What’s a landrace cannabis plant? Think of it as you would heirloom fruits and veggies. These are plants of “pure” genetics that haven’t crossed paths with others, and not only have the genetics on lock but the #terroir (eg the characteristics conferred by native soil & climate) of where they were grown. So, most anything found in today that’s called landrace is carrying the GENETICS of the ancestor plant but likely lacks the OG terroir. Does that make sense?  

Anyway, winner of the ‘13 Cannabis Cup and longtime love of old school stoners, Red Congo is a straight-up #sativa; I won’t even say ‘leaning’, bc this baby shows all the signs of being the closest thing to a pure sativa I’ve smoked in a very, very long time. 

The lineage of Red Congolese is a tad debated. There is some belief it’s an African landrace strain and others believe it to be a combination of Mexican and Afghan genetics. From what I’ve read in multiple, diverse sources (including this one from Chronicle Books), it seems like all three regions are in there somewhere. THC levels of Red Congolese cannabis flower average around 18-20%; these “live resin diamonds” are clocking in at 82.7%! This extract is a collaboration between Bay-area based GoldSeal (purveyors of excellent flower) and well known extractor/cultivator, Nug. 

The high gives me a energy, mental clarity and, awesomely, a boost in creativity; I knocked out web content for a client after a bonghit or two and felt weightlessly euphoric while doing so. Red Congo gave me an enjoyable full-body tingle, too. Oh, how I love a good tingle. 

Though evidently not a true landrace, this strain is derived from an indigenous cultivar from the Congo region of Central Africa. Based on my research, the seeds from these tall wispy, narrow-leafed plants were brought west centuries ago and crossed with landrace Mexican and Afghani cannabis plants. Please, if you know more about it share in the comments! 

Personally, it’s a great strain to smoke then tackle either physical or creative mental tasks. I found the high from one fat low-temp dab to be long-lasting, extending into the 4-5 hour range. Seriously! I didn’t even think about another dab...for hours. That’s pretty unique for me. The prime terpene present here is #caryophyllene, which helps imbue euphoria plus it enhances pain relief due to its anti-inflammatory properties; perfect example of #entourageeffect. Red Congo smells of tart, overripe fruit, very terpy, and has a sweet, spicy, cheesy flavor - it’s like a cheeseboard of weed! 😂 

For me, this is an ideal day-smoke. Not an extract to use shortly before bedtime bc it revs me up, but maybe a mid-afternoon puff to carry me nicely into evening. I’m parsing this out frugally because I love it so much! 

Fun fact: Bob Marley’s favorite strain was reportedly “Lamb’s Bread”, also a landrace, endemic to Jamaica. 🇯🇲

Have you experienced Red Congo? Have anything to add?