A Cannabis Question Answered
In reaction to a blog post that I wrote about a strain of cannabis called Russian Doll, @magnata commented and asked:
An interesting thing, why is it called “Russian Doll”?
I thought the premise of the question was so good that it was worthy of its own post (in response).
A big thank you is extended to @magnata for asking such a great question.
I also thought that it had the potential to spark further community discussion if other breeders and growers decided to weigh-in with their own knowledge.
( The Picture (above) Is of A Strained Named Russian Doll. )
Based on what I know about how strains are named, I think the following:
First of all, in my original post about Russian Doll, I neglected to list a strain that got crossed in the propagating lineage of this strain (somewhere along the line) when the seeds were originally produced.
The missing name is: Kuban Sativa (which is a strain that comes from Southern Russia).
Most strains are named for either:
- the geographical region that they originally came from;
- what the parental lineage is;
- what effects the strain is known to produce;
- what flavours the strain tastes like;
- what corporation (or commercial brand) that produced them;
- a celebrity;
- or a famous pioneer or activist in the cannabis culture.
I suspect that the “Russian” part comes from Kuban Sativa which I have read is a popular landrace strain found in Russia.
Then, I would guess that the “Doll” part comes from the very effective muscle relaxing attributes that all the strains Kuban Sativa, the Northern Lights and the AK-47 genectics bring to the table.
That’s a triple dose of relaxation.
Rag Dolls Are Known For Being Completely Flacid And Not Able To Move Their Limbs Without Help. That’s An Example Of Extreme Relaxation.
Now, the name is starting to make some logical sense.
Originally a landrace strain from Russia and 2 other strains crossed (Northern Lights and AK-47), all of which are known for their potent muscle relaxing qualities.
I welcome your comments and I invite you to follow me on my journey. Please don’t be shy to contribute your knowledge related to the topic of how cannabis strains are named if you think that I’ve overlooked an important detail.
~ Rebecca
PS: Check out the Smoke Network if you haven’t already.
https://smoke.network
https://smoke.io
I liked the levels of detail here. As a fellow plant geek (assuming you identify as such) I can appreciate and value knowledge of plant history.
Cannabis has received soooo much attention (and for good reason too), but I can’t help but wonder what cannabis breeders could do for others medicines and/or foods.
Do you have any thoughts on this @rebeccaryan?
Why yes I do @mountainjewel! LOL!
Right now, I'm keenly interested in adaptogenic herbs, fungi (like Lion's Mane and Turkey Tail) and "low lectin" foods. Probiotic strains of bacteria and medicinal fungi is another area where I think Cannabis breeders can shine. Micro-dosing magic mushrooms for the treatment of ptsd, depression and anxiety will continue to be a game changer in the future.
What are your thoughts?
Ooo, I get excited when I hear folks mention adaptagenic herbs! Lions mane will be a cultivation product for us soon... o probiotics YES. And 100% for psilocybin microdosing- many good things happening here.
As for my end, I feel like there’s a lot of undervalued fruit . Paw paw is one example where 1 man (Neil Peterson) dedicated 30 years to breeding this unique fruiting tree. He is one of very few with this much dedication. Also there’s good work in perennial grains (Wes Jackson), although more effort is needed to feed the masses. Let’s not forget citrus, we could use more cold hardy citrus... the list goes on.
@rebbeccaryan mam...
The use of cannabis for both medical and recreational purpose has a long and rich history. The plant has been used and cultivated since the dawn of recorded history and has long been held in highest regards. It has only been within the last one-hundred years that marijuana has faced prohibition – largely due to the mudslinging of politicians and industrialists. Fortunately, in the last few years cannabis has undergone a resurrection, not lastly due to many scientific studies confirming its medicinal powers....
Cheers~~~
All true. Thanks for adding this information @dini1!
any type on cannabis is forbidden here, people are happy of some of dry leaf or nectar about weed, who want to know or blame its named how come it, though i have no knowledge about it but your post is enriched me with some medicinal benefit about cannabis.
sometimes we don't looking for the name of origine, but it bring some interesting point when revealed it.
A name's origin is something that we often overlook, yet the names hold or held special meaning to the people who named them originally. Sometimes you can follow the train of thought and sometimes there is no obvious rhyme or reason. :)
Just by its look it sort of reminds me of a bubba kush . Man do I love trying out new strains and reading about them :D
Russian Doll does not disappoint @journeyoflife. It's exceptionally relaxing. My husband's chemistry makes him way more sensitive to some strains than others. He was really happy but couldn't really get much done because of how relaxed the strain made him. Not me...I was relaxed but got a whole lot done including writing 2 posts, engineering a new medicated recipe, then baking it and icing it. I enjoyed the euphoria that the strain offers and the cognitive alertness that a Sativa dominant hybrid gives me. Great day time strain for sure. ;)
Thanks for the clarification. On Kuban is a very good climate for cannabis, from this probably such successes.
Hmm. Myatryoshki have a doll inside a doll inside a doll inside a doll and so on. Could this strain have been named for having one effect inside another effect inside another? I'm asking because I've never come across it before.
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This was a really cool post.
Love the breakdown on the name and how the lineage comes into effect. This subject is so fascinating and I'm just now getting into researching it. You are a wealth of knowledge. I haven't read the aforementioned blog post yet but will be going back to read it now!