumble upon this thread! Conradino comes to mind immediately. There are many others. Here is an interesting thread on landraces he recently posted.
Landrace Genetics 101

This is a other spot I think you may like- full of great people. The Mountain - Grow Support From The Over 50 Club

If you don't mind the question, which is the obvious irresistible one, What will you do with all the seeds? You could make a breeder, or many breeders, and many people in general, very happy. Geez- all those genetics! Does it ever feel like a big responsibility?
Welcome to 420 by the way. An awesome place to be. Please stick around! I think things are about to get interesting. ;)
 
Well, I cannot PM anyone until my post count gets over 50. Also acc'd to the rulz here, I cannot advertise the sale of seeds. Or maybe I can in the classified section, I am not sure. Weed, seeds are pollen are still not legal under federal law. However, they are legal to possess, grow and obtain in the state that I live in now.

As for what to do with my seeds? I was not aware that they were so rare until my brother mentioned it a couple months ago. He works with several people that have second jobs at medical MJ grow and sales places. They say that these kinds of seeds are non-existent and cannot be found. Which is why I looked on this and other MJ sites poking around for information on them. That seems to be the prevailing case.

I am torn about selling them. I am reminded of all the people swamping NorCal in the late 70's with suitcases full of money to buy up all the 'lawyer weed' and selling it for a fortune and driving prices sky high. I am not interested in other people making a fortune off of my genetic stash. Trade for modern strain seeds seems to be pointless, as new seeds can be purchased from many sources, whereas these cannot. Also I have all the seeds that I can possibly plant already. Breeding plants would be very interesting, and I did a full male grow cycle this year to harvest pollen, but the state is not really set up to do that on its own. Nor have they really addressed the issue of selling seeds/pollen/clones. They leave it up to you to get them, outside the perimeter of the law. Basically to breed, you have to be a grower. To grow you have to pay a $grand a year for a grow license. Or breed on a very small scale (non-licensed 4 plant grow limit). They are still sorting out the commercial grow, processing, wholesale/distribution and vendor laws that will go into effect in January.
 
BigSur, my advice is to stick around here, read some journals and you will see who the talented growers and breeders are. If I am reading you right you don't really want to make money with those seeds, it seems that your motivation is to bring back some of those early strains that you know so well and miss so much. If I were in your position, I would research the forums, find the top growers and then those who are out there breeding plants and maybe approach them about growing out some of your long lost strains. I have read quite a bit on this forum and it seems like most everyone here shares the love of the cannabis plant. I can't recall running across anyone who has been here for the long haul who does it for the money. The average user here is passionate about cannabis. I am quite sure that there are people here who would take whatever you would like to share and continue those lineages. I know of a few members in Colorado who are very talented growers and actually exchange clones and seeds with each other.

If you take the time to stick around I am confident that you will figure out what the path for your seeds should be. Until then I hope to see you around and hope that you enjoy this place as much as I enjoy it.
 
Man, it sounds to good to be true but I'm a true believer and I'm up for any trade like exchange of seeds or something else, I'm growing very potent indicas at the moment and landrace sativas but not the stuff you are talking about. Please check Landrace 101 thread and my own journal linked below. I can PM you too.
 
A lot of the breeders/seedbanks seem to be pretty shady. There are, however, a great many people who care passionately about this plant and put that ahead of everything. Goes without saying that you can find lots of them here. The breeders who sell landrace genetics seem to be a different batch than the 'flavor of the month' crowd.
I feel that preservation of these strains is incredibly important!

Edit- JuanCarlos beat me to it and says it better. Stick around man. We love you already!
 
Well- I suppose it was directed at BigSur. Wanted him to make sure he knows he's found the right place. Not that I want you to disappear either, JC. I bump into you often and always like your posts. I guess it's obvious that I'm excited about these seeds.
 
It would be awesome to get some of the 70s sativa genetics back into the mix. I know I've looked high and low for REAL Colombian Gold and Red seeds. After searching and emailing and calling several leads, I bought some that were hyped to be the real deal from a "company" based in Canada. After growing them out, I am sure they weren't what they claimed to be at all. If they were truly what I was told they were, I was going to try and seed them out. I'm more passionate about the strain and end product than any $. I don't grow for sales or money. BUT alas I think I got a Northern Lights hybrid touted as old Sativa genetics. I'm sure many others have fallen for the same seed scam, but it's sad that money rules everything once again. Hopefully JuanCarlos will find the right folks and truly help get these genetics back into circulation.

Best Of Buds
JB

:Namaste:
 
Sorry, I meant BigSur

JBUptown said:
It would be awesome to get some of the 70s sativa genetics back into the mix. I know I've looked high and low for REAL Colombian Gold and Red seeds. After searching and emailing and calling several leads, I bought some that were hyped to be the real deal from a "company" based in Canada. After growing them out, I am sure they weren't what they claimed to be at all. If they were truly what I was told they were, I was going to try and seed them out. I'm more passionate about the strain and end product than any $. I don't grow for sales or money. BUT alas I think I got a Northern Lights hybrid touted as old Sativa genetics. I'm sure many others have fallen for the same seed scam, but it's sad that money rules everything once again. Hopefully JuanCarlos will find the right folks and truly help get these genetics back into circulation.

Best Of Buds
JB

:Namaste:
Click to expand...
 
Yes, I read through the Landrace 101 thread. I do not agree with all of your historical reference stuff based on my experiences, but I am sure it is due to being a location specific thing, as well as an exposure thing. I have a perspective from California and I knew a lot of people and I was inside a lot of heads back then. My brother lived on Maui for a while then as well, and I later lived in LA and SoCal. I am starting to write my memoirs about my 10 years of heavy MJ involvement because it seems that what happened in the Monterey/Santa Cruz county area and on Telegraph Avenue in Berzerkley were unique to the times and has been lost to the ages. A lot of people I knew then are no longer around. Actually most of them are not around any more. Neither is the weed we smoked, it seems.

conradino23 said:
Man, it sounds to good to be true but I'm a true believer and I'm up for any trade like exchange of seeds or something else, I'm growing very potent indicas at the moment and landrace sativas but not the stuff you are talking about. Please check Landrace 101 thread and my own journal linked below. I can PM you too.
Click to expand...
 
Yah, its funny. I never thought MJ would become legal, or that any of this would happen in my lifetime. I never though that I would wind up being the only one with seeds from the 70s in the 2010's. Hell, back then 1984 was way beyond my expected lifetime. At the same time I was immortal, and I rode around on a GS 750 and lived a wild life. I do not know how I survived, really. I smoked a massive amount of weed in those days. I dealt and smoked and traded and smoked and grew and smoked and smoked and smoked. Ojos rojos.

As for shady seeds, I know what that is about. I have never bought any seeds though, never needed to. I have the real McCoys. Which is also odd, no one wanted seeds in the 70's. They popped when burned if you left one in a joint. My ex complained because I have mostly sativa seeds and grew sativa plants, and she wanted to smoke psycho weed. One hit and your are glazed kind of stuff. I prefer cerebral highs and these days I prefer pot with high levels of CBD for pain reduction. Which is one of several reasons that I let the males grow this year. Other than pollen, and making pressed pollen hash, the flowers are a good high. They fall off after they open and I collect and dry them, and they are a good smoke. Do not believe the BS about males being no good to smoke. Its not female bud, but it does the job.

JBUptown said:
It would be awesome to get some of the 70s sativa genetics back into the mix. I know I've looked high and low for REAL Colombian Gold and Red seeds. After searching and emailing and calling several leads, I bought some that were hyped to be the real deal from a "company" based in Canada. After growing them out, I am sure they weren't what they claimed to be at all. If they were truly what I was told they were, I was going to try and seed them out. I'm more passionate about the strain and end product than any $. I don't grow for sales or money. BUT alas I think I got a Northern Lights hybrid touted as old Sativa genetics. I'm sure many others have fallen for the same seed scam, but it's sad that money rules everything once again. Hopefully JuanCarlos will find the right folks and truly help get these genetics back into circulation.

Best Of Buds
JB

:Namaste:
Click to expand...
 
nwpassage said:
When I think of all the Columbian Gold seeds I threw out the car window.
Click to expand...

Now there is a quote for the ages. I actually have GOBS of Colombo Gold seeds. More than anything else, really. They seeded up those Columbian gold bricks with seeds the likes that never happened in Mexican weed.

A short memory fragment: We were heading someplace in NorCal in my '67 Mustang in the late 70's one summer day, probably driving up to Santa Cruz or over to Hollister. My brother was driving, my GF was in the shotgun seat, I was behind her and my friend Balt was on my right. We are passing around a joint, and my GF handed it to me, I took a hit and passed it to Balt, and he took a hit and passed it out the friggin' window! Baltazar! WTF did you just do, man? Oops! Sorry.
 
Hey BS. welcome aborad...Lets be best friends haha..sorry :welcome:.....It is what many are thinkin though ...Remember, A friend with weed is a friend indeed and with killer seeds Oh the better.Just jazzin ya.That really is cool you took the time to save all those seeds..I don't remember the names but the smell...MMMmmmmm Some of that good mexician?? We called it "Motor weed", smoke a joint and soon your out cleaning the car or taking on some wild project......I live up here in the Great North Wet(West) and am working with early strains that are mold resistant... Just because thats the prioritizes,Well that and a good comfortable buzz..My dream is to put up a big green house,That will help alot, I tell the youngsters I am breeding.They all laugh and complane that weed with seeds is no good and can't be strong...AHHHHahahaha What little do they know.Some of the best weed I ever smoked had seeds..That I threw away.... Duh ??? and some of the seeds I kept are un marked and just in a baggie,could they still be ok?....Anyway sorry fro rettling along.just wanted to welcome you and give my best to your project.....Very cool ,Red ...PS and I too can't believe weed became legal this soon... Its great being able to grow LEGAL !!! You can take more time and really enjoy it... God Bless America !!!
 
As for what I am going to do with these seeds... too many shady characters out there and I am wise to scams. I mean, I dealt in the weed trade for 10 years and I am street savvy. I also was involved in the Silicon Valley hey daze and I was an engineer at several start-up companies, and one that went public. Talk about being screwed from 12 directions. So I am wise to smiling lawyers and promises of a golden age to come, and all the BS that that entails. I also grew medical weed for a group of lawyers here. They supplied their own seeds; they were not interested in mine. But they were after a specific high.

The weed laws keep changing in Oregon (pretty much on a daily basis), and it seems that now vendors will be selling seeds legally here at some point. So I may get a growers license and grow and cross these seeds myself. I can grow these puppies out and self pollinate them for keeping true landrace genetics. The cost of licenses and a pair of 100x50 greenhouses would require that I make a reasonable amount of money from the venture, but that way I could sell landrace, heirloom and early cross seeds after next fall's harvest (I would only grow outdoors).

Its either that, or start a joint venture with someone. Again, trades for modern seeds do not really appeal to me. Those seeds that are already available out there do not really appeal to me. I do not want to sell my seeds now and watch someone else make a fortune off of my collection either. Weed is becoming a bazillion dollar business now. I am still thinking this out. Licensing in Oregon does not begin until Jan. 4, 2016. Sales start Oct. 1 at medical weed stores, but I bet they run out of bud in 3 days, tops. The small medical supply cannot support the full recreational market here. Also there will not be enough commercially grown bud to sell come Jan 4. either when the 25% sales tax on weed and sales at pot shops begins here. It will take time to ramp up and the real bud will not become available until the outdoor harvest next fall.
 
Back
Top Bottom