National Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15 and runs through October 15! To celebrate, we’re taking a deep dive into Hispanic contributions to cannabis. From Latin America’s legendary landrace strains to Spain’s commercial and medical marijuana contributions, the Hispanic regions of the world have left a significant mark on today’s global cannabis culture. We’ll look at some of them in this post.

Famous Landrace Strains with Hispanic Heritage

Columbian Gold. Panama Red. Acapulco Gold. We’ve associated these names with fuego cannabis for decades. Below, we’ll look at some of the most famous strains from Hispanic origins.

Mexican Sativa

Although you may not have heard of it directly, you’ve definitely experienced some of this strain’s effects. That’s because Mexican sativa has contributed its genetics to countless strains today. 

Mexican Sativa (sometimes just called “Mexican”) is one of the most prolific landraces in North America. As a landrace, it’s one of more than 1,100 unique strains that grew via natural breeding in the wild, without any human interference.

“Mexican” first made its way to North America from South Asia thousands of years ago. Then, it began to spread throughout North and South America. Eventually, breeders used Mexican landrace strains such as Mexican Sativa to form many strains we know today, including the Haze family.

Panama Red

Although it may be nearly impossible to find these days, there was a time when Panama Red, also known as “Panamanian,” ruled the cannabis scene. In the 1960s and ’70s, Panama Red was one of the hottest strains available thanks to its powerful sativa properties and its stark red coloration.

Even though you may not be able to find Panama Red on many dispensary shelves today, this strain has still left its mark. You can still get a taste of its legendary properties by trying out one of its modern children, such as Pan Jam.

Columbian Gold

This landrace strain, also known as “Santa Monica Valley Gold,” hails from–you guessed it–Colubmia. It boasts a fragrance that combines citrus and lime tones with a distinctly skunky aroma.

Like its landrace cousin Acapulco Gold (more on that up next), Columbian Gold gets its name from its flowers’ goldenrod tones. Like all Mexican landrace strains, it features the energizing and euphoric properties often found in sativa genetics.

Acapulco Gold

Here’s one of the most famous of all the landrace strains in the history of cannabis. Acapulco Gold made its U.S. debut in the 1960s, when tourists from the U.S. side of the border began to frequent the area around Acapulco. Acapulco Gold gained a reputation for incredible taste and high potency. Locals farmed in the region’s mountains, and made the landrace famous for its golden hue.

Unfortunately, it’s actually fairly difficult to get your hands on any true Acapulco Gold today. However, you can still experience some of its offspring, including Super Lemon Haze via one of Acapulco Gold’s children, Skunk #1.

Hispanic Contributions to the Cannabis Industry

Although cannabis use and possession remains illegal in the majority of South American hispanic countries, there is promising movement in some places. In fact, researchers are revolutionizing medical cannabis in the OG Spanish-speaking country: Spain.

In Spain, the Observatorio Español de Cannabis Medical (Spanish Medical Cannabis Observatory) helps to organize the country’s budding medical marijuana network. What’s more, the Spanish government even funds marijuana research at the Botanical Institute of Barcelona.

The Spanish private sector has made an impact on the cannabis world, too. Several national and international conventions have sprouted as a way for marijuana entrepreneurs to meet, learn, and swap ideas. One of the most prominent of these is the annual Spannabis event.

Sparking Up for Hispanic Heritage Month

We’ve covered a lot of info in this post. But ultimately, it all comes down to celebrating Hispanic heritage. There’s no better way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and Hispanic peoples’ contributions to cannabis than by sparking up some premium flower, concentrates, or edibles. Check out this full selection of products to find the perfect one!