Durban Poison stolen

[Chris Jay]

This is a social media post, getting a bit of attention, I think the narrative needs to change, with inclusivity, and small thank you to the future thinking growers/breeders who saved something that is hardly found in South Africa. Quiet sad to see us South Africans looking at Durban Poison stolen from our shores, almost 50 years after the fact. I think we need to thank these breeders for coming here and saving, preserving our genetics. If it was not for them turning it into a cup winning house hold brand name, who would have done that. I am sure that these breeders paid a small fortune for the seeds they purchased from farmers, seeded weed, being foreigners. Nothing was stolen, and yes if you dont do something with your strains, business will take it over. Whats your take? I do think that some how from heritage, South Africans should have a right to the name Durban poison.

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PONDO GOLD / TRANSKEI GOLD - STOLEN.

Not bred. Not discovered. STOLEN.

This is not a Dutch strain. This is not a Californian exotic.

This is Mpondoland. Eastern Cape. South Africa’s Emerald Triangle. Grown by nearly a MILLION small-scale farmers for generations. In the hills of Lusikisiki, Port St Johns, Flagstaff - where families selected the gold, the strongest, most drought-tolerant sativa on the continent.

During apartheid, SAPS helicopters tried to poison and burn it. Our people hid it in the old Transkei homeland because the police had no jurisdiction there. That’s why it survived.

Then in the 80s and 90s, the collectors came. Took seeds from the fields, took them to Holland, renamed it, stabilized it, and sold it back to the world as “Transkei Gold” or “Mpondo Gold” for €100 a pack.

Today you can buy Pondo Gold in Amsterdam. But the gogo in Pondoland who kept it alive for 40 years can’t get a license, can’t get to market, and has never seen one cent from those seed sales.

We fixed this for Rooibos in 2019 - 1.5% levy to the San and Khoi as traditional knowledge holders. Why not for dagga?

This is not genetics. This is biopiracy.

If you grow the REAL Pondo / Transkei, you are not a grower. You are a custodian. Keep it pure. Keep it in the community.