Afghan Cannabis Strains

Origins of Cannabis

Cannabis is thought to have evolved in the Qinhai Plateau in eastern Tibet around 28 Million-years ago. The Neolithic Archaeological finds of fossil pollen suggest that it was first domesticated in multiple areas around Central Asia for its fibre and seeds. Recent research on wooden braziers stemming from C.500 BCE in Western China has shown concrete evidence of the selection of Cannabis for its Psychoactive properties. It was during this period that Cannabis began to Spread between China and Eastern Europe via a route that would have been the precursor to the Silk Road route. Proof of the Scythians burning Cannabis at their burial rituals appears to indicate that being a Central Asian tribe with nomadic and settled communities, they would have likely been responsible for the early dispersion of Cannabis as they migrated between India, Russia, China and Danube from the late Bronze Age to the 3rd century BCE. 

In regions such as North and Eastern Asia, followed by Europe, Cannabis became a popular seed and fibre crop. Contrastingly, at the same time, one of the plant's main uses in central and southern Asia for its psychoactive properties. Afghanistan's geography (small populated valleys surrounded by towering mountains has always made the country tough to govern and consequently became an ideal place for cultivation. However, governmental pressures caused a slow but increasing decline in the production of Cannabis in regions such as Balkh. Nevertheless, in modern times at the physical heart of the first propagation of Cannabis, the traditional cultivation of Cannabis remains unchanged, making for a unique & pivotal part of Cannabis Culture(1).

Afghanistan, a country with a long history of cannabis cultivation, is known for its diverse and unique cannabis strains. These strains have deep connections to their origin regions, with each being home to distinct genetics that reflects the area's environmental conditions and cultural practices. This article will explore parts of Afghanistan and the associated cannabis genetics, focusing on whether they are landrace or hybrid varieties. We will also explore the diverse climates of Afghanistan and the types of Cannabis found in each region; some of these genetics are available through our Afghan Selection range of elite landrace seeds.

Afgan Regions and Their Cannabis Genetics

Afghanistan consists of several distinct territories, each known for producing unique Afghan Cannabis strains, so let's explore some of these regions and their associated genetics: 

Hindu Kush Region

The first mention of Kush concerning Cannabis is about the varieties found in the Hindu Kush mountainous region of Northeast Afghanistan, which also stretches through present-day Pakistan, Tajikistan and China. Hindu Kush as a strain has direct links back to this region as its genetics will be descendants of landrace Indica dominant varieties or at least those with traditionally sedating terp profiles as previously discussed (link); the labels of Sativa and Indica are a topic of debate as obsolete ways of classing Cannabis genetics. A landrace is a original Cannabis strain not selectively bred in modern times that has organically developed over thousands of years in direct adaptation to the

One of the latest highly-sought after artisanal breeders that have launched distribution and retail with us is StarFire Genetix. This talented American breeder needs no introduction, achieving high recognition for their work in producing elite, exotic, designer genetics. After years of dedication to Cannabis, their perseverance enables them to network, nurture & build relationships with only the most prominent names in the Cannabis industry. StarFire Genetix's goals were to build up an array of the most-premium, exotic & most sought-after phenotypes, and they produce flavour-packed strains through painstaking

Spannabis Trade Show

Spannabis 2023 was an event which nurtured the growth of cannabis culture and free-spirited minds as an eclectic flurry of the world's cannabis connoisseurs and enthusiasts united under one roof in the energizing city of Barcelona, Spain.

As the week of the Spannabis show approached, chaotic energy was whizzing around the Puresativa HQ in true trade show fashion. Some weeks after the whirlwind event housing the international cannabis industry, I have begun to reflect on our time at Spannabis. Each time I rewind to moments from the electrifying event, it feels more and more like a movie. Spannabis 2023 was one for the books, a sentiment shared amongst many of us, so it's only fitting to start from the beginning. 

On Thursday, the 9th of March 2023, we approached our bare exhibition space in the nostalgic Fira de Cornellà. I mixed a cocktail of excitement, nerves, and anticipation served on the rocks to fuel my adrenaline as we got to work to put our Puresativa mark in the Spannabis 2023 hall. And just like that, Friday came as hundreds of businesses and thousands of visitors from the likes of cannabis breeders, hash makers, weed consumers, and hemp and CBD lovers were able to have open and honest conversations in a safe space.

Spannabis 2022 still had covid restrictions looming over the event, so naturally, paranoia lingered at the back of our heads, and face masks were part and parcel of the affair. The exhibition didn't have the typical excitement and energy ricocheting through the hall - but we respected that. However, this year for Spannabis 2023, there was almost a silent agreement among the exhibitors to have a common thread of positivity and brilliance. It didn't feel like there was a competitive spirit to me. Instead, we collectively thrived and delivered an event to surpass expectations this year. 

Which cannabis seeds did Puresativa bring?<

What are Cannabis Seeds?

Cannabis seeds are the product of female Cannabis plants impregnated with pollen; that said, there are several different types of cannabis seeds and phrases related to the breeding process resulting in those cannabis seeds. Cannabis seeds are usually the product of several breeding styles that produce the following forms of seeds: Regular, Feminised, Autoflowering & high CBD, all of which we stock here at Pure Sativa, providing all types of Cannabis Seeds to buy. Cannabis Seeds are all legal in the UK, as referenced in the infamous criminal case of Gypsy Nirvana, where the court cited with judicial approval that "it is not illegal to offer for sale or supply... Cannabis seeds. Breeders such as Serious Seeds & T.H.Seeds have both feminised & regular cannabis seeds for sale at Pure Sativa. 

What are Regular Cannabis Seeds?

Regular seeds are bred by crossing a female variety of Cannabis with a male variety used to fertilise the female cannabis flowers, resulting in a new generation of genetics. Regular Cannabis seeds have a 50/50% chance of emerging as either male or female this follows the precise randomness intended by mother nature. Regular cannabis seeds are viewed as the most natural form of Cannabis genetics, as they are the product of pollination occurring in the same manner as in nature, and there is no tampering or tweaking involved. Regular genetics not bred into a hybrid form are still 'purebred', and these forms stem

Top 15 Runtz Strains!

Runtz, a strain whose infamy has far exceeded what anyone could have predicted, is reportedly a cross between Gelato and Zkittlez, with some sources initially attributing it to the Gelato 41 parentage whilst others point towards it being a Gelato 33 hybrid. Notably, one of the Runtz founders Ray Bama, recently spoke on the First Smoke of The Day podcast and suggested the lineage stemmed from the Gelato 33 but admitted that, ultimately, this is what the breeder informed them and that they couldn't say absolutely that those constitute the genetics. Whilst candy dominates the edibles market, it only truly began to dominate the cannabis cultivar market following the emergence of the Runtz strain in 2018. Runtz's spiritual home is in Los Angeles, where it first hit the streets and has since spawned several

What Is Product Earth? 

Product Earth made an epic return with its annual celebration, creating an unmatched and energetic atmosphere. Product Earth is the UK's biggest Canna Expo connecting Cannabis, CBD and hemp businesses with visitors passionate about the plant. Puresativa were proud to wear the badge as the Gold Sponsors. Our enthusiastic team went above and beyond to legally power our Product Earth space in honour of the cannabis plant. 

We firmly believe the Product Earth 2022 Event was a valuable show to foster the UK scene through cannabis education. Education includes sharing knowledge on the vast medicinal benefits, understanding your legal rights and how to create a business. Product Earth is an opportunity to connect renowned suppliers, prominent distributors like ourselves and retail companies, such as headshops. 

Having had an established foot in the industry for over 25 years, we see Product Earth as a chance for ourselves to grow our business but also help others with advice to grow their own. We all have the same end goal. 

Over the three days, it was a highlight to meet retail shops interested in our range of high-quality smoking accessories and cannabis seeds cherry-picked by our director. So not only is Product Earth THE event for wholesale and retail businesses but the hot spot for the public to browse and splash out on their favourite smoking accessories and souvenir cannabis seeds. 

As well as being the hub for legal cannabis and hemp products, the show is consistently packed with endless entertainment from morning through the night - the show embodies a 'good time'. There truly was a magical sense of unity, community and advocacy, bringing people from all different walks of life together. 

What Cannabis Seeds did Puresativa Bring To The Show? 

The Puresativa team knew we had to pull out something special as the gold sponsors to create an unmatched experience for the visitors. 

As their official distributor, it was an absolute honour to announce that four powerhouse breeders would join our booth for the entire weekend. The breeders' Karma Genetics, Grounded Genetics, The Perfect Tree, and The Grateful Seeds are an integral part of the Puresativa family and were a much-loved addition. We knew it would be the perfect chance for the public to meet the talent and gain a further understanding of the strains, from the lineage to the genetics to the terpenes and flavours. 

Karma, Grounded, and The Perfect Tree also graced the public with exclusive 'Product Earth Drops'. For example, the 'Z Road Line' by Grounded Genetics included the 'Vitamin Z (Zunami x Z Road)' strain. In addition, Karma Genetics blessed us with the much sought-after Sour Diesel Bx2, Sowahh and new releases such as 'Melochi x Sour Diesel BX3', a regular cannabis seed strain. Accompanying their original lines, Perfect Tree also came through with an entire Product Earth collection, releasing strains such as 'Kush Mints x Peach Ozz' feminised seeds. 

Meeting the breeders opened engaging conversations to ensure the public had the necessary knowledge. Furthermore, we aimed to add a different perspective and show the breeders from abroad the vast potential of the UK scene. 

Thanks to the return of the OG signature strains by Compound Genetics, our carefully curated selection became even more compelling. The breeder heard you loud and clear. In feminised form, he created their staple genetics, High Society, Marshmallow OG and La Bomba, which we launched at the Puresativa booth 520 for Product Earth 2022. But, we didn't stop there. 

The final exclusive line allowed the Product Earth visitors to be the first to get their hands on the latest Darkhorse Genetics hybrids. Built around the acclaimed Bruce Banner, Darkhorse came with absolute heat, with strains such as the Original Bruce Banner F2 regular cannabis seeds for the true connoisseurs. 

From heritage brands to the freshest members at Puresativa, we took the likes of Little Chief Collabs, DNA Genetics, Original Dampkring Genetics, Pheno Finders, Rare Dankness, Serious Seeds, T.H.Seeds, and so many more. 

Which Smoking Accessories did we take to Product Earth? 

Ensuring we had all bases covered, we chose core brands anchored in a smoker's dream. These brands include the well-known Puffco, which entered the vaporiser market and immediately generated hype. 

The Puffco brand came from a selfish intention of making products their innovators wanted for themselves; by dabbers for dabbers. Their signature Puffco Peak was just the beginning; from that point, their products continued to excel in creativity and desirability. Puffco vaporisers reflect a soaring imagination, and each creation makes you smile and think they've only gone and done it again. Without offending Android users, the Puresativa team view Puffco as the Apple of the Vaporiser market, inevitably creating high technology, easy usability and slick products that fit your hand like a glove. 

With rolling papers and cones being a need for any smoker, we took a smaller selection of brands, such as Vibes. The honourable Cali rapper Berner, CEO of Cookies and influential entrepreneur, is the brains behind Vibes. Berner continues to work towards changing the narrative surrounding the cannabis industry, breaking down barriers and opening spaces in the canna community. As the first Cannabis Entrepreneur to feature on the iconic Forbes cover, Berner has not only reached a milestone, but his endless accolades are a clear reflection of his brands. 

We were proud the Product Earth visitors witnessed the official UK launch of D-ODR. D-ODR is an odour neutraliser and fine mist spray using a combination of essential oils. However, the brains behind D-ODR are no strangers to the industry as the founders of Kenex Scales. As the official EU and UK distributors of Kenex, we have unquestioning faith in the brand owners and their products. The Puresativa team witnessed the journey from ambition to manufacturing D-ODR. The result is the highest quality mist, instantly removing unwanted odours. With one spray at Product Earth, customers gravitated to the smell and the purchasing counter. The terpene-rich spray speaks for itself. 

Our popular paraphernalia brands filled the shelves of our booth at Product Earth. Brands include Roor CBD, Roor, and Santa Cruz Shredder, whose 100% biodegradable hemp grinders and rolling trays were a triumph. The Puresativa booth is always where you can get everything in one place. We had it all. 

Of course, we had to take clothing as well, or how would you all rep your favourite brands like Smoker's Club or Alien Labs? Customers went wild for our in-house designed Sativa Bags, a blend of 55% hemp and 45% organic cotton in the form of stylish accessories. Other apparel included Revelry. The leading Revelry brand creates refined odour-proof and water-resistant accessories. We knew you would all be eyeing their classic designs, sophisticated colour ways, and clever functions. 

What were our Product Earth promotions and giveaways? 

Our first surprise leading up to the show was our elite goodie-packed giveaway open to the product earth attendees. The winners received a Dr Dabber Switch Vaporizer, Sowahh regular cannabis seed by Karma Genetics, a Karma Genetics black embroidered tracksuit, a Puresativa x Karma Genetics Sowahh biodegradable rolling tray, a Sadhu Puresativa mousemat and a Puresativa Promotional card including seven signature strains from seven different elite seed banks. We believe when it comes to a giveaway, bigger is always better, as we wanted to show our appreciation to our customers for their loyalty. 

Leading up to the show, we had conversations with the breeder behind Grounded Genetics, who was determined to create an exclusive prize for Grounded customers at Product Earth 2022. The idea of the golden ticket was born to thank customers for supporting Grounded on his skyward journey. His first-class genetics give seed banks a run for their money, which is only the beginning. We sealed two golden tickets into two different packets of Grounded's new Z Road strains. 

The first prize was a collection of treasures for any collector, winning a package of the entire new Z Road line. The Second prize was the highly desired Puffco Proxy vaporiser, which pays homage to the Sherlock Holmes pipe. The canna community are desperate to get their hands on the clever device as Puffco continues to elevate the vaporiser game with their genius creativity. 

At Puresativa, we believe one of our secret ingredients that will stand the test of time is to go above and beyond serving our customers' needs. So, for example, we can continuously create exciting opportunities for our customers with promotions. We apply the same ingredients for Product Earth but dial it up. The promos were major. 

The Puresativa Promo disk included one strain from 7 different seed banks, such as London Mint Cake by T.H.Seeds. We also had our Puresativa merch for promos to you could rep us loud and proud like the Puresativa mousemats and 100% biodegradable Puresativa rolling trays, both designed in-house. In addition, trade shows such as Product Earth allow us to physically see our customers' smiles. 

We care and want to develop relationships with customers because we all share one common ground and passion. It doesn't matter who you are or where you're from. So having open conversations and growing relationships with our customers is our prerogative. 

What was the Afterdark entertainment? 

If you've been to Product Earth before, you know Mills Nutrients curates epic musical entertainment during After Dark. The Mills boys not only select the lineup of acts, but some of them are, in fact, the talent, making their mark on every Product Earth event as resident DJs. Courtesy of Discreet Seeds, the Mills team were able to play tunes through the day on the courtyard stage, committed to good vibes and starting the day how they meant to go on. In addition, the courtyard saw skilled DJs like Spinush and Scott Rogan, who played your favourite tunes to scratch on set. 

For Product Earth 2022, there's no doubt that Mills brought their A-game with not one but two sound systems at the After Dark Village. They are known for bringing the life and soul of After Dark from 6 pm through the night for the attendees. So, who were the 'epic' acts? 

The Daft Punk tribute act, Daft Funk, was the perfect choice to garner plenty of attention for the Friday night Afterdark and amp up the buzz for the weekend. The French electronic music duo, Daft Punk, were a pairing of extraordinariness and a force to be reckoned with in dance music history. Daft Punk created an exciting atmosphere through their music hits, the intensity of the synchronised lights, and the mystery of the famous robot costumes allowing their audiences to transport to a fictional dimension momentarily. 

The AfterDark visitors witnessed Daft Funk capture the essence of the French electronic music duo through an iconic mix of house, electronic and disco to celebrate a retrospective of hits, including 'Get Lucky' featuring Pharrell Williams. They understood the assignment and delivered on the authentic costumes, the phenomenal visuals and live drums, and incredible attention to detail. Daft Funk did not short us of engaging and explosive energy in abundance. 

Saturday night, the acoustic musician Hutch took to stage, specialising in folk-style tunes and covers such as "fast car" by Tracy Chapman, a critically acclaimed and all-around hit. Hutch's sound strips the music back to its raw form, capturing the audience. In addition, he created soothing sounds to loosen the crowd up and set the mood for the weekend. Speaking of the 'mood', another act that emulated raw passion were The Moods, a nine-piece collective of producers, poets and musicians from the Northwest of England. 

The Moods combine the sounds of drum and bass, reggae, hip-hop and EDM. The culmination of beats sparks off a contagious need to dance, underpinned with real grit and substance. They are a band whose music holds meaning, singing and rapping with raw passion about subjects surrounding war, famine, love, life and death. The Moods outpouring made you think with your head and feel with your heart.

Saturday night also saw Pulp Friction, an act that was the master of heightening your sensory experience. Pulp Friction is a live tribute act daringly reimagining the soundtrack of one of Quentin Tarantino's greatest films, Pulp Fiction. The combination of classic funk, blues, soul and country with the electric performance of singing, dancing and impressive costume changes was a feast for our eyes. The Pulp Friction show was a compelling display of theatricals with a grande finale reenacting the ear scene from Reservoir Dogs. An audience member was lucky enough to find himself walking off stage with one less ear than he came with, or so it seemed. Pulp Friction chose songs peopled loved unifying the crowd before Tusk took to the stage.

Tusk has been on the scene for eight years, blasting the finest in DNB and dancefloor bangers. As an integral member of the Mills Nutrients team, Tusk knew he had a significant responsibility to keep the crowd's energy alive as he does every year. Being one of the Monument Hifi Co-founders, he loves getting the Soundsystem out, which Tusk refers to as the toys. His ambition is "putting smiles on people's faces", so Tusk always pushes to play the best tunes for the public no matter where the boys are in the country. As a result, the Product Earth 2022 crowd continuously gave him accolades as he spun his song selection. 

The last highlight on the Afterdark menu was the Silent Disco. Just like the crowd-pleasing chocolate fondant dessert, the Silent Disco was able to satisfy all. We were able to dance the night away whilst pleasing our neighbours. Mills Nutrients made silent discos cool again. 

What Is The Product Earth Seminar Zone? 

It's no secret that Product Earth is a hub of informative conversations. The array of talks hosted in the seminar zone encouraged the visitors to gather and see an exceptional panel of speakers in the know. Conversations that sparked ongoing discussions through the entire Product Earth 2022 weekend included 'unlock your menstrual superpowers', 'drug policy', 'cannabis from a patient perspective', and 'the effects of prohibition'. Another seminar focal point was the 'Women in Cannabis' talk by women for women. We were grateful to witness a powerful group of women leaders in the industry, including one of our Puresativa team members. The panel was a clear display of amplifying the importance of women's voices to broaden representation.