As a writer for GrassCity.com I usually try my hardest to keep my personal opinions and for that matter all forms of personal speech away from my writing (I, me, etc.). With that being said when I was asked to help the site write a memoriam to cannabis legend Franco Loja, I could not help but break this rule that I’d set for myself.

I chose to break this rule because I was lucky enough to have the pleasure of meeting Franco at the 2013 Treating Yourself Expo in Toronto, Canada when he and his team from Green House Seed attended the event to promote their web series Strainhunters. I will forever remember nervously walking up to their booth just to say hi and to thank the kings of cannabis themselves for creating such an awesome documentary series that ignited my own passion and interest in the cannabis plant. I also wanted to get my Strainhunters poster signed by the entire team which he facilitated without hesitation or any sign of being annoyed. After getting the poster from him Franco took me under his shoulder and proceeded to thank me for watching, he also wanted to learn more about what brought me to the show. I explained that I was working the event as a photographer for a magazine dedicated to glass pipe art, “I love the beautiful glasswork that is being created for smoking recently, please tell me your booth number I would love to come visit to see some”. On the final day of the show he took some time from his busy schedule to come by my booth where I was photographing pipes that artists from around the world had brought to the show in my photobooth. I showed him some of the pieces and was even able to get a picture with Franco before he left to his next appearance.

When I got the news that unfortunately Franco had passed away from malaria in 2017 I was devastated. This was someone who truly inspired me and when I was lucky enough to meet him, he made me feel valued and more than just a fan. I knew at that moment that the world had truly lost one of its finest. With that being said, I’d like to take the opportunity along with the rest of my family here at GrassCity.com to express my sincerest condolences to Arjan, Franco‘s family, and his extended family at The Green House where he made his forever lasting impact on the world. As I stare at that signed poster he helped me get, I’ll never forget how fortunate I was to meet one of my heroes in the cannabis world.

More About Strainhunters

If you haven’t seen Strainhunters, I suggest you open up another tab and click here. Make sure you have something good to smoke and maybe some snacks as I guarantee you are going to bing watch all 5 of these 45min+ specials. This show was how I first learned about Franco, his expertise surrounding cannabis, and his fun-loving spirit that seemed to rub off on anybody whom he interacted with (even if they had language barrier issues which occurs often on the show).

Arjan Roskam (founder of Greenhouse Seed Co.) and Franco Loja (head breeder) started the Strain Hunters Documentary Series in 2008 after deciding they were going to show the world what it takes to be a true Strain Hunter. These master breeders and growers would travel the world to find the origin points of some of the most iconic and mythic “landrace strains” of cannabis. These cannabis strains have been changed over the years to suit consumer tastes, but their mission was to find the original cannabis genetics to learn about what they were like in their original form.

From their headquarters in Amsterdam, the series would take them all around the world to far off destinations like India, The Congo, Jamaica, Morocco, and more adding up to 10 countries visited thus far and over 23 landrace strains collected and preserved for future generations to enjoy. The show got me hooked on learning about these rare and sometimes ancient strains of cannabis that I had heard of but only in books or word of mouth. From there I became even more impressed as to how the Green House Seed Company worked to not only preserve these strains, but to give respect and praise to the often fringe communities who risked their own personal safety to keep this landrace cannabis alive. Tragically Franco contracted a deadly cerebral malaria while filming an upcoming special set in The Democratic Republic of the Congo.

I like Franco continue to dream of a world where global legalization of cannabis is a reality, and these unique cultures from across the world can not only be celebrated for their hard work but also reap the rewards they deserve through selling their signature cannabis seeds to enthusiasts around the globe.

More than a StrainHunter

The life of strain hunter franco loja goes far beyond the documentary series and can be traced back to 1997 when he first jointed the team at GreenHouse Seeds. A Dutch company founded by Arjan Roskam in 1985, he helped it become one of the leading companies in the world of cannabis genetics and a seed bank with the goal of preserving the genetics of cannabis found around the world. Tasked with being the company‘s chief breeder and then becoming a partner over the years, his tireless activity as a researcher of indigenous cannabis species mission of preserving the many seeds of different varieties and less known about cannabis.

With Green House Seeds he has won numerous international awards and recognitions and among the successful varieties he has created we remember the Super Lemon Haze , awarded with the 1st Cannabis Cup Award 2008 , 1st Cannabis Cup Award 2009 , 1st Award IC420 Growers Cup 2010 , 2nd Cannabis Cup Award 2010 , 1st Seattle Medical Cup Award 2012 , 2nd ExpoGrow-Irún Award 2012 and 1st ExpoGrow-Irún 2013 Award. It’s safe to say if he were still around there would be even more award winning strains under his name.

Beyond his career, he had invested all of his time, money and passion into building up a future for himself and his children, while helping other people around the world whom he met while filming the Strainhunters series. His children were everything to him, and he was an amazing father who will forever be rememberedby them..

I’d like to end with a quote from Franco, in hopes that he and his words of wisdom are never forgotten...

“Cannabis is my passion, my bread, my home. I feel it is my duty to make sure this amazing plant is preserved and enjoyed. I am a smoker, a grower, a breeder, and a strain hunter. For life.”

– Franco Loja
May 20, 1974 – January 2, 2017