THE STRAINS ISSUE
MARIO GUZMAN S HERBIN S K IS WHAT LED TO YOUR RECENT REALIZATION AROUND THE UNIQUE PROPERTIES OF THE CLASSIC ‘SKUNK’ PROFILE? I think being a dreamer and kind of a visionary, I bumped into some SoCal surf brothers who are also visionaries and we had dinner out one night and … we just formed a friendship. I liked what they were doing in terms of studying terpenes, but they were also investing heavily with their own money into licensed facilities – specifically to research terpene profiles and different cannabinoids. With federal laws prohibiting funding and creating a lot of barriers for research, it’s people like Max, Kevin and Jack that had the vision to put their money where their mouth is and know that there’s magic inside. They wanted to be part of the first ones to discover that and so did I.
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Mario Guzman is the legendary breeder behind some of the industry’s most groundbreaking strains, including the game-changing Sunset Sherbert, plus Gelato and its signature variants Bacio, Mochi and Acai Berry Gelato. We caught up with the man behind the Sherbinskis brand to learn more about his longtime passion for the plant.
HOW AND WHEN DID YOU GET INTO THE CANNABIS GAME? I was living in San Francisco in the early 2000s and SB420 was introduced in 2004 – it created a legal framework for guys like me to start growing in their garages. AT WHAT POINT DID YOUR FOCUS SHIFT TO BREEDING AND GENETICS? It kind of went hand in hand. From the very beginning I was playing with pollen and had been popping seeds, and I didn’t know anything about it really. I just learned quickly through trial and error. I never considered myself, or, even now really … the
MAR. 2022
WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT FOR THE Sherbinski’s FUTURE? I’ve been worksignature ing for the last four years strains include just learning. I haven’t been WHAT’S THE MOST DIFFICULT out trying to make money Pink Panties, PART OF CREATING A NEW in seeds or clones or anySunset Sherbert STRAIN? I would say time. It thing. I’m just learning from and the Gelato line takes a lot of time and patience. people in Spain and different Nothing happens fast in this countries, and breeders and - Bacio, Mochi, game. From popping the seed to just people that get down and Acaiberry and Gello. letting that grow out, to cutting make seeds. We’ve got about the clone to flowering out that 100 moms of different geplant … drying it, trying it, netics that I’ve already tested sharing it, getting feedback … The people I’m two or three times. I’m confident that I’ve put in partnering with and seeking out are just looking to the work and I know what’s what, and I’m excited get back to the quality. It’s not about the biggest about starting to share some of the work I know buds or the biggest yields – it’s more about the I can stand behind that’s a lot more diverse than different medicinal effects of these different genetics what we’re seeing out there in the market. and opening up that gene pool a little more, rathSHERBINKIS.COM er than some of the narrow offerings that we’re @SHERBINSKI415 seeing. term breeder … I just learned to accept it. I just enjoy working with plants and experimenting.
STORY by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415/LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by @VISITHOLLYWEED
