The cannabis community is dynamic, spanning the globe with people on every side of the seed-to-sale journey. From farmers to consumers, everyone makes the weed world go ‘round.
Harry Resin transcends this notion. He’s traveled the world as a cultivator, breeder, extraction expert, and writer, dedicating himself to the cannabis plant. After spending time in Amsterdam, California, and now Vancouver, Resin has seen the unique nuances of cannabis culture across the globe.
Resin answered GreenState’s Fast Five questions, describing his path to cannabis fame, his favorite role in the space, and what he believes is the biggest innovation to hit weed over his career.
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GreenState: How did your journey with cannabis begin?
Harry Resin: My journey started as a teenager, just casually smoking and getting introduced to flower and hash. Where I grew up, there was an abundance of Jamaican hash, and that, combined with flower was my entry into this world.
Later on, in my early twenties, I went to Amsterdam to one of the early Cannabis Cups, and that blew my mind. That was the first time I saw and really understood the culture behind cannabis. This was also my first introduction to some of the original cannabis pioneers like Jack Herer and Soma.
However, it was only when I moved to Amsterdam and was taken under Soma‘s wing that I really took part in that culture and learned all about cultivation, breeding, and everything to do with cannabis at that time.
GS: What is your favorite way to consume?
HR: That really depends. I’m, first and foremost, a joint smoker. I really enjoy very good flower and I guess I also enjoy the ritual of rolling a joint. However, when I was in California and had access to some of the best dabs in the world, I loved my Puffco and the ease at which it gave me the ability to dab on the go and enjoy those flavors and big rips.
GS: You’re a writer, grower, breeder, and extractor. Do you have a favorite role in cannabis?
HR: It’s really hard to say, honestly, as all those things kind of go hand-in-hand with each other. I started writing because of my love and passion for cultivating and breeding, eventually leading to learning about extraction. But very early on in the late 90s, we started to make a lot of hash, originally using Mila‘s isolator system and then the bubble bags.
GS: Your cannabis career has taken you around the globe. How does American cannabis culture compare to that of Europe or even Canada?
HR: They are very different. Indeed, I loved living in Amsterdam, and I loved the coffeeshops, the scene, and the multicultural aspect that went along with it. It’s something that I’ve almost never seen replicated outside of Amsterdam in America. The culture was strong but really only came together at various Cannabis Cups and events. Overall, it was just you consuming with your friends.
Canada has been interesting thus far because here in Vancouver, there’s a very large group of the original guard. They’ve been very welcoming and have weekly events and have really done a lot to build up the culture, especially through a place that we’ve come to hang out called The Book Club, which is a private smokers club made up mostly of industry insiders above a well-known local dispensary chain called BURB.
Evenings at The Book Club always remind me of what it was like to be in the coffeeshops of Amsterdam, and I would say that it is the only place outside of the Netherlands where I felt that type of camaraderie and community.
GS: What do you think has been the biggest innovation in cannabis in the last 20 years?
HR: This is an interesting question, as I would say the biggest innovation in cannabis over the last 20 years has been the proliferation of information. With the medical and, eventually, recreational allowances, the best part of the industry is the way in which we’ve come to understand the plant.
This has happened both through lab testing and through individuals in academia and science who normally would have frowned upon a public persona in the industry, yet now, as a result of legalization, have shed that stigma and are participating in this new blend of culture. As a result, this has given us greater and greater insight into the plant cannabinoids and their ability to heal and act as a medicine.
Harry Resin is a long-time cannabis cultivator, breeder, and writer who spent two decades in Amsterdam honing his craft. He has been featured in High Times, GQ, and several other publications.
The answers given by Q&A subjects do not necessarily reflect the opinions of GreenState. The subject is solely responsible for the views stated in this piece.
