Durban Poison... what’s the truth? And is it worth it?

[KromaL]

Dutch Passion offers a ~8 week plant that may or may not have been hydridized with something else while Ace/Cannabiogen offer African/Durban variants that flower for as long as 14 weeks. Meanwhile analyses range from less than 8% THC to as much as 30% with terpenes as high as 6%. Even more frustrating is that it’s clearly a great breeding strain with offspring like GSC and Cherry Pie.

What gives?? Does real Durban even exist anymore? Is what dispensaries are offering the real deal, or just a look-a-like pheno if something else entirely? Does it actually have this licorice/anise flavored, clear headed high that it’s fabled for? Maybe this just another case of the murky history of cannabis genetics where at the end of the day pot is just pot. Real curious if anyone has thoughts/experience with this strain.

 

[hotrodharley]

Dutch Passion offers a ~8 week plant that may or may not have been hydridized with something else while Ace/Cannabiogen offer African/Durban variants that flower for as long as 14 weeks. Meanwhile analyses range from less than 8% THC to as much as 30% with terpenes as high as 6%. Even more frustrating is that it’s clearly a great breeding strain with offspring like GSC and Cherry Pie.

What gives?? Does real Durban even exist anymore? Is what dispensaries are offering the real deal, or just a look-a-like pheno if something else entirely? Does it actually have this licorice/anise flavored, clear headed high that it’s fabled for? Maybe this just another case of the murky history of cannabis genetics where at the end of the day pot is just pot. Real curious if anyone has thoughts/experience with this strain.

Durban rocks. As far as strain crosses in stores who knows? Personally I've named stuff years ago because "kickass" is an effect and not a strain. Some dumbasses must have a name so I named some. I'm sure I am not the lone offender. The Dutch are the ones who brought it out of Africa and Dutch Passion is a reputable breeder.

 

[nurrgle]

I’d assume it was real based on the breeder. Dutch Passion has been doing good stuff forever.

I had a Durban that was sick. I ran it for years but let it go a while back. Gotta keep the fan bois happy with the heady new strains lol.

 

[xtsho]

Dutch Passion is the only breeder with Durban Poison. Other breeders have Durban but Durban Poison is a registered trademark. Durban Poison is also a hybrid with an Indica being introduced somewhere along the line. Sensi Seeds also has a Durban hybrid they call Durban and they've registered "Durban" as well. I have grown it and it is very good. If you want a pure sativa then Seeds of Africa has Durban Magic which is a landrace sativa. I don't have Dutch Passion but I have Sensi and I am pretty sure they basically the same. Both are hybrids and both finish faster than Seeds of Africa's landrace Durban Magic strain. Regardless, they are all good and would be excellent for breeding purposes as well.


"Dutch Passion original Durban Poison® is a classic outdoor and indoor variety, tough enough for cannabis outdoor growing in extreme Northern/Southern latitudes. Durban Posion seeds come originally from South Africa and was inbred over many years during the 70’s. With each generation, Durban Poison® became increasingly adapted to the windy and rainy conditions of Northern Europe. During the breeding process, some unknown indica genetics have been crossed with Durban Poison seeds. Durban Poison plant may initially show wide indica style leaves but the growth pattern allows the sativa dominance to show by the end with long blooms pierced by slim sativa-style leaves."
https://www.dutch-passion.com/en/cannabis-seeds/product/durban-poison/


Durban® Seeds Description
This chunky subtropical Sativa is named after the South African port city of Durban and has been the dominant strain of dagga in the surrounding hills and plains for longer than anyone can remember. The genotype is favoured by local growers for yield and dependable, uniform flowering - across the region, thousands of kilos of Durban’s dark, distinctive Sativa buds are produced each year. The fact that Durban also happens to be Africa’s busiest port allows a good proportion of each harvest to reach smokers in every other continent, making the region’s namesake cannabis the best-known African strain by any measure.
https://sensiseeds.com/en/cannabis-seeds/sensi-seeds/durban?sqr=durban&



"Durban Magic Landrace Sativa Seeds
Durban magic is harvested in the valley of 1000 hills, an area named after the thousands of lush green hills that tumble down to the raging Umgeni river that flows from the far Drakensberg mountain. The plant thrives on foothills, near winding rivers and is nurtured by the dappled light that gleams through the canopy of surrounding forest.
This pure subtropical Sativa develops large, super resinous buds that pulse with an intense lime green colour, with flashes of orange and purple. This particular strain is considered sacred by the local tribe, who are a highly decorated and traditional people."
https://seedsofafricastore.com/product/durban-magic

 

[DonnyDee]

As a local, I can't imagine how you'd get DP to flower in shorter than 12 weeks. It's usually about 14, super sativa.

 

[tyke1973]

Sensi seeds Durban is a very nice strain ,

 

[xtsho]

As a local, I can't imagine how you'd get DP to flower in shorter than 12 weeks. It's usually about 14, super sativa.

That's why they hybridized it with an Indica to shorten the flower times. The short flowering Durban strains are all hybrids but predominately sativa. The Durban from Sensi I grew was around 10 weeks. I haven't popped any of the Seeds of Africa but they claim it's a landrace and it also is longer flowering.

 

[KromaL]

As a local, I can't imagine how you'd get DP to flower in shorter than 12 weeks. It's usually about 14, super sativa.

That’s what makes no sense to me! I have to imagine there would be a huge difference in bud structure, terpene profile, etc. between an 8 week strain and a 14 week landrace sativa. Yet here's Durban which is claimed to be fast flowering pure sativa.

And its popular too! So what the heck is everybody smoking if theres so many different offerings of this one strain??

 

[xtsho]

That’s what makes no sense to me! I have to imagine there would be a huge difference in bud structure, terpene profile, etc. between an 8 week strain and a 14 week landrace sativa. Yet here's Durban which is claimed to be fast flowering pure sativa.

And its popular too! So what the heck is everybody smoking if theres so many different offerings of this one strain??

Both Dutch Passion and Sensi state that an indica was introduced somewhere in the breeding process. But like other strains you have multiple breeders. I might have to get a pack of Dutch Passion and do a side by side with Sensi and Seeds of Africa to identify the differences. But I have a feeling that both Sensi and Dutch Passion's strains originated from the same initial strain.

 

[tyke1973]

Take no Notice of what a breeder says un less its some one you know ,say a friend who breeds .Because seed companies like Greenhouse Humboldt all ways need a few more week than they put on there page ,They want you to buy it thinking its faster than the others.A plants done when its done ,when the Trichomes are Milky or amber if ya like a heavier buzz.The Strawberry Haze i got from Greenhouse took 13/14 week to finish.They say its a ten week strain .

 

[hotrodharley]

That’s what makes no sense to me! I have to imagine there would be a huge difference in bud structure, terpene profile, etc. between an 8 week strain and a 14 week landrace sativa. Yet here's Durban which is claimed to be fast flowering pure sativa.

And its popular too! So what the heck is everybody smoking if theres so many different offerings of this one strain??

Durban is the name of a city. It's not patented. Go with Dutch Passion, expect 14-15 weeks of flowering and enjoy.

Or buy what the fuck ever for shorter flower time.

 

[xtsho]

Durban is the name of a city. It's not patented. Go with Dutch Passion, expect 14-15 weeks of flowering and enjoy.

Or buy what the fuck ever for shorter flower time.

I know it's not patented but the name "Durban Poison" is a registered trademark issued to Dutch Passion. But I can't find it registered in any of the trademark databases both US and foreign which is odd. Maybe they just put the trademark symbol on their webpages thinking it will keep others from calling their own strain the same.

 

[hotrodharley]

I know it's not patented but the name "Durban Poison" is a registered trademark issued to Dutch Passion. But I can't find it registered in any of the trademark databases both US and foreign which is odd. Maybe they just put the trademark symbol on their webpages thinking it will keep others from calling their own strain the same.

This is where reading and talking to others beats the commercial hype.

 

[KromaL]

Durban is the name of a city. It's not patented. Go with Dutch Passion, expect 14-15 weeks of flowering and enjoy.

Or buy what the fuck ever for shorter flower time.

Gotcha. That they would falsely advertise the flowering time actually makes some sense then.

Would you say Dutch Passion's delivers on the rest of what they claim? I just find it hard to trust such a large company. I wasn't overly impressed with white widow I got from DP. I grew it outside this summer alongside some sour tangie which easily outperformed it. Durban being in the DP outdoor catalog I would be happy to know if it was any good

Thanks for all the input

 

[ANC]

Durban poison has been around in the 80s and probably earlier... I'm sure there has been a little genetic drift in the wild populations, but these large fields are quite resistant to the ingress of new DNA from a few errant seeds.

The rasta I smoked at as a kid always kept DP in his pocket and only took it out when I visited.
The other guys had to make do with swazi and pondo

 

[Yodaweed]

Dutch Passion is the only breeder with Durban Poison. Other breeders have Durban but Durban Poison is a registered trademark. Durban Poison is also a hybrid with an Indica being introduced somewhere along the line. Sensi Seeds also has a Durban hybrid they call Durban and they've registered "Durban" as well. I have grown it and it is very good. If you want a pure sativa then Seeds of Africa has Durban Magic which is a landrace sativa. I don't have Dutch Passion but I have Sensi and I am pretty sure they basically the same. Both are hybrids and both finish faster than Seeds of Africa's landrace Durban Magic strain. Regardless, they are all good and would be excellent for breeding purposes as well.


"Dutch Passion original Durban Poison® is a classic outdoor and indoor variety, tough enough for cannabis outdoor growing in extreme Northern/Southern latitudes. Durban Posion seeds come originally from South Africa and was inbred over many years during the 70’s. With each generation, Durban Poison® became increasingly adapted to the windy and rainy conditions of Northern Europe. During the breeding process, some unknown indica genetics have been crossed with Durban Poison seeds. Durban Poison plant may initially show wide indica style leaves but the growth pattern allows the sativa dominance to show by the end with long blooms pierced by slim sativa-style leaves."
https://www.dutch-passion.com/en/cannabis-seeds/product/durban-poison/


Durban® Seeds Description
This chunky subtropical Sativa is named after the South African port city of Durban and has been the dominant strain of dagga in the surrounding hills and plains for longer than anyone can remember. The genotype is favoured by local growers for yield and dependable, uniform flowering - across the region, thousands of kilos of Durban’s dark, distinctive Sativa buds are produced each year. The fact that Durban also happens to be Africa’s busiest port allows a good proportion of each harvest to reach smokers in every other continent, making the region’s namesake cannabis the best-known African strain by any measure.
https://sensiseeds.com/en/cannabis-seeds/sensi-seeds/durban?sqr=durban&



"Durban Magic Landrace Sativa Seeds
Durban magic is harvested in the valley of 1000 hills, an area named after the thousands of lush green hills that tumble down to the raging Umgeni river that flows from the far Drakensberg mountain. The plant thrives on foothills, near winding rivers and is nurtured by the dappled light that gleams through the canopy of surrounding forest.
This pure subtropical Sativa develops large, super resinous buds that pulse with an intense lime green colour, with flashes of orange and purple. This particular strain is considered sacred by the local tribe, who are a highly decorated and traditional people."
https://seedsofafricastore.com/product/durban-magic

The durban poison out here in colorado is pure sativa, it's a landrace from south africa it's not a hybrid.

 

[hotrodharley]

Gotcha. That they would falsely advertise the flowering time actually makes some sense then.

Would you say Dutch Passion's delivers on the rest of what they claim? I just find it hard to trust such a large company. I wasn't overly impressed with white widow I got from DP. I grew it outside this summer alongside some sour tangie which easily outperformed it. Durban being in the DP outdoor catalog I would be happy to know if it was any good

Thanks for all the input

White Widow - Shantibaba and Greenhouse. Now instead grow Black Widow from Mr. Nice. Mr. Nice is Shantibaba.

Dutch Passion is usually quality. Advise checking Mr. Nice for strains.

 

[DonnyDee]

Durban Poison has been around South Africa since my dad was a teenager. Here we identify it as a pure sativa with extremely long flowering times. I can't imagine any hybrid being a fair representation of the original, if that's a factor at all.

 

[hotrodharley]

The durban poison out here in colorado is pure sativa, it's a landrace from south africa it's not a hybrid.

Best DP ever I bought at the Medicine Man in Cortez on my back to Alaska. It was a sad day when the last bowl went up in smoke. Absolutely great stuff.

 

[ColoradoHighGrower]

I just picked some up, taste and smell is super potent, almost like a fruity sour smell. Love it! Will likely be my next clone or seed grab... do you know where there are any available cuts here in CO @Yodaweed ?