David Paul Watson, better known as Sam the Skunkman or Sam Selezny, is an American

breeder A breeder is a person who selectively breeds carefully selected mates, normally of the same breed to sexually reproduce offspring with specific, consistently replicable qualities and characteristics. This might be as a farmer, agriculturalist, or ...

, who is credited with the development of some of the most popular modern cannabis varieties such as Skunk#1, Haze, and Amnesia, and the apparition of high- cannabidiol varieties.

Biography

Watson moved to the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

in 1985 where he also worked with ''

High Times ''High Times'' is an American monthly magazine (and cannabis brand) that advocates the Legalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States, legalization of cannabis as well as other counterculture ideas. The magazine was founded in 1974 by ...

'' Ed Rosenthal and

Mellow Yellow "Mellow Yellow" is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. In the US, it reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Outside the US, "Mellow Yellow" peaked at No. 8 in the UK in early 1967. Content The song was ru ...

coffeeshop owner Wernard Bruinin. He is credited with bringing the "Haze" strain there. His surname "Sam the Skunkman" was coined in Amsterdam from the "skunk" strain he created, described as "a blend of Mexican sativa, Columbia Gold sativa and Afghan indica, distinguished by its high THC content – and, of course, its potent smell". The variety became synonymous with "high potency cannabis" in the media in the 1990s and 2000s. According to ''The New York Times'':

In those years, emissaries of California's counterculture were often traveling the world looking for unique strains of cannabis. The most influential of these collectors was a man named David Watson. In the early 70s, Mr. Watson sold his possessions and began hitchhiking from Morocco to India, befriending local pot growers along the way.

Watson also contributed to horticultural research on the pests and diseases of industrial cannabis (hemp) crops.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sam the Skunkman History of cannabis Cannabis cultivation People involved in cannabis American agronomists Cannabis in the United States Cannabis in the Netherlands Possibly living people Year of birth missing