I started growing pure tropical plants some years ago (notice that I try not to keep using the traditional term “sativas”). After I started smoking and growing commercial stuff as White Widow, AK47, SuperSkunk and so on (it was the dutch strains golden era and the only strains sold at the shops) we got our hands once in a few Congolese seeds shared by a fellow grower with me. All the atlantic maritime areas of Spain were a place where ships from Africa stopped often, sometimes they carried seeds and weed for selling so we had many Africans in Spain as our American fellas had oldschool Colombian and Mexicans. It was my first contact with something different and exotic. And that was the main reason, the plant looked, smelled and specially smoked so different to all the other weed tried before!! After smoking that weed with floral, spicy and carrot smell we ended with our hearts rushing, dancing, laughing and eager to do stuff! If you didn't go to hang out, you will probably end washing all the dishes or cleaning the kitchen as it happened to me more than once! I got few friends who were just starting shouting and jumping like if they were on coke! Party weed all day every day! 
We all loved to those plants and I certainly got hooked on them. I started getting more involved with the cannabis world and spent my time studying all this old articles on landraces, oldschool weed, strains from the 70s, the old Mexicans, Jamaicans, African weed…. looking through the threads and articles from LMN, Rahan, Motaco, DJ Short, Skunkman, the aussie guys and many other great growers who were experimenting and sharing their experiences with all kinds of exotic plants from all over the world. I learned about the cannabis history and how many strains got lost with the prohibition and the dutch cannabis era, so it wasn’t just about a personal taste and preference but a whole way of thinking because of my own ecologist approach to life.
Since then, I truly love this tropical and exotic strains and instead of just growing for stash, I find much more rewarding and fulfilling growing to study and preserve this strains and having all this personal projects with them. I never smoked a lot so growing and playing with strains or even studying cannabis was always more interesting and fulfilling to me.
As for the so called sativas… I agree with the latest studies on cannabis species, taxonomy issues and how they evolved. All drug plants seem to have evolved from the same ancestral Cannabis Indica strains in Central Asia and got spread all into the Himalayas, India, Hindu Kush and even Africa from there. As the human trade migrations spread the seeds, cannabis evolved in each region (and climate) resulting in the many ecotypes and landraces that existed since then. Cannabis Sativa were just the hemp and feral strains that spreaded through Europe and to the north, rather than into tropical areas. I think we should promote this knowledge and educate people too.
I also think we have much to thank to the Indian culture who was probably the first one in growing ganja for the only purpose of harvesting seedless buds for both spiritual and medicinal purposes, rather than for hash, seeds or fiber. Also most strains could have been spread by the Indian Coolies and sugar cane farm workers in my opinion, into Africa, Indonesia, Madagascar and even Jamaica or America by extension. With their seeds, also their ganja growing culture and vocabulary. This Indian ganja could be the ancestor of all ganja strains many years ago and the ancient Chinese strains, the ancestors of other SE Asian strains.
So yeah, I love growing all this pure tropical strians and enjoying their special highs and different qualities, their exotic smells, leaf shapes, etc… but I love growing as well starins from the arid northern areas as Hindu Kush or the Himalayas for instance, good for relaxing and watching a movie, etc.
So far, my best experiences were with some Thais and Congolese. Clearly that party weed I look for, energetic, a little bit racy and clean effect rather than relaxing, dreamy or couchlocking. Of course there is also moment for medicinal kushes before going to sleep or when there are pains to calm down, but meanwhile, let’s bring something for day smoke and not the stupifying commercial strains.
I’m mostly interested in African strains and SE Asian strains and it will be the starting point for my quest… I’ve been trying to gather a few different strains to look for my favourites and work with them. Oldschool Mexicans, Jamaicans and South Indians are in my list too.
We all loved to those plants and I certainly got hooked on them. I started getting more involved with the cannabis world and spent my time studying all this old articles on landraces, oldschool weed, strains from the 70s, the old Mexicans, Jamaicans, African weed…. looking through the threads and articles from LMN, Rahan, Motaco, DJ Short, Skunkman, the aussie guys and many other great growers who were experimenting and sharing their experiences with all kinds of exotic plants from all over the world. I learned about the cannabis history and how many strains got lost with the prohibition and the dutch cannabis era, so it wasn’t just about a personal taste and preference but a whole way of thinking because of my own ecologist approach to life.
Since then, I truly love this tropical and exotic strains and instead of just growing for stash, I find much more rewarding and fulfilling growing to study and preserve this strains and having all this personal projects with them. I never smoked a lot so growing and playing with strains or even studying cannabis was always more interesting and fulfilling to me.
As for the so called sativas… I agree with the latest studies on cannabis species, taxonomy issues and how they evolved. All drug plants seem to have evolved from the same ancestral Cannabis Indica strains in Central Asia and got spread all into the Himalayas, India, Hindu Kush and even Africa from there. As the human trade migrations spread the seeds, cannabis evolved in each region (and climate) resulting in the many ecotypes and landraces that existed since then. Cannabis Sativa were just the hemp and feral strains that spreaded through Europe and to the north, rather than into tropical areas. I think we should promote this knowledge and educate people too.
I also think we have much to thank to the Indian culture who was probably the first one in growing ganja for the only purpose of harvesting seedless buds for both spiritual and medicinal purposes, rather than for hash, seeds or fiber. Also most strains could have been spread by the Indian Coolies and sugar cane farm workers in my opinion, into Africa, Indonesia, Madagascar and even Jamaica or America by extension. With their seeds, also their ganja growing culture and vocabulary. This Indian ganja could be the ancestor of all ganja strains many years ago and the ancient Chinese strains, the ancestors of other SE Asian strains.
So yeah, I love growing all this pure tropical strians and enjoying their special highs and different qualities, their exotic smells, leaf shapes, etc… but I love growing as well starins from the arid northern areas as Hindu Kush or the Himalayas for instance, good for relaxing and watching a movie, etc.
So far, my best experiences were with some Thais and Congolese. Clearly that party weed I look for, energetic, a little bit racy and clean effect rather than relaxing, dreamy or couchlocking. Of course there is also moment for medicinal kushes before going to sleep or when there are pains to calm down, but meanwhile, let’s bring something for day smoke and not the stupifying commercial strains.
I’m mostly interested in African strains and SE Asian strains and it will be the starting point for my quest… I’ve been trying to gather a few different strains to look for my favourites and work with them. Oldschool Mexicans, Jamaicans and South Indians are in my list too.
the one in the first pic is that kind of sativa that punches you in the face. it hits you 4-6 minutes after u smoke it. 
