After basking in the terpene-rich atmosphere of The Madrones—a weed and wine resort in Mendocino County known for its curated landrace varieties from The Bohemian Chemist—I was inspired to find something similar in Los Angeles.
Why landrace strains matter
Landrace cannabis strains are the earth’s pure expression of the plant. Native to regions like South Africa, Afghanistan, Thailand, and Colombia, they are the wild, original varieties that have evolved unique characteristics—and effects—based on their environments. These original genetics are prized for their purity, chemical complexity, and nuanced highs—but are increasingly rare in the hybrid-dominated market of today.
The hunt for landrace in LA
Because these strains can be difficult to find, I turned to the Leafly app to track down a landrace icon: Durban Poison, a South African sativa beloved for its focused, creative buzz, and terpinolene-forward profile that’s both spicy and sweet.
I located a Durban variety at The Artist Tree in West Hollywood, a beautiful dispensary and lounge located in the heart of the Emerald Village, WeHo’s new consumption zone packed with dispensaries, weed-friendly restaurants, and other stoner-centric activities.
Sampling vintage vibes at The Artist Tree
After grabbing a booth on their balcony smoking lounge, I used an iPad ordering system to nab two varieties from Heirbloom, a specialty line by Cannabiotix focused on rare and vintage genetics. I picked up:
- Durban Poison (Heirbloom) – An energetic, clear-headed sativa known for enhancing creativity and focus.
- Master Kush (Heirbloom) – A beloved indica—created by backcrossing two Hindu Kush landrace strains—that was extremely popular in the 2000s for its deeply relaxing high and spicy, earthy profile.
Both cultivars offered a clean, potent experience in their respective effect-genres. Vintage strains like these are a welcome reminder of what dispensary weed used to be, and still can be, thanks to brands like Heirbloom.
Budtender-Backed Bonus Picks
Since vintage varieties aren’t for everyone, I also got some intel on the most popular strains at The Artist Tree from their fantastic team of budtenders:
- Night Shade by Connected Cannabis, an MSO known for exotic cuts and potent profiles
- Lava Flower by A Golden State, a buzzy California brand specializing in proprietary genetics of top shelf indoor
- Quiet Times by Miss Grass, a woman-owned MSO known for their hip presentations of quality products at an extremely do-able price point
