Seed Bank Hall of Fame: New Inductions!

Introducing the newest members of HIGH TIMES’ hallowed list of the world’s best and most consistent seed companies. After extensive testing and research, we’ve identified the finest bud breeders and honored their contributions to ganja genetics by enrolling them forever in our sanctified sensi shrine. The seed companies listed below have been providing some of the best beans available to cannabis connoisseurs and pot aficionados worldwide.

BC Bud Depot

The BC Bud Depot was formed in the late 1990s by a hardy band of breeders, cultivators and connoisseurs creating premium cannabis in their coastal British Columbia. Their unsurpassed skills and love for the plant quickly set them apart from the rest, and they garnered high acclaim for providing compassion clubs and medical-marijuana users with access to their buds and genetics. Trying to keep it low-key but already icons in their homeland, it wasn’t until 2004 that the BC Bud Depot finally triumphed on the world stage, winning first place for Best Indica at the Cannabis Cup with their God Bud. This award was followed by several others in recent years, including a third-place finish for Best Sativa at the 2007 Cannabis Cup with the Purps. Despite some growing pains that resulted in a number of disgruntled customers, the boys remain committed to rewriting the history books and developing high-quality marijuana strains for the cannabis community, both in Canada and abroad. Plus Matt insists that all customer-service issues have been dealt with.

“The BC Bud Depot is very proud to have been inducted into the Seed Bank Hall of Fame. We’d like to thank all our friends and customers who, for so many years, have been enjoying the fruits of our labor. Our mission is to create the very best and most flavorful marijuana genetics for the good of the marijuana gene pool and mankind. From this higher calling, we will never waver.”—Matt and the BCBD Team

Contact: www.bcbuddepot.com

Founded in 2004 in Birmingham, England (the birthplace of Ozzy Osbourne), Big Buddha Seeds have quickly become one of the biggest winners on the cultivation landscape. Breeder Milo burst onto the sensi scene by making available the legendary UK clone-only strain Cheese, whose obvious Afghan heritage and uniquely pungent aroma won it first prize for Best Indica at the 2006 HIGH TIMES Cannabis Cup. Since then, BBS have specialized in potent, flavorful indicas available in feminized seeds, establishing them as an integral part of the new wave of modern breeders. Their latest creations, Cheesus (Cheese x BC God Bud), Bubble Cheese and the Woody (named in honor of buddy Woody Harrelson), ensure the continued success of this formidable seed-breeding outfit.

“Big Buddha Seeds humbly accepts its induction into this prestigious Hall of Fame. We would like to thank all of our supporters and friends who have made Big Buddha Seeds what it is today. We always say, ‘You’re only as good as the people you work with’—lucky for us, they’re brilliant! A big thank-you to Martin at Avalon, Justin at Basil Bush, San at Tangy Gifts, Susana & Thomas at Planta Sur (Spain), Matt & Danny at HIGH TIMES, Phil at Weed World Magazine (UK), and all of the retailers around the world who have pushed the message of Big Buddha Seeds. We wish we could ship to the USA!”—Milo and Andrew

Contact: bigbuddhaseeds.com

Barney’s Breakfast Bar, known for many years as one of the best places for food, weed and hash in Amsterdam, has inspired a seed company called Barney’s Farm. Owner Derry has scoured the planet for high-quality seed stock, and many of their strains have already become legends. Now he’s leading a team of experienced breeders to develop such strains as their G-13 Haze, Laughing Buddha and Top Dawg. Barney’s focus is on flavor, potency, germination rates and stability of genetic traits. Their new Amnesia Collection highlights female breeders and their unique energy and pot perspective. Cheers to Derry, Sissi and all the Barney’s family for providing top-quality pot without compromises. 

Contact: barneys.biz

Another of the influential seed companies founded in the early 2000s, Delta 9 Labs seeks to make truly medicinal marijuana available to the general public. Harry and Ed have traveled the world looking for the best breeding stock, with a special emphasis on soaring sativas like their Brainstorm Haze, one of our Top 10 Strains of 2008 (HT, Dec. ’08). Delta 9 Labs produce all of their seeds organically, and they’re one of the few companies to use “born-on” dating to ensure proper germination rates and healthy seedlings and mothers. Their Canna Sutra, Mekong Haze and Super Star are available to try at the Rokerij Coffeeshopsin Amsterdam, and they stand behind all of their strains 100%. 

Contact: delta9labs.com

DNA Genetics

Since being founded in 2003 by breeders Don and Aaron, DNA Genetics have won or placed in every cannabis competition that they’ve entered. The two had been growing since the late ’80s in their hometown of “Hollyweed,” CA, so it’s no surprise that strains like LA Confidential, Chocolope, Martian Mean Green and Cannalope Haze have firmly established DNA Genetics as a force to be reckoned with. Despite their laid-back demeanor, these boys mean business, constantly putting their reputation on the line and challenging all the other companies to step up their game. They’ve even started a boutique offshoot called Reserva Privada to showcase some of their favorite genetics from the Southern California area, where they first put down roots. Based out of Amsterdam these days, DNA Genetics have altered the industry and lit a fire under other breeding outfits.

“We pride ourselves on quality and uniqueness. DNA would like to thank all the growers around the world who have done what it takes and grown our strains worldwide! Being chosen for the HT Hall of Fame is an honor and a pleasure. Thank you, HT, for your continued support, and also for producing a counterculture magazine for more than 35 years! Growers around the world agree: DNA is connoisseur-grade genetics!”—D. ’n’ A.

Contact: www.dnagenetics.com

Vancouver Island Seed Company

A grower named G has been collecting seeds since 1975, breeding hundreds of different varieties while keeping notes and gathering knowledge and experience. By 1991, he was producing seeds for numerous growers both indoors and out; placing an emphasis on flavor and potency as well as yields, he’d earned a reputation as a reliable supplier of gourmet cannabis with the motto “Breeding Fine Cognacs for the Mind.”

By 1998, G had a partner, Kat, and an official seed-company name, as well as ads in Cannabis Culture. VISC went on to win a number of BC competitions, and their aptly named Fucking Incredible became one of our Top 10 Strains of 2008.

“It’s a great honor and a long-time dream for VISC to have been nominated to enter the HIGH TIMES Seed Bank Hall of Fame. Since the early ’70s, High Times has offered knowledge, encouragement and inspiration to marijuana growers, both novice and expert alike. Literally, for as long as I have grown, HT has grown alongside us, often providing the only benchmark by which a grower could measure the success of their endeavors. This recognition of VISC’s years of work and dedication in producing ‘Fine Cognacs for the Mind’ is something that, as a young man, I could only dream of. In the near future, I believe that together we shall achieve the goal of cannabis legalization—something else that, when I was young, we could only dream of. Grow and you help the world grow, too. Thank you!”—G, Kat and the VISC crew

Contact: vancouverseed.com

This company from the Great White North was founded in 1997 to provide hardy plants that would thrive under tough growing conditions. Jay, the main breeder at Next Gen, has been growing and crossing strains for years, and his patience and excellent eye for quality genetics have created some real standouts on the BC scene. Now the secret is out, and growers all over the world are turning to strains like Romulan, Bonkers, Timewarp and Island Sweet Skunk whenever they need a strong, mold-resistant plant that has been bred to survive harsh climates like the one on Vancouver Island. But these Next Gen varieties truly shine when grown in milder conditions, as many a Spanish grower has been finding out recently. Plus their Dynamite is one of the strongest indicas I’ve smoked out of the Pacific Northwest—and that’s saying something.

A longtime stalwart of the Amsterdam scene, Dutch Passion—established way back in 1987—has celebrated over 20 years in business as a pioneering pot company committed to potency, flavor, quality and exceptional germination rates. In 1999, Dutch Passion was the first to develop feminized seeds, and they continue to redefine the industry with such legendary strains as the original Skunk #1, Ortega Indica, Super Haze, Holland’s Hope and Durban Poison.

A new auto-flowering strain called Taiga, as well as one dubbed Jorge’s Diamonds—their seed-y tribute to HIGH TIMES cultivation expert Jorge Cervantes—all but guarantee that Dutch Passion will remain a landmark on that scene for a long time to come.

Contact: dutch-passion.nl

The Joint Doctor, the innovator behind High Bred Seeds, became an instant legend in 2003 when he released the original Lowrider, a ruderalis-inflected strain that flowers automatically in any amount of light. This quick trigger enables growers in northern climates to harvest within their window before frosts and molds attack, while keeping the plants easy to conceal. The next generation of auto-flowering plants is quite possibly one of the biggest innovations in ganja genetics in many years. Europeans are delighted with the results of these seeds, which can go from planting to harvest in 90 days or less while staying short and stout. Despite some initial skepticism, the compact nuggets are getting stronger and stronger in potency and taste as new genetics are crossed into these strains. The latest High Bred catalog includes several new auto-flowering strains, including feminized versions of Lowryder #1 and Lowryder #2.

“I’m honored by your selection of High Bred Seeds for the High Times Hall of Fame. We at High Bred are proud to be associated with you longstanding innovators of the magazine biz, as innovation has also been the foundation of our success.”—JD

Contact: www.lowryder.co.uk/en

Subcool Seeds/TGA/The Green Avengers

Early in 2004, Subcool relocated out west, where he met the lovely MzJill; after the two started breeding hybrids, TGA was officially formed. TGA now has several proven hybrid strains, and they’ve developed quite a reputation for customer support. Their main goal when creating a new strain is combining the necessary characteristics to replicate as closely as possible a clone-only phenotype that’s already in demand by the growing public. The results range from old favorites like Jack the Ripper, Space Queen and Purple Urkel down to their newest release, Querkel. They make it a regular practice to donate free seeds to the medical community, and high-quality photos, descriptions and grow tips can be found on their daily forum.

“It’s quite an honor to be nominated. We get much satisfaction from the feedback we receive from medical growers, but to be included with such established breeders as Serious, SSSC and Sensi Seeds in this Hall of Fame is more than we ever expected. I’d like to thank Danny Danko for being such a good friend and confidant over the years. Of course, I would also like to thank the thousands of Green Avengers that have taken on my idea to make high-quality cannabis available to anyone in need. In these distressing times, the need for fine genetics worldwide is greater than ever. Join us as we spread the seeds that will heal the nations.”—Sub and Jill

Contact: cannaseur.com, www.breedbay.co.uk or hempdepot.ca.

TGA genetics can also be found in seed and clone form in many California dispensaries like the Blue Sky Café.

Always purchase cannabis seeds in their original packaging from a trusted supplier or directly from the breeding company.