Known for traveling the world in search of exotic strains, rare pollen, and forgotten landrace genes, cannabis legend Franco Loja passed away yesterday, January 2, 2017.
A globetrotting collector from Italy, Franco contracted a cerebral form of malaria that proved to be fatal. The manager of Green House Seed Company and partner of Arjan Roskam, Franco Loja was the Master Cultivator & Head Breeder for the Amsterdam-based seed company. According to the Green House Seed Company public Facebook page, Franco Loja was visiting the Congo to provide aid to victims of malaria when he suffered an attack of the deadly mosquito-borne illness.
From the most remote corners of the African continent to the highest peaks in India, Franco and his team of inquisitive cannabis connoisseurs scoured the globe in search of long-forgotten strains.