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David Paul Watson, better known as Sam the Skunkman or Sam Selezny, is an American breeder, who is credited with the development of some of the most popular modern cannabis varieties such as Skunk#1,[1] Haze, and Amnesia,[2] and the apparition of high-cannabidiol varieties.[3]
Biography edit
Watson moved to the Netherlands in 1976[4] where he also worked with High Times' Ed Rosenthal and Mellow Yellow coffeeshop owner Wernard Bruinin.[5] He is credited with bringing the "Haze" strain there.[6] His surname "Sam the Skunkman" was coined in Amsterdam from the "skunk" strain he created with the Haze Brothers, described as "a blend of Mexican sativa, Columbia Gold sativa and Afghan indica, distinguished by its high THC content – and, of course, its potent smell".[7] The variety became synonymous with "high potency cannabis" in the media in the 1990s and 2000s.[8]
According to the New York Times:
In those years, emissaries of California's counterculture were often traveling the world looking for unique strains of cannabis. The most influential of these collectors was a man named David Watson. In the early 70s, Mr. Watson sold his possessions and began hitchhiking from Morocco to India, befriending local pot growers along the way.[3]
Watson also contributed to horticultural research on the pests and diseases of industrial cannabis (hemp) crops.[9]
References edit
- ^ Tully, Colleen Fisher (2020-09-16). "Return of the Skunk". Leafly. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ "Amnesia Haze, a strain that changed the cannabis scene". www.alchimiaweb.com. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ a b Lewis, Amanda Chicago (2020-05-23). "A Hidden Origin Story of the CBD Craze". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ Fountain (2019). Drugs in Society: The Epidemiologically Based Needs Assessment Reviews (Vol 1). CRC Press. p. 75.
- ^ Cunningham, A. C. (2016). Critical Perspectives on Legalizing Marijuana. Enslow Publishing.
- ^ Backes, Michael (September 9, 2014). Cannabis Pharmacy: The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana. Black Dog & Leventhal. pp. 124–125. ISBN 9781579129514. Archived from the original on 2023-04-20. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
- ^ Woods, Neil; Rafaeli, J. S. (2018-06-28). Drug Wars: The terrifying inside story of Britain's drug trade. Ebury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4735-5242-5.
- ^ Nolan, James (2017-09-12). "The Story of 'Skunk', the Drug Your Mum Warned You About". Vice. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
- ^ McPartland, John Michael; Clarke, Robert Connell; Watson, David Paul (2000). Hemp Diseases and Pests: Management and Biological Control : an Advanced Treatise. CABI. ISBN 978-0-85199-454-3.