The Cannabis GOATs? DNA Genetics Bio

DNA Genetics are arguably the most famous cannabis seeds company in the world.
Born in beautiful Amsterdam in 2004, DNA are known and loved by anyone who has ever had even the slightest interest in cannabis genetics. They are the breeders behind a huge list of award-winning strains that have lit up the cannabis industry for well over a decade.
Today, we’ll take a look at some of those legendary strains from Cannabis Cups gone by and try to make sense of what makes DNA Genetics so special.

Perhaps the first thing to mention here is that everyone who loves cannabis, loves DNA Genetics.
If you didn’t know, DNA, rather unscientifically, stands for Don N Arron. These are the two marijuana-loving best buddies who started this whole thing off when they got sick of being fobbed-off with “Bunk boo-boo” – their own comedic pet term for cannabis of extremely poor quality.
It is definitely telling that in an industry so rife with competition, Don and Arron are loved as much by their industry colleagues as they are by the customers they delight.
They’re just straight-up nice guys.
This writer has had the pleasure of meeting the whole DNA team on a few occasions, and I’m always blown-away with how friendly and easy-going they are.
At shows and trade events, the DNA Genetics booth is always amongst the busiest stands. Folks congregate there to buy their rare seeds, ask questions of their experts and then usually just hang out to shoot the shit with other likeminded delegates.
This must be exhausting for them! 10-12 hour days being asked the same questions over and over and Don, Arron and the team will answer as enthusiastically as 7pm on the last day of a show as they would at 9am on the first. They have TIME for people and they really, genuinely want you to succeed with their genetics.

But nice guys finish last, right?
Not in the case of DNA Genetics. These guys have amassed more industry silverware than they could ever display. Over 200 individual cannabis industry awards glitter in their trophy room. They can boast glowing accolades from established cannabis industry heavyweights like High Times magazine who inducted DNA Genetics into their prestigious Hall of Fame as early as 2009 and awarded them the High Times Trail Blazers Award in recognition of their pioneering work uniting entrepreneurship, politics and medicine.
For their own reasons, DNA Genetics do not enter any industry competitions themselves anymore. They do however, actively encourage others to enter competitions with their genetics and they clearly celebrate their inevitable vicarious victories with the same enthusiasm as they would their own entry. Again; this is because they WANT you to succeed with their seeds. They genuinely love it when 3rd party growers blow the competition away with a 10-year-old DNA strain that most folks had forgotten about. Their company motto (which can be found on some of their tees) is “Our Terps Don’t Lie” and the passage of time has proved them right over and over again. The amazing flavours and aromas of some of the older DNA Genetics strains have still never been matched by modern breeders.

Highlight Reel

DNA Genetics have been available in the UK and EU on a wholesale and retail basis through PureSativa for many years. The quality and consistency of DNA Genetics strains dictates that their standout moments are very many and very varied. They don’t ever seem to put out a dodgy strain or miss the mark with a flavour.

 

Chocolope

DNA Genetics Chocolope burst onto the scene back around 2006. It is derived from a cross of Chocolate Thai x Cannlope Haze.
Chocolope was (and still is) incredibly easy to grow. Novice growers in legal climates were getting teriffic results from Chocolope which led to the strain being entered in dozens of competitions.
Chocolope has a 100% strike rate in trade competitions – she always, ALWAYS takes a podium place.
She was named High Times Strain of the Year in 2007 and has scores of other awards for entries from DNA Genetics and other amateur entrants.
Chocolope was discontinued as a feminised strain fairly recently, but there are numerous strains containing those precious genetics that are still available to buy today. See Tangilope (DNA) and Chocolope Sundae (Cannarado Genetics).

 

Sleestack

Sleestack by DNA Genetics fuses Shrom x Martian Mean Green (MMG) to produce a short, quick-blooming Sativa-dominant hybrid.
Sleestack is one of our favourites because of its frankly ludicrous resin production. It’s insane. Thick, frosty coatings of crystalline trichomes blanket the tops. This strain was a game-changer for legal extraction artists and with the pronounced terpene profile of sharp fuel and haze, Sleestack remains a firm favourite to this day.

 

Tangie

Just. This. This is what DNA Genetics mean when they say “Our Terps Don’t Lie.”
No article about DNA Genetics is complete without mentioning Tangie.
The all-conquering strain from the early 2010’s is still as good today as it was the first time.
With an absolutely staggering terpene profile, Tangie won every single competition she was entered in until the High Times Cannabis Cup in 2015. Obviously, she won that one too but she actually finished first AND second with Don and Arron’s lifelong friend Crockett beating them into second place with his own cut of the strain.
To this day, we are not aware of the same strain scooping gold and silver in any competition, let alone one of the magnitude of the HTCC.
What is Tangie like? Well, she smells and tastes of tangerines. Big time. Not oranges. Not satsumas. Tangie is NOT “a bit citrussy” or “fruity” – she absolutely hums of tangerines. 

 

Potent, uplifting and with a flavour you’ll never get bored of, Tangie is still available in seed form and also forms the basis for lots of hybrids such as DNA’s own Tangilope (Tangie x Chocolope), Crockett’s Tangieland and Sour Tangie and PureSativa’s own creation – Tangie Ghost Train by Little Chief Collabs.Sleestack is one of our favourites because of its frankly ludicrous resin production. It’s insane. Thick, frosty coatings of crystalline trichomes blanket the tops. This strain was a game-changer for legal extraction artists and with the pronounced terpene profile of sharp fuel and haze, Sleestack remains a firm favourite to this day.

DNA Genetics in 2021

So, what does the future hold for DNA Genetics? Well, they partnered with market-leading nutrient brand, Mills Nutrients, to produce a range of premium quality growing substrates which are infused with cork for supreme aeration and drainage. They have branched into supplying dry flower, concentrates, vape cartridges and pre-rolled joints to legal cannabis dispensaries in the US and Canada.
Most importantly, they are still passionate about cannabis genetics and continue to create new strains and phenos with their world-class breeding facilities.