Following with our articles focused in the origin of some of the most popular genetics, today we will talk about Haze strains. Haze strains are probably the most famous and popular 100% sativa hybrid, appreciated for its characteristic taste, smell and effect. Want to know more about Haze cannabis? Keep up reading, and discover its origin, who bred it, and how has survived until today.
Origin of Haze
Original Haze strain is a hybrid compound by pure sativa genetics from different countries. The cross was made for the first time in United States, in early 70s. Nevertheless the strains it came from had been grown in Southern Asia, and South America for centuries. In the XIX century, countries like India, Birmania and Thailand, where cannabis growing for recreational purpose was common, where under British Imperium control. Further on, arround 1930, some seeds from these countries started to arrive to the USA (the same seeds that 40 years later would be a key point to breed the original Haze.
Was on those years when cannabis started to like to the american society, probably because it was the first time its consumption was prohibited, even its use was only in suburbs (some say it was only liked by afro-americans, like jazz, or blues, was). In the 50s it was the ideal complement for the beat, and in 60 the weapon of hippies. When 70s arrived, its popularity was total, and the art of its growth started to be developed in giant steps, becase it was necessary to increase the quality and the yields.
California and Haze Brothers
California turned, along 60s and 70s, in cannabis culture cradle. To its coasts arrived many exotic marijuana strains from all over the world, mostly from Mexico, Colombia and Caribbean. The scenario was ideal for those most curious cali tokers who started to grow the seeds they found in the buds they smoked.
Says the legend that in Santa Cruz there were two brothers who grew and sold weed, known as Haze Brothers, term (haze) used in those years to refer to cannabis strain procing euphoric effects. The browers were growing both, indoors and outdoors (in a home made greenhouse that allow them to grow sativa plants) and worked specially with Colombian and Mexican strains. It's also said that they created a good relationship with Sam the Skunkman (who we talked about in our last episode of Skunk strain origin),who lived in the same neighbourhood those days. Seems they gave him some of the seeds they were working on.
From the mix of those seeds first Haze strain was born. Seeds this first prototype was a hybrid bred from two colombian strains (possibly Colombian Gold and Colombian Red) and a mexican (that could be Acapulco Gold). Still today there is a debate about the mexican sativa, and its presence in the original breeding project of Haze, because many vice deny it, and other confirm it.
Sam and Sacred Seed collective tried to keep and stabilize Haze for years, but with many different results. haze was crossed with strains from Thailand, and also with seeds from South India, resulting in what we know as Original Haze today. This was a very homogenic plant, but also unstable, that after many generations still produce huge differences. From it appeared strains like Root Beer, Purple Haze, Light Silver Green, Silver Blue Haze, Lime Green haze and other phenotypes impossible to find nowadays. In 1976 Sacred Seed started to sell Original Haze seds. That first californian Haze was a hybrid 100% sativa, with a sweet taste and flavour, energetic effects, so valued by growers, even its slow flowering forced them to grow her only indoors.
Gossips say that in those days Haze Brothers stopped growing (seems they got angry), one of them went to Mexico, while the other found God in San Francisco's hills. Some Sacred Seed members still share that these brothers never existed, but who knows, some people say that two brothers, who smoke tons of weed were known as Haze Bros...
Holland
When Sam the Skunkman landed in Holland in 1982, hiding from political and legal pressures, did it with a bag loaded with kilos and kilos of seeds developed by Sacred Seed, a bag that changed the history of modern hybrids. Following what's said, his luggage was composed by 250.000 different seed strains, in wich there were the Skunk #1, California Orange, Hindu Kush, Early Pearl and the Original Haze, besides other californian wonders.
Since 1975, Holland was pioneer in marijuana and soft drugs politics, and in the 80s was the best place in the world to work legally with cannabis. Specially to develope and improve the strains that Sam brought from the States.
In late 80s, Sam closed Cultivator's Choice, company he founded some months after arriving to Holland, and sold his genetics to some persons who became key part in strain stabilization, starting to produce first european hybrids. Wernard Bruining, founder of Positronics, got some of those, and was one of the first ones to sell classic strains like Skunk #1 and Original Haze. When the company bankrupted in 1996, some old workers took part of company's material and found their own seedbanks (from wich Nirvana Seeds, The Super Sativa Seed Club and Homegrown Fantaseed were born). In another way, Eddy, founder of The Flying Dutchmen, also started purchasing some seeds to Sam the Skunkman (they worked together in Cultivator's Choice) and made a huge effort stabilizing those pure strains, turning in the only company selling the Original Haze and original Skunk #1, after Positronics' bankrupt.
Nevertheless, the most important step forward for Haze strain was when this fell in Neville Schoenmakers' hands, a young australian heroin addict who would end named by High Times magazine as the "King of Cannabis".
Neville Schoenmakers
Australian guy, and a dutch descendant, Neville was in his born country a dealer and toker of marijuana. Being young he started to work with ilegal substances in a lab, where he experimented with all type of drugs, from cannabis to heroin, to what he became addict. After many detentions an multiple rehab tries, he finished in Holland, where, thanks to a rehab program he got funds for a seed company. With the money from grants he bought a estate close to german border, where he placed large greenhouses, with industrial lights, to produce cannabis indoors (place himself named as Cannabis castle. There he worked with the strains he found in Holland (usually mostly indica, difficult to grow without good enviromental conditions). Finally in 84 he opened the legendary The Seedbank of Holland, the first seed company that sold seeds within postal service, so he started to distribute seeds all over the world.
When Neville met Sam and his seeds (in-between was also the Skunk) soon he got fascinated by californian strainsm its quality, taste and powerful psicoactive effects. In The Seed Bank's catalogue in 1988, we find the following description of Haze:
"The fragance is complex and deep, with floral aromas over a dark bottom of notes that reminds leather. When is used in a hybrid, brings fascinating notes of deep and complexity taste as well as a unique characteristical effect. Even though is not for everyone, cannaisseurs will find it irrestible this Haze".
Neville geminated the seeds got from Sam, and kept 5 different plants he called A, B, C, D and E; three females (B, D and E) and two males (A and C), that will become in fathers of some of the most popular hybrids arround the world. In 1989, his Early pear x Skunk #1 x Northern Lights #5 x Haze hybrid won the second edition of Cannabis Cup, achieve that Seeds Bank repeated in the following edition. With the pass of years, crossings like Northern Light #5 x Haze or Jack Herer (Northern Light #5 x Haze C x Skunk x Haze A) would become legendary.
Even though, the trading of seeds arround the worl set Nevill Schoenmaker as a target for DEA. After being seized by DEA in 1990, Neville decided to sell the Cannabis Castle, together with his genetics, to Ben Dronkers, owner of Sensi Seed Club, fusion from wich Sensi Seeds Bank was born.
After a while, once retired from cannabis growing, we became co-owner of Greenhouse Coffeshop, from where in 1995 Greenhouse Seeds was born, in association with the australian grower Shantibaba. From this collab many new Haze hybrids appeared. Super Silver Haze was, probably, the most important, because she was winner of the Cannabis Cup the next three years (97, 98 and 99). After leaving Greenhouse Seeds, Neville still made some collabs with Mr Nice.
Haze legacy
More than 30 years have past since Sam arrived to Holland to revolution the cannabis scenario, and after all this time seems Neville's and Sam's Haze legacy is still alive. Nowadays, almost all seedbanks offer a Haze hybrid, being or not derived from the original ones, and we can find a neverending number of strains that adapt to our likes. Rumours say that in some Amsterdam's coffee shops, if one knows wich door to knock, is still possible to find descendants of those first Haze plants from Neville, like in example A5.
Original Haze characteristics
Genetics:
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Colombian Red -
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Thai Sativa
Flavour: Sweet, earthy, with tones of wood and citrus points, a bit spicy.
Effects: Energy, euphoria, psichodellia, wellness feeling, creativity.
Medicinal value: antiinflamatory, against stress.
Up to date, the history of Haze origin is a blend of different versions that tell who were there. From where did the original Haze come from, or who were Haze Brothers; if Sam was the real owner of the seeds Neville started from, or as he allways said the seeds were from Haze brothers, we will never know. This is why Haze origin are foggy.
No matter what, what we do know is that the actual scenario of cannabis could be so different if these guys didn't took part.
Sources:
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