Arjan has been producing some of the most famous strains of cannabis in Amsterdam since 1985. VICE worked with him and his staff in Colombia to find three rare cannabis strains.
They were on their way to Cali to inspect Colombia’s largest marijuana factory. The first stop is the large plantation farm of local legend El Gato, Arjan’s main contact with Colombia. He will be her guide throughout the journey.
Colombia produces the most cocaine in the world. But it’s also one of the most fertile places on earth to grow cannabis. While recreational amounts of marijuana are allowed in the country, growing it on an industrial scale remains highly illegal.
Arjan can often be found in Amsterdam these days. When he’s not around, he’s strain hunting, scouring the globe for rare, original cannabis strains known as landraces. With real seeds, he takes them back to his lab in Amsterdam to develop new cannabis strains. His businesses bring in millions of dollars in revenue every year. Arjan’s business partner and head breeder is Franco Loja, a paratrooper turned breeder for the Italian Army.
On this special expedition, the boys come to Colombia to hunt three legendary endemic breeds – Limon Verde, Punta Roja and Colombian Gold. Colombian landrace genetics have been on Arjan’s wish list for years. But so far, venturing deep into the jungle has been too dangerous.
Over the past 50 years, there have been brutal internal conflicts between many armed factions allied to different political ideologies. It’s a bit confusing, but ultimately it’s a war over who controls the drug trade. Santa Marta is a city truly built on grass. In the 1960s and 1970s, tons of Colombian gold were exported north through the Caribbean to the United States. Hundreds of small farmers were turned into drug lords overnight.
