Dave Bowman, known to the cannabis world as Subcool, died on Feb. 1. He had been ill for quite some time, battling Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and emphysema, as well as the fallout from a divorce and a California wildfire that took nearly everything he’d worked to create in cannabis. As recently as late 2019, he was working toward a return to the cannabis scene he so passionately supported throughout his life.
The news hit the industry hard, displaying the ripple effects of Subcool’s influence on breeders across the world. Subcool, born Montgomery Ball, went on to develop Team Green Avenger Seeds (TGA Subcool Seeds/TGA Genetics/The Dank) and pioneer cultivars like Jack the Ripper and Space Queen.
"My primary original goal was to create a line of marijuana seeds that grew out to be high-yielding, fruit-flavored hybrids," he told Big Buds in 2016. "The first fruit taste and scent we perfected was lemon. Then came grape, cherry, and orange. Pretty soon, we were working with chocolate tastes and scents. I was so excited about these cultivars and I gave them out to other professional growers to see what they said. People told me they loved these strains. Not just the taste and scent, but also their new kinds of highs."
He developed his organic recipe for Super Soil, always fine-tuning the lessons he'd learned in order "to achieve perfection," he wrote.
In 2017, Subcool and his wife saw their Santa Rosa, Calif., home destroyed by wildfire. They lost more than 4 million cannabis seeds and all of their breeding plants. By that point, the two had begun to make plans to formally separate; the wildfire made things much worse.
In September 2019, High Times published a profile on the iconic breeder, focusing on a new cultivation facility he and his team were building in a former bowling alley.
Here, we’ve gathered thoughts shared by cannabis growers and business owners on social media over the weekend:
Very sad to hear about the passing of legendary cannabis breeder Subcool.
— Andrew DeAngelo (@Andrew_DeAngelo) February 2, 2020
TGA supplied some of the first seeds we sold @HarborsideInc and he was a true pioneer.
Subcool left us too soon but his seeds will continue to inspire and heal our community. Rest In Power. #Subcool
At a loss for words🙏🏽 rest in paradise friend! #subcool 😞until we blaze again 💨
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