Congo: A study.

[Mustafunk]

Nice story for a sale but Colombian strains were brought by American pharmaceutical companies in the early 1930s for developing strong pharmaceutical strains.Originally those strains were from Kalimantan.After the prohibition in 1937 those strains never left Colombia and found their way to other countries like Brazil or Panama.

I don't know about the Colombian/Panaman origins or if it could arrive from other sources as Borneo but according to different sources of brazilian historians (Pedro Correa e P. Rosado), its clear that cannabis arrived to Brazil coast back in the 1500s, with the Portuguese ships of slaves from Angola. In 1560 the Quicongo and Quimbundo african slaves brought seeds hidden in their loincloths and even amulets.

In fact, the brazilian terms for cannabis herb have an african origin (same that happened with Africa or Jamaica and Indian ganja/bhang) and originated in the afro-brazilian Quimbunda cults and dialects that came from the old Portuguese "Reino do Congo", nowadays divided between Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo.

This terms are widely in use both in Brazil and Africa, where the herb is still known as diamba, liamba, maconha or even fumo d'Angola (angolese tobacco).

In the time of sugar cane cultivation, slaves were allowed to grow the herb between the aisles of sugarcanes for their personal use. Later the farmers started to smoke until the Brazilian Inspectorate for Narcotics, Drugs and Mystification started to ban it to marginalize the poor populations that smoked the diamba. Funny thin was that "Indian Cigarettes" were still sold freely for medical reasons: “Respiratory problems, snoring, flatulence and squealing inhaling will stop almost at once; abundant expectoration occurs almost immediately, making breathing easier, calming the cough, allowing a reinvigorating sleep that end all the tormenting symptoms”

 

[Thule]

This terms are widely in use both in Brazil and Africa, where the herb is still known as diamba, liamba, maconha or even fumo d'Angola (angolese tobacco).

I had no idea it's so well docu[SIZE=-1]m[/SIZE]ented! Nice one! Eu gosto [SIZE=-1]muito [SIZE=-1]da [/SIZE][/SIZE][SIZE=-1]macon[SIZE=-1]ha! [SIZE=-1] [/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE]

 

[mexcurandero420]

Since 1510 Goa was occupied by the Portuguese, so there is a chance that seeds from Goa were brought to Brazil, although the Catholic church did not approve the use of Cannabis for recreational purposes.

Slavery trade in that time were not only done by some western countries like the Dutch, Portuguese or Spanish but also by Arabs and the Arabs had contacts via the trade with India, so there is a great possibility that they brought Cannabis seeds to Africa.

http://www.drugtext.org/pdf/Cannabis-and-Culture/dagga-the-history-and-ethnographic-setting-of-cannabis-sativa-in-southern-africa.pdf

Keep on growing

 

[TanzanianMagic]

Slavery trade in that time were not only done by some western countries like the Dutch, Portuguese or Spanish but also by Arabs and the Arabs had contacts via the trade with India, so there is a great possibility that they brought Cannabis seeds to Africa.

Actually the kingdoms of Maravi (Malawi), Angola, Luba/Lunda, Kongo, etc. were trading empires.

They traded as far as Korea. (Check for instance Basil Davidson's books.) There is plenty of Chinese porcelain embedded in wall in Zanzibar, for instance.

And these empires predate the arrival of westerners or 'Arabs' for centuries.

Egypt knew about cannabis for thousands of years, and they traded at least as far down as Somalia (the land of Punt) and beyond.

 

[mexcurandero420]

Actually the kingdoms of Maravi (Malawi), Angola, Luba/Lunda, Kongo, etc. were trading empires.

They traded as far as Korea. (Check for instance Basil Davidson's books.) There is plenty of Chinese porcelain embedded in wall in Zanzibar, for instance.

And these empires predate the arrival of westerners or 'Arabs' for centuries.

Egypt knew about cannabis for thousands of years, and they traded at least as far down as Somalia (the land of Punt) and beyond.

You meant this paper

http://www.drugtext.org/Cannabis-and-Culture/dagga-the-history-and-ethnographic-setting-of-cannabis-sativa-in-southern-africa.html

Keep on growing

 

[TanzanianMagic]

Interesting link. On the other hand, it makes a lot of presumptions about trade and time. For instance, cannabis was known to the Egyptians at least 1500 BC. The Egyptians traded with what is now Somalia, and the Somalis are known for their seafaring, including the Eastern coast of Africa.

So when the writer says:

"In Egypt cannabis has been grown for almost a thousand years. "

That's just incorrect. Egypt seized to exist as an autonomous state 2,500 years ago (before 500 BC, after the invasion of Cambyses the Vandal and the arrival of the Greeks). And cannabis was known in at least the 2nd millennium BC.

The article is heavily South African based (written by one Brian du Toit), and much of history as it was taught and Brian du Toit learned in South Africa was frankly just propaganda for the Apartheid system.

Du Toit writes: " I would suggest that the same factors influenced the westward spread of cannabis. It was carried by traders, both Swahili and Arab, and traded from the east coast to the Great Lake region. "

That may be part of it's spread, but misses known presence of Cannabis in at least Egypt by thousands of years.

Also, it is highly likely that after the spread of Islam to West Africa (or North Africa), pilgrims to Mekka in Saudi Arabia could have easily brought back cannabis seeds from Egypt. There was a famous West African emperor, Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali), whose pilgrimage to Egypt was infamous for the amounts of gold he carried with him, and which suppressed gold prices in Egypt for decades. That was in the 14th century. Hadjis could easily have brought cannabis seeds from North Africa, where at least today it is everywhere (including Morocco, Algeria, etc.).

I think it is highly unlikely that there was a single diffusion of cannabis seeds, especially as cannabis has such a long history of human use.

The only way to be sure which cannabis came from where, is to do genetic research.

All I can say for certain that there was a lot of trade between Africa and the rest of the world, some contacts of which spread all the way to Korea. So for all we know, African cannabis could have started out as Chinese. Or Indian.

Africa: Episode 12, The Swahili Cities Of East Africa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm0gN5TRNyE

Cannabis could have come with the Swahili traders - and who knows who they traded with? (Much of the population of Madagascar for instance is of Indonesian descent.)

And it is highly likely that there were many introductions of cannabis to Africa, from various sources.

So the only way to be certain is through genetic testing.

 

[Illuminate]

Sorry for not updating, the study is still ongoing. Sadly not as well as id hoped, I lost the males before I could set seed, this is somthing that will eat away at me for many years.

I still have the four best females who show a very good resistance to intersex traits, the plan now is to use males from ttsco's congo x ciskai, cbg's punta roja and panama. I tested the smoke of a random weed from the recycled soil which I believed to be congo x punta rosa, it was perfect in effect..a real nice smoke.

Will take some pics of the cured congo pn x condo black f3 flowers when i have them to hand.

 

[grahamwelington]

Hey Illuminate, I see you've grown out the Old Congo strain(congo pointe noir x old timer haze) by Tropical Seed company. I just planted some of these seeds outside a couple of weeks ago. I can't find any info on this strain anywhere. Since you've grown it mabee you can share some of your experiences with it.

 

[Illuminate]

^^Cpn x Ot1haze aka old congo.

^^Cpn x othaze


^^Cpn x congo black

 

[Illuminate]

^^Cpn x congo black

^^Cpn x congo black

 

[Illuminate]

Cpn x othaze for me grew like a weed, took long to finish, but the result was fuely/oily strong sativa weed, clear but you know your high, no problems as it literaly grew dark green non stop, just kept stacking buds like you want.. defo a good hybrid, the ones i got are very different to the congo pn x congo black.

I suck at smoke reports but in a month or so i will burn some serious test buds, with a view to report as best i can.

The king congo aka cpn x ciskai bushman have hit dirt as of yesterday.

 

[Mustafunk]

Nice that you tried all those Congo PN hybrids, I have some Congo PN X Afghan from the begginnings of Tropical Seeds (there was a great Congo PN X Oaxaca years ago too!). In my experience, the PN mum was very very dominant in most of the crosses. Maybe the CPN X OTH was the only one slightly different due to the Haze influence. But normally, you could always find those special leaves with the point and the base of the leaflets barely serrated, the reddish stems sometimes, the carrot and floral smell, the fluffly red hair buds with small resinous calyxes, woody/earthy smoke and super active high that makes you want to dance, walk, do stuff... zero stone, like caffeine. Shame it's an extint line and Tropical Seed's guys have lost the mum too.

How did you find the Congo PN X Congo Black? I have a few F2 and I'm looking forward to grow them and find some gold between them.

Old picture from Congo PN, notice the wild messy structure unstoppable when they have space and nutrients enough!:

Red CPN stems:

CPN bud harvested in nov 2010, the last one still remaining in the stash!:

Congo #3 line from Kaiki used on ACE's Congo, Bangui Haze and also supposed to be used by Richard William's on his Deep Congo and lost in pure form. Tall and late flowering:

 

[Mustafunk]

Old congolese from spanish 90s growers, looks kinda like CPN and the Congo#3, classic wild structure:

Banghi Congo from the great LaManoNegra. Faster flowering and less lanky, compact and fast flowering (8-10 weeks máx). Used on Banghi Haze and White Congo (Banghi x White Widow):

Congo Black from African Herbman, very different too:

I've tried other africans as several Malawi, Swazi Red and Ciskei and still looking for something as good and clean as that oldschool long flowering congolese weed. Next candidates will be Angolese, Ethiopian Highland or Zambian Copper. I've been told that Tropical Seeds' Durban is fire too and it came from African Herbman as well.

The search gotta continue...

Vibes!

 

[oldbootz]

i tried a ciskei x durban F3 by african herbman and it was amazing! electric energetic clear high and good looking plant too! buds had lemony taste. different to the plain ciskei which was more like honey and floral scents.

 

[Rinse]

Excellent info and pics Mustafunk, I still have a few CPN X Congo Black beans somewhere, they need a reproduction for sure.
Banghi Congo is one of the most beautiful strains, are there any smoke reports around?

 

[g0vnaa]

Congo #3 line from Kaiki used on ACE's Congo, Bangui Haze and Richard William's Deep Congo (and lost in pure form). Tall and late flowering:

Yo I didnt know that the Congo was that sativa
Looks awesome. Lean Grean has some awesome Deep Congo albums.
Good that at least the crosses are preserved..

 

[scai]

Interesting link. On the other hand, it makes a lot of presumptions about trade and time. For instance, cannabis was known to the Egyptians at least 1500 BC. The Egyptians traded with what is now Somalia, and the Somalis are known for their seafaring, including the Eastern coast of Africa.

So when the writer says:

"In Egypt cannabis has been grown for almost a thousand years. "

That's just incorrect. Egypt seized to exist as an autonomous state 2,500 years ago (before 500 BC, after the invasion of Cambyses the Vandal and the arrival of the Greeks). And cannabis was known in at least the 2nd millennium BC.

The article is heavily South African based (written by one Brian du Toit), and much of history as it was taught and Brian du Toit learned in South Africa was frankly just propaganda for the Apartheid system.

Du Toit writes: " I would suggest that the same factors influenced the westward spread of cannabis. It was carried by traders, both Swahili and Arab, and traded from the east coast to the Great Lake region. "

That may be part of it's spread, but misses known presence of Cannabis in at least Egypt by thousands of years.

Also, it is highly likely that after the spread of Islam to West Africa (or North Africa), pilgrims to Mekka in Saudi Arabia could have easily brought back cannabis seeds from Egypt. There was a famous West African emperor, Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali), whose pilgrimage to Egypt was infamous for the amounts of gold he carried with him, and which suppressed gold prices in Egypt for decades. That was in the 14th century. Hadjis could easily have brought cannabis seeds from North Africa, where at least today it is everywhere (including Morocco, Algeria, etc.).

I think it is highly unlikely that there was a single diffusion of cannabis seeds, especially as cannabis has such a long history of human use.

The only way to be sure which cannabis came from where, is to do genetic research.

All I can say for certain that there was a lot of trade between Africa and the rest of the world, some contacts of which spread all the way to Korea. So for all we know, African cannabis could have started out as Chinese. Or Indian.

Africa: Episode 12, The Swahili Cities Of East Africa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm0gN5TRNyE

Cannabis could have come with the Swahili traders - and who knows who they traded with? (Much of the population of Madagascar for instance is of Indonesian descent.)

And it is highly likely that there were many introductions of cannabis to Africa, from various sources.

So the only way to be certain is through genetic testing.

Hmmm.... I see you saying lot of assumptions, but I don't see any proof or studies to back that...?
I'm sorry, but the first study was based of some better facts.

I'm from very north of you, and I don't know what the truth is, but some writers base they claims with studies?

 

[scai]

Wow Mustafunk, you get those red stems that are usually connected to Blueberry and Dj Shorts lines, including Purple or Choicolate Thai? Common with Flo or Moonshines?
This makes me wonder....

 

[jessethestoner]

the red stem thing is common in a few strains besides those... keep on wondering...

 

[Mustafunk]

Yeah I've found them both in indicas, skunks and african sativas so far... and I think it's not necessarily related to low temperatures.