MZJILL GENETICS
leafmagazines.com
In an industry dominated almost entirely by men, MzJill stands out as a Cannabis breeder with integrity, longevity and some of the tastiest, unique and potent strains on Earth.
– building her own bubble buckets because she didn’t want to dispose of conspicuous bags of soil. Eventually, her medicinal needs and those of her patients drew MzJill to breeding origiMzJill’s journey, like many pioneers nal strains and along with her partner, of pot, began as a medical patient. the late Subcool, MzJill co-founded She was born with scoliosis and only TGA (Team Green Avenger) in 2003. found real relief when she Along with providing finally discovered Cannaan immense amount of bis. But that didn’t solve free cultivation informaall of the problems for a tion via online forums single mother of three young such as overgrow.com, daughters during the throes MzJill’s work with TGA of pot prohibition, so she created some iconic decided to homeschool her Cannabis strains such kids and start growing her as Agent Orange, Brian own to avoid extra scrutiny Berry Cough, Orange J I L LY B E A N from buying medicine in the Velvet, Ace of Spades and @DIS_GREENROOM underground market. her flagship – the multiple She set up a discreetly camouflaged, award-winning, Jilly Bean. free-standing room in the garage TGA became one of the first Ameriand employed hydroponic methods can seed companies to provide beans
MAR. 2022
PHOTO BY @NATIVE_CULTIVATOR
JOKER’S WILD
PHOTO BY @SHE_WHISPERS_TO_PLANTS
THE STRAINS ISSUE
36
for purchase online and MzJill was certainly the first female from the U.S. openly breeding strains available in the marketplace. I inducted them into the High Times Seed Bank Hall of Fame and chose Jilly Bean as one of the Top 10 Strains of 2007. Together with Sub and the rest of the TGA team, they worked to breed potent and flavorful new varieties until a devastating fire destroyed everything they owned in 2017. MzJill decided to move on—parting ways with Subcool, starting up her own company (MzJill Genetics) and retaining the rights to use the TGA name and many of the strains she had helped to develop. “Thankfully, we had shared many of our mother plants with friends and I was able to recover the genetics,” she said. “CSI Humboldt was very helpful with strains such as Purple Urkle, which was a parent of our Querkle strain and now my Jilly Bean Grape as well.” MzJill also founded the charity MzJill’s People Helping People. Their work includes organizing holiday food, clothing and toy drives across Oregon and Northern California, fundraising for Veterans and children with disabilities, and empowering women in the Cannabis ecosystem. Even after decades of growing and breeding, MzJill still finds joy in cultivation and strain creation. Her advice to new growers? “Plant some seeds, keep everything clean and healthy to avoid pests. Mixing up a good soil is better than using bottled nutrients.” As for breeding, she emphasizes that it’s not just about crossing two elite strains. “Learn to grow well first. So many people have a room go hermaphroditic and suddenly, they’re a seed company. Make sure that you grow out and test your seeds before you release them. Take notes and keep track of everything.” As the owner and head breeder of MzJill Genetics, MzJill feels her journey is only just beginning.
J I L LY B E A N B L A C K C H E R RY
“MzJill’s work with TGA created some iconic Cannabis strains such as Agent Orange, Brian Berry Cough, Orange Velvet, Ace of Spades and her flagship – the multiple awardwinning, Jilly Bean.” She’s working on bringing back some of the original classic TGA strains such as Vortex, Dairy Queen, Chernobyl and Time Wreck. She’s also particularly excited about her new line of stabilized Jilly Bean crosses including Cherry, Orange, Lime and Grape flavors. MZJILL.COM @MZJILL420
STORY by DAN VINKOVETSKY @DANNYDANKOHT/LEAF NATION
