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by Alesha Wilson, M. Ed.
Certified Cannabis Therapy Consultant
When someone or something has been described as “original,” there seems to be a higher level of respect or regard for that person or thing. So, it is not unusual to make the connection between original cannabis strains to original folk heroes such as Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg. I’m not going to pretend that I can offer a one-hundred percent accurate account of the original cannabis strains, as history shows… details can get misinterpreted along the way, but I will offer my best urban hippie perspective. Anyone can Google “original cannabis strains” and come up with multiple lists, however, I’ll focus on five that are consistently referenced as landrace strains: Acapulco Gold, Afghani, Durban Poison, Lambs Bread, and Thai. For the purposes of this article, “original” refers to the naming of cannabis strains in the United States since around the 1960s – not “original” from the Chinese Emperors’ recordings of cannabis benefits as early as 2700 BC.
19
MAY 2022
thechronicmagazine.com
The word “cultivar” is more commonly used in botany, and “strain” is more commonly used in biology, therefore, I’ll shoot for a 60/40 usage of the word while we are still in the early conversion stages.When I started researching for this article, I was surprised by how accurate the plant is represented by Hollywood. But after a moment of clarity via a couple of hits of Fire OG, I realized, why wouldn’t they have the information? Humboldt County is not too far away and despite its local flavor, stories emerge and so does the weed. My early recollections of cannabis were stories told through Cheech and Chong movies, which to me maintained themes of being in the moment, going with the flow, and the ability to attract kindred spirits with a single puff of smoke. When I finally tried the Up in Smoke movie referenced strain, Acapulco Gold, in 2018, I expected to feel relaxed and somewhat carefree instead, I found myself motivated to get things done around the house even after a long workday and on another occasion tapping into creative energy.
My perception of the effects had been based on the overall characteristics displayed by Cheech and Chong. I didn’t realize at the time that marijuana could enhance my overall mind, body, and spirit with energy, focus, and clarity. What a gift cannabis is… when you know how to use it. Speaking of gifts, Afghani came to us baring many; including the opportunity to fall asleep without the use of pharmaceutical meds, to reduce pain, and stimulate appetite. It is also a parent to another popular strain, Northern Lights. With its many benefits, it’s no wonder the government reportedly tried to recreate the magic. “According to one account, at least one U.S. Government agency was allegedly developing weed with assistance from the University of Mississippi, which is where government-approved cannabis grows. The suggestion is that the Gmen grew pure Afghani clones labeled from G1 to G23. While every clone had slightly different traits, G13 was allegedly the most stable.” (wayofleaf.com/)
