African Strains

[Dows]

Based on anyone's experience and knowledge, what is the likely origin of cannabis in western Africa? Is it more likely to be related to more recent imports from southern Africa and/or southern Asia, or are they more likely to be ancient local varieties? Wikipedia mentions North Africa as a possible source, but that seems unlikely per the genetic evidence that we do have.

 

[thejact55]

Only my thought based on absolutely nothing lol. If cannabis originated in asia, then it most likely passed into north Africa next. From there would it make more sense that it would go around the coast, south to south Africa then up the coast north into senegal, Gambia ect? Or across the desert and jungle to the west side? I would side with the around the coast theory personally. Then from west africa to south/cental america and the Caribbean. So to as the timeline of which this happened, I don't know, and I have no idea if strains were selected or evolved over time to their new climates. I don't know shit about shit, but this progression makes sense to me.

Ps: awesome plants as always mustafunk. Wonderful showing!

 

[Huesos]

Looking righteous Mustafunk! Love the thin leafs.

 

[LumberJackJay]

Based on anyone's experience and knowledge, what is the likely origin of cannabis in western Africa? Is it more likely to be related to more recent imports from southern Africa and/or southern Asia, or are they more likely to be ancient local varieties? Wikipedia mentions North Africa as a possible source, but that seems unlikely per the genetic evidence that we do have.

Ghana has landrace that originates from the Caribbean, and the northern countries all have genetics from Morocco etc. which is both Sativa from the Caribbean and Indica from Asia (Hindu Kush, Afghan Landrace etc.) you get a really good mix of both in the hybrids seen in West Africa.

Pure Sativa down south in South Africa and Swaziland comes from our land, the Indians brought Indica with them therefore our finger sativa's originate here AFAIK. None of this is proven fact, just my own opinion based on research I have done. Some landraces were brought in hundreds of years ago, whilst other landraces actually originate here.

 

[yesum]

ACE now has a Ethiopian for sale. Any thoughts there? I guess it is of a calmer high than some of the screamers.

 

[THCengineer]

ACE now has a Ethiopian for sale. Any thoughts there? I guess it is of a calmer high than some of the screamers.

Today there are 5, two-week old happy little ACE Regular Ethiopian seedlings basking in the intense vortex of my small but efficient little 2' x 2' 36" cab. (One runt out of my original 6 seedlings was pulled.) All 5 babies are flourishing, displaying an overall deep green hue highlighted with occasional slight purple tints. At 16 days vegetation, they stand proudly 4" tall with prolific, additional miniature multiple branches emerging everywhere, imparting to these diminutive wonders a bushy appearance as they thrive in my amended soil containers. A low-heat, full spectrum 400w vertical mounted Inda-Gro lamp, along with 4 regular 40w fluorescents, enhanced by reflective Mylar lining, provides total light saturation illuminating the entire cab's interior. This provision completely blasts every cubic centimeter of the entire length of a plant throughout, from bottom to top, with plentiful, unshaded brilliance. The extreme side-lighting arrangement affords a substantial improvement over the usual, typical, top-lit compromised coverage suffered by the majority of overhead-lit cabs as well as grow rooms. Inadequate lighting results in sub-standard growth of photon-starved middle-to-lower buds. (I suspect that appropriate, strong, permeating "omni-light" is the #1 crucial factor necessary to promote and fulfill a given plant's full potential of genetically pre-determined psychoactivity.) My first grow in the cab, (a recent ACE Regular Zamaldelica harvest), was fantastic, clearly my best-ever, yielding about 7 potent ounces of 2 distinctive phenotype/effects! The 3 amazing seeded Zams in my prior-cab-grow, surged outward and upward as vigorously as the proverbial "Jack's Beanstalk," top-heavy with enormous swollen masses of small-to-medium sparkling buds! But amazingly, these 3 sacred females never showed any signs of slowing down, even after pollination and 5 1/2 months flowering! So I felt compelled to eventually "stop the madness!" lol! (I've never seen such rapid, persistent and bountiful cannabis growth in all of my 30 years of indoor growing!) Hence, I decided to chop them once the tops reached 36" and were straining against the ceiling of the cab. Then I started the ACE Regular Ethiopians. My motivation was my obsession with wanting to experience the legendary high of an additional exotic sativa besides the exquisite Zamaldelica. So, after days of dedicated online searching, I finally settled on the enchanting Ethiopian strain. This unique, never-crossed, pure IBL gem readily appealed to me. I was irresistibly attracted to interact with the mystique, mythology, and magickal lore swirling about this holy plant. The fabulous historical provenance of the mysterious ancient kingdom of Ethiopia and the Rift Valley with which this sacred herb is associated intrigued me. (((This reputedly supernatural shangri-la of sorts is considered by some researchers to be the original Proto-Eden-birthplace of all humanity.))) Curiously, the biblical Queen of Sheba, who also appears (unnamed) in the Quran and is claimed by the Ethiopians as theirs, famously brought gold and spices to King Solomon, circa 950 BC. But what exactly did she bring and where was she from? For further speculation concerning ancient Ethiopian cannabis see: http://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2015/05/19/Was-Marijuana-One-Queen-Shebas-Spices - Was Marijuana One of The Queen of Sheba’s Spices? - and - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAIcuDSOx0w - The Real Queen of Sheba

Now for those of you who enjoy historical cannabis lore, here is a rare offering, an outrageous, scandalous commentary concerning one courageous Medieval philosopher who dared to challenge the ban on hemp in medieval Europe. This true Renaissance Man, Francois Rabelais (1494-1553), was a comedic genius of his day; an irreverent, notorious, ribald Benedictine monk and qualified Bachelor of Medicine. http://www.alchemylab.com/cannabis_stone3.htm - Cannabis: The Philosopher’s Stone - Part 3: The Alchemist Monk Francois Rabelais (I became acquainted with this work when I stumbled upon my father's old copy of Rabelais' book in 1956, when I was 10, and was completely puzzled but intrigued by its fantastic narrative. At that time, I did not understand that the term "Pantegruel" was a euphemism for cannabis. However, the plethora of absurd and shocking images assaulting the imagination of my youthful mind's eye fascinated me to the extent that the bizarre descriptions held my attention with their unrelenting, florid extravagance. Thereupon re-reading it at my "enlightened" age of 70, it was like unearthing and re-discovering a forgotten, overlooked, precious and thrilling archeological artifact. I hope that you enjoy it's historical perspective and I trust that it may offer some novel pleasure capable of complementing all your devoted cultivation efforts!


http://www.alchemylab.com/cannabis_stone3.htm - Cannabis: The Philosopher’s Stone -

Part 3: The Alchemist Monk Francois Rabalais

In Pantagruel, Rabelais gives a distinct description of hemp , which he calls “The Herb Pantagruelion:”[19]

"The leaves sprout out all round the stalk at equal distances, to the number of five or seven at each level; and it is by special favor of Nature that they are grouped in these two odd numbers, which are both divine and mysterious. The scent is strong, and unpleasant to delicate nostrils."

 

[west-eu]

Roms swazili F2

the smell is wild honey flower peppery gun powder, taste is softer smooth honey flav all good for some day time smoke

 

[LumberJackJay]

Roms swazili F2

View Image

the smell is wild honey flower peppery gun powder, taste is softer smooth honey flav all good for some day time smoke

I'd imagine the high from that must be quite heady and uplifting? Your smell and taste description is bang on for Swaziland Haze

 

[west-eu]

I'd imagine the high from that must be quite heady and uplifting? Your smell and taste description is bang on for Swaziland Haze

thanks man ... i did harvest them a little early but yeah the high is clear and clean... and the flav different from what i've got in la casa

 

[48N]

Fantastic thread
Thanks for all the information and pictures everyone provided
Next season Im gonna grow Africans
The thcv has me interested as well for my medical condition
I would like to start with short flowering varieties like ciskei, Lesotho and queen mother
In the following generations I'd like to cross them to longer flowering varieties like zamals (zamaldelica is the best and most special herb for me), congos and Ethiopians
Looking for clear uplifting offsprings
I'm at 48N but I think it's possible

Swazi roibaart seems to be a really good strain, Also that it seems to produce LOTS of thick super smooth smoke is a pretty nice feature, I like to be in a cloud
But it's not available anywhere anymore, right?

Malawi gold Is also on the list, i need to grow it at least once in my life !

Thanks again for all the information
Have a nice day everyone

 

[LumberJackJay]

Fantastic thread
Thanks for all the information and pictures everyone provided
Next season Im gonna grow Africans
The thcv has me interested as well for my medical condition
I would like to start with short flowering varieties like ciskei, Lesotho and queen mother
In the following generations I'd like to cross them to longer flowering varieties like zamals (zamaldelica is the best and most special herb for me), congos and Ethiopians
Looking for clear uplifting offsprings
I'm at 48N but I think it's possible

Swazi roibaart seems to be a really good strain, Also that it seems to produce LOTS of thick super smooth smoke is a pretty nice feature, I like to be in a cloud
But it's not available anywhere anymore, right?

Malawi gold Is also on the list, i need to grow it at least once in my life !

Thanks again for all the information
Have a nice day everyone

Rooibaard is pretty much only available from South Africa/Swaziland both in flower and seed form. If you want the original red beard you need to come here and get some seeds yourself.

I might be releasing a few testers of Rooibaard and Swaziland Haze in the near future, I'll put your name on the list.

 

[THCengineer]

Hey LJJ, I would like to be included on your list. Maybe we can work something out?

 

[Londinium]

Hi LumberJackJay,nice to see some Real Southern African genetics being shared(inshallah). Nice Work!
Have you ever smoked or grown the Lime Green Transkei cultivar(like a South Indian almost,very NLD and Up high). I brought some seeds back in the very early '90's,when I spent a few months there and in Malawi. It was my favourite SudAfr ganja,slightly preferred my best plants of it to the Malawi and Durban's and was way better effect than the Swazi for me(i do like swazi though,just nota fave). Ta JBo

 

[LumberJackJay]

Hi LumberJackJay,nice to see some Real Southern African genetics being shared(inshallah). Nice Work!
Have you ever smoked or grown the Lime Green Transkei cultivar(like a South Indian almost,very NLD and Up high). I brought some seeds back in the very early '90's,when I spent a few months there and in Malawi. It was my favourite SudAfr ganja,slightly preferred my best plants of it to the Malawi and Durban's and was way better effect than the Swazi for me(i do like swazi though,just nota fave). Ta JBo

Howzit Londinium

Yes I actually have some seeds saved from that lime green Transkei too, I have made a habit of saving every single bean I've ever gotten in bags (Very common here and our bagseed is super stable) so I have a couple hundred varieties that still need to be tested and documented. I really do like the Hybridized Transkei as much as I like the Rooibaard, mainly because it removes that anxious feeling you get when smoking a pure haze and the overall yield is much better with these hybrids. I have a UK Cheese X Swaziland Haze bagseed that I posted earlier in the thread and I have given her the chop so in a week or so I will post some macros for you guys.

As I have said in previous posts, we have got a few crops in certain areas that have been influenced by foreign genetics, I believe the Transkei Green is one of those crops. During the 70's/80's dutch connoisseurs brought over some seeds for our growers in exchange for flowers to be shipped back to Holland, and some of the crops today still show these traits along with landraces traits too. The strains I can confirm that are here are UK Cheese, Blueberry, Northern Lights and Afghan Kush. There are ofcourse others, but these I have heard from farmers who could not have lied about the genetics, they can barely read a book never mind go on the internet, look up a name and steal it for their crops. Which is a common occurrence on a dealer level here. The dealers will buy flowers for cheap from the farmers and then name it according to the flavor of the month.

We have some serious heat here far removed from the common OG's and Such that you guys have over there in the US and EU. I have also imported genetics from a few seedbanks and I can tell you our landrace and bagseed is right up there with the best.

 

[Londinium]

Thats great news. Good luck. Yeah I have to agree,I've grown a lot of SouthAfrican weed over the years fom bagseed,import and direct from farmer's and it can be top-notch smoke and even better for breeding. My favourite Transkei weed was from Lukisiki back then but was lost to me along with other SA and other IBL lines when I got ripped-off in the late '90's ;( My friends went back there in 2002 and couldn't find it again,due to Goverment f--king with the farmers apparently.

 

[48N]

Rooibaard is pretty much only available from South Africa/Swaziland both in flower and seed form. If you want the original red beard you need to come here and get some seeds yourself.

I might be releasing a few testers of Rooibaard and Swaziland Haze in the near future, I'll put your name on the list.

Thanks man
Very kind of you

 

[englishrick]

I just got some African Buzz by seedsman ,,,it's pure Malawi gold apparently ,,,I'm hoping for pineapple flavour

 

[Tangwena]

Rooibaard is pretty much only available from South Africa/Swaziland both in flower and seed form. If you want the original red beard you need to come here and get some seeds yourself.

I might be releasing a few testers of Rooibaard and Swaziland Haze in the near future, I'll put your name on the list.

Hi my friend please think of me when the time comes and good on you for sharing and caring.
Tangwena

 

[LumberJackJay]

Thats great news. Good luck. Yeah I have to agree,I've grown a lot of SouthAfrican weed over the years fom bagseed,import and direct from farmer's and it can be top-notch smoke and even better for breeding. My favourite Transkei weed was from Lukisiki back then but was lost to me along with other SA and other IBL lines when I got ripped-off in the late '90's ;( My friends went back there in 2002 and couldn't find it again,due to Goverment f--king with the farmers apparently.

I will help you to get some of those genetics back, seems as they were taken from you.

 

[LumberJackJay]

Hi my friend please think of me when the time comes and good on you for sharing and caring.
Tangwena

No Problem Tangwena I plan to visit this thread first and get all you guys sorted with some testers before I do the donation packs.