Have you ever come across someone who has such radiant energy that you can’t help but be drawn in? It’s a magnetic and energetic presence that exudes calmness and purpose. Even if you haven’t met them in person and you’re just scrolling through social media, something about them makes you stop and take notice.

That’s precisely the feeling our guest on the High Class Podcast, Dank Duchess, gives off. She is someone who truly embodies this kind of energy, and it’s evident in everything she does. Whether it’s playing steel drums for her cannabis plants, providing relatable and valuable education on mushrooms, or simply riding a skateboard in the park, she exudes a sense of purpose and passion for plant-based medicine.

We are grateful to have Dank Duchess as our guest on the High Class Podcast, and we feel lucky to have the opportunity to spend some time with her. She is a goddess of sorts, and her contribution to the plant-based medicine community is immeasurable. Let’s dive in!

Who is Dank Duchess?

Dank Duchess, has been a cultivator for the past 20 years, specializing in hash-making for the past eight years. Her primary focus is on education, specifically hash education, as she believes it is one of the finest representations of the cannabis plant. After learning how to make hash from Frenchie Cannoli, she made it her mission to share her knowledge with others.

Over the years, she has written for various publications, including Skunk Cannabis Now, High Times, and Weed World, always striving to push hash education and awareness. She has since become a consultant, traveling all over the world to teach hash-making and the benefits of sacred plant medicine. Her work has taken her to many different avenues, including appearing on Bon Appetit and Shawn Berio, where she demonstrates her hash-making techniques.

Dank is passionate about teaching and helping others live their best lives with the assistance of plant medicine. She has expanded her focus to include psychedelics and continues to seek out new ways to share her knowledge and passion with others. Whether she’s growing weed in her third bedroom or traveling the world to teach, everything propels her towards her ultimate goal of educating and helping others. She is truly a gem in the plant-based medicine community, and we are grateful for her dedication and contributions.

Where does the hash come from?

Dank discusses the importance of resin, which is the sticky substance found on cannabis buds. Resin is an umbrella term for trichomes, which contain the cannabinoids that are sought after in the plant. As a hash maker, her goal is to collect resin as cleanly as possible, separating the green material from the sticky trichomes.

The popularity of concentrates is skyrocketing due to their convenience and efficacy, as only a small amount of concentrate can have the same effect as smoking multiple joints. For patients, concentrates can be particularly helpful as not everyone has the lung capacity to consume the necessary combustion to get the desired cannabinoids into their body.

Ultimately, the resin in cannabis is vital because it contains the vast amount of cannabinoids that are sought after. Concentrates such as hash and edibles are useful in accessing these cannabinoids, making them an essential tool in the cannabis industry for both recreational and medicinal purposes.

Myth: Dabbing is not friendly to new patients and new people in our industry

Dabbing has become increasingly popular in the cannabis industry, but it can be intimidating for new patients and those who are new to the industry. Dank breaks down the process of dabbing, explaining that it involves heating up a ceramic or high-end glass component to a specific temperature and inhaling the vapors of hash or concentrate. However, metal is no longer used for dabbing due to its potential health risks.

While dabbing may seem over-the-top for some people, Dank recommends high-end devices like Puffco, Focus, Karda, or Ice Fire as good steps into dabbing, especially for those who may be nervous. However, if you have a high-quality hash, a traditional Chilean pipe can be an excellent option.

At the end of the day, dabbing may not be for everyone, but there are ways to make it more accessible and less intimidating for those who want to try it. With the right equipment and knowledge, dabbing can be a unique and enjoyable way to experience the benefits of cannabis concentrates. And for those who prefer a more traditional method, smoking hash out of a Chilean pipe can be just as satisfying.

What does Dank love about cultivation?

For Dank, cultivation is more than just growing cannabis; it’s about the process, the patience, and the bond between grower and plant. The act of slowing down and immersing herself in the cultivation process allows her to relinquish control and appreciate the plant’s ability to grow and develop on its own.

While she loves smoking hash, Dank says she must grow weed because it’s a part of who she is. Her journey with cannabis started unexpectedly; she was anti-cannabis until trying it for the first time and then, within three months, began growing it. Though she made mistakes along the way, she persevered, driven by a desire to cultivate her own cannabis and avoid the dangers of buying on the black market.

According to Dank, each plant is unique and has its own personality, and building a bond with them is one of the most rewarding aspects of cultivation. But, as with all good things, there comes a time for harvest, which can be a bittersweet moment.

Overall, Dank’s love for cultivation stems from the slow, patient process, the bond she forms with each plant, and the satisfaction of seeing the end result. It’s a journey that has shaped her life and continues to bring her joy and fulfillment.

What’s currently in Dank’s garden?

Dank shares her latest garden update and refers to it as her “last garden”. She reveals that she’s currently growing a few strains from the Homegrown Cannabis Company, where she’s a cultivator with characters. Dank chose her strains based on their potential for making high-quality hash, with the melting pot being a particular favorite due to its blend of Laotian, Jamaican, and Afghani strains. She describes Afghani hash as being sweet and delicious, so she’s excited to grow a strain that includes Afghani genetics.

Another strain in her garden is Jamaican, which she believes is commonly used for making gum. Dank is drawn to strains that produce a lot of resin, as she’s primarily focused on making hash. However, she also enjoys smoking weed and will occasionally add a strain that doesn’t produce much resin, like Super Lemon Haze, for its citrusy flavor. 

Despite the fact that lemon isn’t well captured in the bubble hash-making process, Dank aims to strike a balance between strains that produce high-quality hash and strains that are good for smoking. With her experience and knowledge, Dank is sure to cultivate a successful crop and produce her signature high-quality hash.

The opportunity of hash making in Cannabiz

Dank Duchess shares her thoughts on the cannabis industry from a business perspective and highlights the importance of creativity and innovation in the currently oversaturated market. She draws a comparison to chefs, explaining that like mixing flavors to create a dish, cannabis entrepreneurs can blend strains to create unique and marketable products.

Winning awards in competitions, like cannabis cups, can be a great way to boost the visibility of a new company, but Dank emphasizes the importance of standing out in a market where popular strains like GMO and Papaya can quickly become stale. Dank suggests that companies need to be the “Purple Cow” and offer something different to stand out and succeed. Her insights provide valuable guidance for those looking to enter the industry or struggling to find their footing.

How to stand out in a cannabis industry

This is what Dank has to say, “Be a purple cow”, which is at the end of the day, you’re good enough to do something different. Just do something so unique, that like you had it requires you to have the calmness to stand out on your own, but people will come around because people get very much bored and desensitized against that which they see over and over and over.

Then you get you can just be these handy, odd, and just like incompetent. And you’re just like you need practice. What little Wayne said, be good or be good at it. If you’re gonna be good, am I? The way Dank interprets it is like, to be good and conform. So you can just conform and just be you’re gonna survive that way. Or be so good at something that you don’t have to conform, that you can do your own thing.  

What excites you the most about being a judge for National Cannabis Festival?

Dank expresses her love for the good flavors and the creativity that comes with them in her line of work as a hash maker. She finds joy in experiencing how human creativity has developed different flavors such as GMO and papaya, and how they taste as a hash. 

Being a hash maker, she often thinks about how the flavors would taste without combustion. Dank enjoys the aspect of learning when judging with other people and getting to hear their stories, sparking new ideas and perspectives. For her, it’s all about the community and the terps, and she couldn’t ask for more.

Who are your cannabis cultivation heroes and why?

Dank shares her admiration for Jason Jewels and his wife from Touched by Cannabis, specifically for their use of KNF (Korean Natural Farming) in growing amazing plants. She also mentions her respect for Snow, a cultivator from the Bay area. But the one person who has had the most impact on her is Kyle Kushman.

Dank recalls how in 2014, she approached Kyle and told him that she was moving across the country to grow cannabis his way, introducing herself as Duchess. Kyle was surprised and impressed, saying that no one had ever told him that before. To this day, Dank still looks up to Kyle as a source of inspiration.

What advice do you have for novice growers?

According to Dank,  the first step is to choose a cultivar that is fairly easy to grow, like a bluegreen. She suggests growing in soil and using purified water. It’s important to strike a balance between buying the most expensive and the cheapest equipment. Moreover, she advises taking the time to engage in online courses and discussions with other newbies and experts to enjoy the entire process from beginning to end. This way, you can learn from the experience and improve your skills as a grower.

To learn more about Dank Duchess, listen to this episode:

In addition to Dank’s advice, if you’re interested in growing plants commercially, the best advice is to start small. It’s important to have a good understanding of every aspect of growing, so that when you eventually scale up and add more plants, you’ll be able to effectively communicate your needs and desires to your employees. This means having a solid grasp on what the final product should look like. 

Successful growers tend to operate on a smaller scale, with 100-200 plants being a good range. Mega-grows are often not economically feasible due to high overhead costs. As you start to grow, experiment with new strains and try to find what works for you. Work with breeders and learn as much as you can about the process. Remember, there is room for everyone in this space.

If you’re competing, or you’re thinking about competing for a license, but you don’t know where to start, I went ahead and cleaned up all of my application material, and updated a lot of it and you can get your own copy here: https://highsalwa.com/business-downloads.  It is what I use to win licenses in multiple different markets. I have cultivation, production and retail that’s currently available and I’m looking forward to adding more to give you a head start.