Mazar-i-Sharif #2

Description

Genetics: North Afghan Cannabis Landrace – Mazar-i-Sharif
Sourcing: Landrace Genetics, Balkh Province, Afghanistan (2022)
Purpose: Charas (sieved resin), Bhang
Latitude: 36° N
Harvest: October

An authentic Indica landrace accession direct from northern Afghanistan, sourced from a farmer who produces hashish in rural Balkh Province, outside the city of Mazar-i-Sharif.

This accession strongly exhibits the classic Indica morphology of broad leaflets and semidwarf, bushy architecture.

During the early decades of American and Dutch underground cannabis breeding, semidwarf charas landraces from the Balkh region gained renown under the name ‘Mazar-i-Sharif’ – the same underground brand by which north Afghan hashish was marketed by smugglers during the 60s and 70s.

But note that the accession in the 1985 catalogue above was obtained in Khyber Province, Pakistan and relied on information from sources in Khyber too…. Khyber is a long way from Mazar-i-Sharif itself….

After several years of selective breeding for use as sinsemilla in the West, the semidwarf Mazar-i-Sharif likely became the basis for many famous western Indica—Sativa hybrids, probably including Skunk #1…. though the precise pedigree and origin of Skunk is heavily contested….

To add to the confusion, Afghan cannabis farmers themselves refer to a different, larger landrace as ‘Mazari-i-Sharif’– aka, ‘Mazari’ or ‘Balkhi’.

Further information about this larger type of Afghan landrace is available at the blog: Mazar-i-Sharif Landrace – 1970s.