Arcadian

Description

Genetics: Greek heirloom / Arcadian cannabis landrace
Sourcing: Delicorganic, Mantineia, Greece, 2005
Purpose: Hashish or bud
Latitude: 37°N
Harvest: Early to mid October
Height: Up to 2.5 metres
Characteristics: Earthy, woody, hashy, herbal, some spiciness
Grow Type: Outdoor, greenhouse, or indoor

‘Arcadian’ is another well-maintained Greek cannabis landrace from the collection of Delicorganic, joining their highly regarded ‘Cretan’ and ‘Kalamata’ lines.

The Arcadia region of the Peloponnese mountains was renowned as the producer of superior quality sieved hashish during Greece’s heyday as the main exporter for the hashish markets of the East Mediterranean. From the 1860s to the 1920s a busy smuggling trade from the ports of Greece and across the north African deserts supplied the vast demand from the megacities of Egypt such as Cairo and Alexandria.

The original accession of seeds was collected around Mantineia in 2005, so significantly before the subsequent massive introduction of modern hybrid strains to Greece and well prior to any impact of modern strains on provincial regions such as the rural Peloponnese. The accession appears to be representative of ‘kannàvi’, the name for the drug-type cannabis (subsp. indica) that was cultivated on a large scale around Mantineia for more than 60 years.

This landrace strain produces sieved hashish and bud of high quality. Despite more recent selection for use as bud, its main characteristics are as expected for a classic East Mediterranean cannabis landrace, showing every sign of historic domestication for production of sieved hashish.

Plants reach heights of up to 2.5 meters and exhibit considerable lateral branching. Yields are moderate. Bud formation and maturation may vary somewhat between individuals within the population, but overall are dominated by classic Mediterranean ‘hashplant’ morphology: Resin glands are on long stalks and bud structure is quite loose, with bracts holding a high density of fully formed resin glands.

In the Peloponnese, plants commence flowering around July to early August and reach maturation during the first half of October. Plants show remarkable resistance against mold and pests.

Aromas and taste are mainly earthy herbal and slightly spicy, the smoke undoubtedly reminiscent of high-quality old-school Greek cannabis. The quality of both dry-sieved and water-sieved hashish from these plants is remarkable. The effect is calming, focused, introspective, and creative.

The seeds are from an open-pollination maintenance grow to preserve the full genetic diversity of the original accession.