Description
Equatorial sativa originating from Goroka, in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, one of the most remote and culturally diverse regions on the planet.
Although cannabis is not native to PNG, tropical psychoactive sativa populations were introduced in the 1960s and spread across the country, becoming naturalized populations fully adapted to the favorable warm and humid conditions, as well as to the needs and preferences of local growers.
This accession is without doubt an outstanding example of the remarkable genetic reservoir of tropical sativas found in this region, and it is the most extreme tropical landrace sativa we have worked with in terms of size and flowering duration.
Its lemony, sweet and sour, creamy and floral terpene profile, along with its personality and potency, clearly recalls the finest classic Thai sativas and the most intense and mind blowing Hangkrarok expressions of today.
It stands out for its explosive growth, reaching exceptional sizes of up to 5–6 meters outdoors. Highly productive, with a high flower/leaf ratio, it features very long and progressive flowering cycles (18–24 weeks), forming large, airy and foxtailed structures (well adapted to humidity) that gradually build into big sized colas.
It displays a notable phenotypic consistency across the population, without extreme variations. It also produces a balanced female/male ratio (uncommon in tropical landraces) and shows a remarkably good sexual stability, even indoors.
Genetically, PNG sativas belong to the Southeast Asian maritime and Pacific group, acting as a transitional zone between Indonesia and Melanesia.
This preservation work has been carried out through open pollination of 70 different parental plants, with the goal of preserving maximum genetic diversity, while selecting the most interesting females, whose offspring we present here.
An authentic, stable, powerful and extremely rare genetic, of great value for breeders, preservationists and lovers of extreme equatorial sativas.
We would like to thank the North American grower Azure for trusting us with the preservation and release of this exotic PNG Goroka line.
CANNABIS IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA AND GOROKA
Papua New Guinea is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world, with over 800 living languages. Its complex mountainous geography has long fostered isolation between communities, giving rise to an extraordinary diversity of ethnic groups, cultures and traditions.
Very little has been published about the history of cannabis in PNG. Its introduction is relatively recent, with no solid evidence of its use or cultivation prior to the 20th century. Its presence in the Western Pacific becomes established after World War II. Traditionally, the main psychoactive plants used by local populations have been betel (Areca catechu) and kava (Piper methysticum).
Most sources agree that cannabis arrived in PNG during the 60s and 70s through soldiers, workers and Australian travelers, as well as via trade routes from Southeast Asia, where cannabis had a much longer cultivation history. Multiple independent introductions across different regions are likely.
During this period, coinciding with the peak of Australian presence in the country, cannabis use began spreading in urban and expatriate environments. Over time, cultivation became integrated into local economies, particularly in rural areas where subsistence farming dominates and opportunities to generate income are limited.
In the Highlands, cannabis cultivation has become an alternative cash crop alongside coffee (one of the country’s main crops), allowing many families to generate income and cover basic needs.
Historically, authorities in many regions have lacked the resources to access remote communities and meet their basic needs. They have also lacked the means to effectively control cannabis cultivation and distribution, which has contributed to its widespread establishment over the decades.
Locally, cannabis is commonly known as “spak brus”, a Tok Pisin expression meaning “drunk tobacco”. The term “PNG Gold” (although not referring to a specific variety) became popular in Australia during the 1980s to describe potent cannabis originating from Papua New Guinea, gaining a strong regional reputation through shipments arriving mainly via the Torres Strait.
Genetics from PNG likely contributed to the composition of Australian “bushweed” sativas cultivated until the 1990s, before being largely replaced by modern hybrid genetics from Europe and North America.
By the 1980s and 1990s, cannabis had already spread widely across the country, from the Highlands to coastal and lowland areas. Its production and trade gradually shifted from foreign intermediaries to local networks, becoming an economically relevant crop in certain regions such as Goroka.
By then, PNG had become a significant producer of cannabis, both for domestic consumption and for regional markets, particularly Australia. Goroka, located in the Eastern Highlands, is one of the country’s main historical and current centers of cannabis production and trade.
Its humid (80–90%) and mild climate (13–27°C), combined with an altitude of around 1600 meters and a highly stable equatorial photoperiod (with minimal variation between 11:45 and 12:15 hours of daylight throughout the year), has been especially favorable for the adaptation of long-flowering sativas to an environment without marked seasons, allowing cultivation throughout the year.
CANNABINOID ANALYSIS
ACE Seeds
