INTERVIEWS
MASS MEDICAL STRAINS: Creating Innovation Out Of Demand
Mass Medical Strains needs no introduction. We are delighted to bring to the Seed Bank Community an interview that allows us to take a deeper look at how Mass Medical Strains turns limitations into opportunities and his take on what the industry can look forward to in the future. We’re able to learn more about his highly coveted Mass Metal Halide light as well as a deeper look on what got him into the breeding game. It’s been an honor to talk with them and we hope that everyone enjoys reading this interview as much as we did writing it.
Browse MASS MEDICAL STRAINS on SEED BANK
https://seedbankinternational.com/product-category/mass-medical-strains/
MASS MEDICAL STRAINS – INTERVIEW
CREATING INNOVATION OUT OF DEMAND
SEED BANK: Tell me about the lights you’ve been taking about!
MASS MEDICAL STRAINS: I’ve always been a huge nerd when it comes to indoor lighting for growing cannabis! I’ve used basically every light source there is. One thing I notice, although they can pretty much all produce great results, there was always something extra special about the flower I’d produce under Metal Halide lamps.
My old mentor DMANSEEDS told me that back when HPS came out, many growers rejected it because they saw lower quality with it, and stuck with their MH in flower because it’s superior. I find MH bulbs in flower produce cannabinoids and terpenes that aren’t present in HPS or led grown samples of the same clones! So it’s not just a perceived increase in quality, color, density, and effect, but it’s also measurable.
My favorite MH companies stopped production, so I had to make my dream a reality and start my own brand of Metal Halide! The goal is to spread awareness of the technology in general because it has many benefits over LEDs, for both human and plant health impacts. Our bulb is the brightest and has the best spectrum as well as a lower price point. There are a lot of technical details we could get into, and much of it is covered in my website.
In short, this is the most sun-like light source, and does much better than CMH as well. I’ve been growing my best flowers ever, and everyone who’s gotten my bulbs so far has been thoroughly impressed! They’re available now at Mass-Hydro.com
SEED BANK: How did you start, what got you started in breeding.
MASS MEDICAL STRAINS: I started growing and breeding at the same time. It was hard to get seeds and I only had a few, I was afraid of searching anything cannabis related online for fear of getting raided so I just made my own seeds. I just wanted to have some so I could grow more. I’ve been making my own seeds every grow pretty much ever since.
I grew the seeds from my favorite plant in my first grow, and found a really special plant which I named Star Pupil! I have her clone to this day, and her special effects and flavors are what inspired me to learn about actual seed breeding with intention and the goal was to make seeds that are exactly like her, in case I ever lost the clone. This kickstarted my breeding addiction because I fell in love with the process while working to preserve her, I also made crosses and started experimenting with other genetics too!
Grab your own STAR PUPIL seeds on SEED BANK
SEED BANK: Tell us about your grow methodology.
MASS MEDICAL STRAINS: My grow is super simple. I’ve tried all kinds of things and landed on the less is more approach. I use super-soil and water, that’s it. I start seeds and clones in Michigan Mix and will transplant them to Sohum or use Michigan the whole way through. I use CMH in veg and metal halide in flower, the plants perform way better with these compared to led where they can’t access the nutrition in the soil properly and waste a lot of resources.
I will keep a plant in a solo cup or one gallon for 2-4 weeks each on average, sometimes longer. I generally will veg large as possible in a one gallon before it starts to get hungry, then transplant it to a 3 gallon on day of flip to flower, that gives it enough soil and nutrition to make it to a healthy harvest! I recommend using a par meter for every plant to really dial in your grow. These are the basics. I use constant air exhaust which brings fresh new air in and keeps things happy. I don’t foliar spray or add humidity. Temps are around 80-ish, and I keep humidity lower than 50%, and in winter it gets down to 10% or lower. The plants adapt and thrive even in winter. I clone every plant before flipping to flower by placing a cutting in a rooting cube and Ziploc bag, I have a video about it on YouTube that has helped hundreds of growers take their first successful clones or increase their success rate and reduce workload.
SEED BANK: Tell us about your favorite strains or what you’ve been smoking.
MASS MEDICAL STRAINS: My favorite strain is Star Pupil and I also enjoy her crosses a lot. She has a really special effect, just puts my mind exactly where it needs to be. I call it truth weed because it often shows you the inner truths you need in order to be your best self and stay on the proper path, mindful and properly oriented. It’s a really special head effect. If you need more potency, her various hybrids are more intense and often retain some of her special qualities too. She has this breeding synergy where she can create offspring that are more potent than both parents alone.
SEED BANK: I’d love to know a bit about what inspires you.
MASS MEDICAL STRAINS: What inspires me. I love growing and breeding and I’m always excited to explore the plant more. There are so many gene pools from around the world and different time periods. The plant is endless! You’ll always find new expressions you haven’t seen before, and I really love smelling a new smell or seeing a new flower structure out of the ordinary. And of course the unbelievable range of psychoactive effects to discover especially in the more obscure sativa genetics. I really love growing and every aspect of it. Even just being in a bright environment during the middle of winter or a rainy day, brings the spirit up too! Also, the feedback I get from people who grow my strains. Especially when it helps them with a physical or mental health breakthrough. Many of my strains have literally changed peoples lives for the better, something I never imagined when I grew my first plants and made my own seeds!
SEED BANK: What is your purpose or desire for breeding/cannabis, what drives you.
MASS MEDICAL STRAINS: My purpose or desire is basically as stated above. I’d add that it feels more like a service to the plant in some ways too. I like to keep alive the old rare varieties that are super hard to find, and get their seeds out to so many growers so that these rare types won’t be lost. I like to explore and educate people and keep the gene pool exciting and diverse
SEED BANK: What makes your seeds special and unique?
MASS MEDICAL STRAINS: For the most part, I try to avoid breeding with the same gene pools that the majority of people are using. I am looking for unique expressions and that’s often found in strains you’ve never heard of. I’m also extremely in tune with the effects of every plant. Many breeders are not at all aware of the effects these days and it’s one of the many reason so many people complain that weed isn’t good like it was decades ago. I select things based off their effects, and people tend to agree with my experience of the effects more often than not. Each person is unique but there’s still a general trend that a specific plant will effect a majority of people in a similar manner. Being in tune with these effects and being super picky has allowed me to create strains that really stand out and produce memorable positive experiences for so many people!
SEED BANK: What are you seeing in the future?
MASS MEDICAL STRAINS: What I am seeing in the future is a big mix of things. Generally, things are going in a very bad direction for the plant, on so many levels, but I am trying to be one of the many people who influences things to a more positive direction.
A lot of things have many angles to them, for example legalization is helping people to be free and not behind bars, which is super important. At the same time it’s been leading to a lot of negative progress for the plant, and restricting people from honest interactions with it. Until anyone and everyone can grow and sell legally without barrier to entry restrictions, cannabis is basically reserved for the ultra wealthy large corporations, who usually grow on such a big scale and with such big risk, that quality goes down real fast.
The gene pool is also becoming a bottleneck of GSC hybrids, with at least 95% of all strains being produced in America having one common shared ancestor, which means the possibilities are reduced and everything become more and more similar. I am trying to lead by example and produce a lot of exciting seeds of different varieties and there are other passionate breeders doing the same thing. I also do a lot of teaching about cultivation with a focus on health and quality. I encourage everyone to grow and breed at home.
There are also a lot of problems starting to be uncovered by the widespread shift to LEDs which began with corporate lobbying and has a huge profit structure behind it, so I am helping growers go back to healthier light sources and learn the truth about MH technology, especially the wideband infrared and UV which are so critical to our health and the plants too. It’s a misconception that LEDs can create UV and IR in their true wideband forms, they only produce narrow wavelength spikes, and this has huge implications as no light source on earth has ever been missing the full infrared a and b portions of the spectrum until now.
SEED BANK: What’s your opinion on the state of cannabis?
MASS MEDICAL STRAINS: My opinion on the state of cannabis is basically that it is following the footsteps of big agriculture. Where a majority of the varieties were lost, and big production focuses on profits above all else. Profit is fine, if you are doing something good, but most of them are poisoning people, the planet, and disrespecting the plant. However the state of cannabis in home grows is generally wonderful! There are so many people able to grow their own medicine and experience truly loved and healthy organic cannabis with no chemicals or pesticides! Home growing is always going to be number one and I hope for a world where most people who can’t grow are able to get their herb from a small local home grower too!
SEED BANK: What would you like to see occur?
MASS MEDICAL STRAINS: I would like to see home growers be allowed an unlimited amount of plants no matter where on earth they live. I’d love to see real discussions on the actual benefits and harms of the plant, people smoking with more intention, a wider variety of genetics on the market and an end to the genetic bottleneck that threatens our plant.
Most dispensaries have ten or more strains on the menu and 9 of them will all be relatives of the same parent line, making them essentially the same with different nuances in flavor if you’re lucky. It would be great to see more unrelated lines grown again. I want to see growers switching back to MH bulbs, and or new innovations in indoor lighting to recreate the sun and move away from the harmful LEDs.
Of course true legalization would also make it easier to grow in the real sun without fear! I don’t expect a fair type of legalization to happen, because it doesn’t fit the profit incentives of those big weed companies who lobby for legalization under their terms. But we can always hope for an envision a better future. For now, I encourage everyone to just grow anyways!
SEED BANK: Where will Mass Medical be in ten years?
MASS MEDICAL STRAINS: I have no idea where Mass medical will be in ten years. I’d say hopefully in more home gardens than ever! It’s been an amazing journey already, and I’m grateful for everyone’s support along the way!
Browse MASS MEDICAL STRAINS on SEED BANK
https://seedbankinternational.com/product-category/mass-medical-strains/
Hope everyone enjoyed this interview. Mass Medical Strains will have some exciting new drops this summer, so be sure to stay tuned! We carry many classic Mass Medical Strains on our website, however, be sure not to snooze as many of their seeds come out in very limited batches and sell out within hours of the drop. If you have any questions about Mass Medical Strains, let us know at support@seedbankinternational.com and we’ll be more than happy to help you.
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