Manifesto
The Memory of a Plant
Every organism carries its history in code.
A plant’s story lives not in myth but in sequence — a script written in spirals of DNA, transcribed and translated through time. This is, of course, also true also of cannabis, which has endured through eons of natural selection and millennia of human cultivation.
To preserve a strain is to preserve that unbroken conversation between chemistry and environment, ancestry and intent.
Few other crops show such range in chemistry or form. The cannabis genome carries adaptations to every climate in which humans have settled — a story of resilience told in base pairs. Each heirloom cultivar is a living archive of that history, ready to express itself again if selected and grown with care.
It’s heartening that the many uses of cannabis-hemp are being rediscovered in a more objective context. George Washington recorded his hemp harvests in his farm journals. Thomas Jefferson praised the crop for its versatility — even importing seed from Europe for experimentation. John Adams wrote of hemp as a pillar of colonial independence — a reminder that even deep into American history, this plant stood for industry and ingenuity, not stigma.
Maligned only in the last century, in a complex soup of ulterior motives, back-door economics, institutionalized racism, and occasionally well-intentioned but misinformed protectionism, cannabis is again recognized for what it has always been: fiber, oil, food, inspiration, entertainment — and yes, at times, legitimate medicine. A living organism capable of easing pain, sparking creativity, and restoring balance when treated with respect.
Yet we have more reasons for caution.
Botanists believe that, across history, thousands of distinct cannabis lineages once thrived — five or six thousand if we include traditional hemp cultivars. Only a few hundred true heirlooms still stand, the rest lost to prohibition, hybridization, and the pursuit of uniformity and ever-higher yields. While we welcome the rapid emergence of the cannabis industry, given its current state we fear it may soon face the same challenges as viticulture, wherein entire genetic legacies — Gouais Blanc, Tibouren, and countless pre-phylloxera field grapes — were lost to commercial standardization.
We can prevent this tragedy.
The Protest in the Craft
We reject the disposable, the hyper-trendy, and the yield-obsessed.
The world doesn’t need another strain named for sugar, hype, or bodily excretions; we have countless such examples already, and they blur together. Sometimes this is the result of intentional obfuscation — identical strains renamed again and again for reasons not always wise or honorable. Mature and forward-looking stewardship is needed.*
Likewise, while some chase maximum levels of THC, we have no more interest in this than we would in pursuing a dessert for having the greatest possible quantity of sugar. More isn’t always better.
We are motivated instead by genuine appreciation for the remarkable uniqueness among cannabis cultivars, from ancestry to use cases and effects. While our enthusiasm may not quite reach the level of legendary advocates like Jack Herer, we nonetheless find reasons to rave over this vast and underappreciated diversity.
We grow slowly, deliberately, and by hand. We preserve not only genetics but the stories behind them — the soils, climates, farmers, families, and traditions that gave each cultivar its distinctiveness.
Our craft is a protest: against haste, against homogeneity, against the extinction of timeless and unique genetics in the unmindful race for scale.
The Practice of the Collector
We work for those who seek authenticity and distinction over sameness.
For connoisseurs who cherish both the thrill of discovery and the survival of cultural treasures.
For those who value the experience of a strain as a sommelier appreciates the terroir of a wine and vineyard — each expression a dialogue between nature and nurture, soil and soul.
Our world is awash in one-hit wonders and copycats. We are explorers who crave the rare, the distinctive, and the meaningful — and who wish it to endure. We are enthusiasts who find in every cultivar a unique chemistry and character, who believe a means exists through which appreciation itself can become an act of stewardship.
To those who share this curiosity and spirit — growers, partners, conservationists, and connoisseurs alike — we extend a quiet invitation:
Join the preservation.
*Relatedly, we see a need for neutral and benevolent standards, an independent certification entity that can test, track, and recognize unique genetics before market dynamics yield only further confusion. As we grow, we hope to be part of that stewardship. In the meantime, follow us for related rants and raves.
A boutique project devoted to heritage, science, and the preservation of cannabis diversity.
Be part of our effort to preserve cannabis heritage — one story, one strain at a time.