Well, what a year it’s been, folks!  2014 was a great year for us here at PureSativa and a landmark year for the industry as a whole, particularly across the pond in the United States.

As state after state in the US took ballots on the legalisation of medical marijuana, Colorado and Washington State blazed the trail for recreational use.  As it stands today, Colorado and Washington are now fully legal states.  Oregon and Alaska have followed suit and passed legislation on recreational and medical use which takes effect in coming months.  Currently, twenty-four states allow medical marijuana and have de-criminalization laws in place.  Finally, it seems as though the tide is turning and common sense is prevailing.

Uruguay became the first nation on earth to pass nationwide legislation which provides for a state-run marijuana marketplace.  The South American country looks set to push ahead with the new laws, despite the imminent departure of liberal president, José Mujica.  President Mujica’s 5-year term of office has seen Uruguay legalize abortion and same-sex marriage as well as create the foundations for the world’s first regulated marijuana market.  President-elect, Tabaré Vásquez, who takes office on 10th March this year has stated his intentions to follow through on the work of his predecessor with the caveat that he does not believe pharmacies are the right places to be distributing cannabis.  Part of the legalization bill has already taken effect, however:  Uruguayans are now permitted to cultivate up to six cannabis plants at home, and in November 2014, so-called ‘marijuana clubs’ were legalized, allowing growers to pool their allowance and cultivate the plant communally.  We’ll be watching the development of this story with great interest in the coming months.

DENVER, CO. - APRIL 20 : A crowd of marijuana smokers gathered at Civic Center Park in Denver to mark the counterculture holiday known as 4/20 on the first celebration since Colorado and Washington made pot legal for recreation use. (Photo By Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

4/20 celebrations in the USA were attended in record numbers in 2014, following the raft of legalization bills.  The festival in Denver, Colorado which incorporated the High Times   Cannabis Cup expo was attended by tens of thousands of grateful delegates.  To the backdrop of live performances by Snoop Dogg amongst others, the huge crowds revelled in their new-found liberty.  Further High Times Cannabis Cup events took place throughout the year: San Francisco in June, Clio, Michigan in July, Seattle in September and ultimately, the big one in Amsterdam in November.  Although the Amsterdam event was somewhat stymied by Dutch authorities, the number of attendees and the quality of cannabis being exhibited was possibly the best to date.  Again, we will take a keen interest in the direction High Times take with their next European event.  Incidentally, High Times have already announced an additional event for 2015 which will take place in Portland, Oregon in July (immediately after the legalisation legislation takes effect).

Closer to home, PureSativa have signed up as official UK distributors (wholesale and retail) with more new seed companies, taking our total to 25 exclusive deals.  HortiLab, House Of The Great Gardener and Elemental Seeds all joined forces with us in 2014 and we are delighted to welcome them on board.  2015 will see yet more seed companies move over to PureSativa, and connoisseurs should stay tuned to our blogs and social media pages for the latest news.  Keep eyes too for our new range of seeds named Little Chief Collabs – we won’t spoil the surprise, but there is some really big news to be announced soon!

We also formed our new South American distribution company, PureDNA, in partnership with our friends Don and Aaron from DNA Genetics.  Based in Chile, PureDNA will allow us to supply South America with the world’s finest seeds and smoking paraphernalia much more effectively than we can from the UK.  We launched PureDNA in mid-2014 and at our first expo event, ExpoWeed in Santiago, Chile, we stormed the Best Booth prize and landed our first silverware at the first time of asking.  You can find out more on PureDNA by emailing our team – info@puredna.cl.  There is much, much more to come from PureDNA in 2015 and beyond – stay tuned for news as it happens.

Speaking of DNA Genetics:  2014 marked the 10 year anniversary of the company’s launch and the boys from L.A. have really upped the ante when it comes to creating industry competition champions.  Their remarkable sativa strain, Tangie, continued to simply monster every competition it was entered in.  Tangienow joins Chocolope, LA Confidential, Martian Mean Green and Kosher Kush in the list of DNA’s most successful ever strains.  At a seminar at the Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam in November, the DNA guys outlined their plans for 2015 which include a new range of seeds named ‘Grow Your Own’ which are intended to be incredibly easy for novice breeders to cultivate in a legal climate.  They also announced a partnership with Dutch nutrient manufacturer, Mills, to release a range of soil and coco infused with cork and pre-loaded with nutrients for fool-proof growing of plants.  The soil, known as DNAMills Ultimate Mix with Cork is on sale now and looks set to revolutionise the growing medium market in 2015.

In lighter news, the Oxford English Dictionary announced that the ‘word of the year’ for 2014 was ‘vape’.  Surely a sign that counter-culture is moving into the mainstream.  Certainly, 2014 saw the release of more new vaporizer devices than previous years as discerning users look for healthier ways to enjoy their favourite herbs and e-liquids.  ‘Budtender’ was also shortlisted.

We’ll look back fondly on 2014 here at Sativa Towers. Thanks to all our customers for making is so special.  We’re hoping for an even better 2015, and we hope you’re all going to come along for the ride!