charlesufarley
Well-known member
OK ya'll, I've pulled all of Shantibaba's posts from the formation of this site until now. I've also collected many of his instructional pdf's. I prompted an AI to collate and categorize all of his posts and pdf's and construct a "general" essay on what Shanti's cannabis "philosophy" is. This is just my initial, _preliminary_, process. Nothing like the rigorous, detailed examination I did with Nevil. There will probably be mistakes and inconsistencies, because I haven't ran it through the rigorous and detailed process I did with Nevil. But I think this pretty fucking good on first read. Here it is, and it's long and has not been fully vetted:
Shantibaba’s first encounter with cannabis happened at age thirteen. He later recalled, “I tried cannabis with a few mates around 13yr old, found myself and a mate of mine on all fours following a white line on a grassy strip that was not there… laughed like there was no tomorrow, immediately felt akin with this plant.”
That laughter and that kinship never left him.
He completed high school by sixteen and went on to study science at the University of Melbourne from 1981 to 1985. While still a student, he began working in a nursery, where he learned horticultural techniques that would later serve him well. His first indoor grow—with lights in a garage, alongside his father—was a revelation. From then on, his interest in experimenting with multiple strains intensified.
“Looking for seed was my mission,” he said, “and having my own means to go anywhere at anytime where no road was the wrong road… that was a big HIGH.”
He was not a tourist. He learned local customs, built trust, and often sat with farmers and villagers. In India, he learned to rub charas—hand‑rolled hashish—while building his personal seed collection. Every stop added to a library of genetics that would later become the foundation of his life’s work.
He described that period with obvious fondness: “Holland, especially the early to mid 1990s, was a fantastic period for like‑minded people. It was a happening daily and I expect the enthusiasm and passion for having a coffee shop to go to at the end of a day’s work to pow‑wow and exchange ideas… well, it got us all in the plan.”
In his view, those years echoed the existentialist cafés of 1950s Paris or the Beat Generation hangouts. Breeders, growers, and travellers all congregated in Amsterdam, sharing seeds, stories, and techniques. “The early 90s in Holland was probably like Paris in the time of the Existentialist movement,” he reflected.
During this golden age, Shantibaba created the iconic “white” strains that would become legendary: White Widow (1994), White Rhino (1996), and White Shark (1997), followed by El Nino in 1998.
“A middle‑aged Brazilian who was living in the area became a good friend and we had a lot of things in common,” he said. “He was from the Amazon area in Brazil and had an IBL handed down for three generations of his family… It was for sure an IBL grown by the same people for years.”
The White Widow strain won the High Times Cannabis Cup in 1995, and its fame spread around the world.
But success also brought tension. His relationship with his Dutch partner soured, and he began to look for new horizons.
He took all his mother and father plants with him. Nevil, trusting him completely, entrusted his own plants to Shantibaba as well. Together, they had a library of practically all genetics possible in the cannabis world.
That same year, Shantibaba founded Mr. Nice Seedbank with Howard Marks, the legendary British hashish smuggler, author, and cultural icon. The name came from Marks himself.
“Any chance an old bastard like me could find a way to work with you in this business?” Marks asked.
Shantibaba’s reply was cautious: “I think you might be a little high profile for me.” But the friendship and partnership evolved naturally, and over the years they became inseparable.
“It was one of the most easy and deeply touching friendships that evolved from day one,” Shantibaba later said. “Howard Marks was unknown to me previously, so I did not have all the expectations that can cloud one’s view when you meet.”
Marks and Shantibaba would go on the road together six or seven times a year to cannabis shows, building a community of growers and patients that spanned the globe.
“GBT took over an old silo with eleven floors in Bellinzona in 1999,” he recalled, “and the top floor was made to house the entire mother and father plants in a huge ‘state of the art’ grow room. It contained forty‑two different original plants.”
But in 2003, Swiss authorities launched “Operation Indoor,” arresting Shantibaba and confiscating all of GBT’s assets. He was detained in a Swiss prison for two months and later served time before the charges were ultimately dropped. He reflected on that period calmly: “That period was 2003‑2005… due to making the wheel more efficient in Ticino, Switzerland, seemed to be the official reason behind the incarceration… even though we began the same time as GW Pharmaceuticals in the UK, my company Gene Bank Technology was closed.”
Fortunately, he had backups of all his plants in five different countries. The genetic library survived.
What do ya'll think?
SHANTIBABA
The History of One of the Founders of Modern CannabisPART ONE — THE SEED OF A LIFE
Early Years and First Encounters
Scott Blakey—known to the world as Shantibaba—was born in 1964 in Melbourne, Australia, to an Australian mother and an English father. His father was a doctor of mathematics and a professional gambler, and he passed on a love of numbers, genetics, and risk‑taking to his son.Shantibaba’s first encounter with cannabis happened at age thirteen. He later recalled, “I tried cannabis with a few mates around 13yr old, found myself and a mate of mine on all fours following a white line on a grassy strip that was not there… laughed like there was no tomorrow, immediately felt akin with this plant.”
That laughter and that kinship never left him.
He completed high school by sixteen and went on to study science at the University of Melbourne from 1981 to 1985. While still a student, he began working in a nursery, where he learned horticultural techniques that would later serve him well. His first indoor grow—with lights in a garage, alongside his father—was a revelation. From then on, his interest in experimenting with multiple strains intensified.
The Seed Collector’s Odyssey
In the 1980s, Shantibaba embarked on an extraordinary journey that would define his career. He estimates he travelled roughly 40,000 miles on his 1964 Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle through Central and South Asia. He traversed India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Burma, and Bhutan, gathering marijuana strains from local breeders and families.“Looking for seed was my mission,” he said, “and having my own means to go anywhere at anytime where no road was the wrong road… that was a big HIGH.”
He was not a tourist. He learned local customs, built trust, and often sat with farmers and villagers. In India, he learned to rub charas—hand‑rolled hashish—while building his personal seed collection. Every stop added to a library of genetics that would later become the foundation of his life’s work.
PART TWO — THE GOLDEN YEARS IN AMSTERDAM
Arrival and Collaboration with Nevil
Shantibaba settled in Amsterdam in the early 1990s, bringing with him a large and impressive collection of cannabis seeds. There he met and began working with the legendary Nevil Schoenmakers, founder of the world’s first cannabis seedbank. In 1994, he co‑founded the Greenhouse Seed Company with Nevil and a Dutch partner, Arjan Roskam.He described that period with obvious fondness: “Holland, especially the early to mid 1990s, was a fantastic period for like‑minded people. It was a happening daily and I expect the enthusiasm and passion for having a coffee shop to go to at the end of a day’s work to pow‑wow and exchange ideas… well, it got us all in the plan.”
In his view, those years echoed the existentialist cafés of 1950s Paris or the Beat Generation hangouts. Breeders, growers, and travellers all congregated in Amsterdam, sharing seeds, stories, and techniques. “The early 90s in Holland was probably like Paris in the time of the Existentialist movement,” he reflected.
During this golden age, Shantibaba created the iconic “white” strains that would become legendary: White Widow (1994), White Rhino (1996), and White Shark (1997), followed by El Nino in 1998.
The Making of White Widow
The origin of White Widow is a story of travel, connection, and serendipity. Shantibaba discovered the parent strain in the remote mountains of Kerala, India. After sharing some weed with a farmer, he was given a tour of his farm and introduced to a hybrid that the village had been growing and breeding for many years to increase resin production. That hybrid was a Brazilian sativa landrace crossed with a South Indian indica.“A middle‑aged Brazilian who was living in the area became a good friend and we had a lot of things in common,” he said. “He was from the Amazon area in Brazil and had an IBL handed down for three generations of his family… It was for sure an IBL grown by the same people for years.”
The White Widow strain won the High Times Cannabis Cup in 1995, and its fame spread around the world.
The 1998 Triumph
1998 was a watershed year. Shantibaba and Nevil together won first and second prize in all categories at the High Times Cannabis Cup, with Super Silver Haze taking top honours. Super Silver Haze went on to win three successive first‑place awards at the Cannabis Cup in 1997, 1998, and 1999. Shantibaba also won prizes with his “Shantibaba’s Hash.”But success also brought tension. His relationship with his Dutch partner soured, and he began to look for new horizons.
PART THREE — THE SWISS YEARS AND MR. NICE SEEDBANK
Leaving Holland
“In 1998 when I won all the cups with Nevil (including Shantibaba’s Hash for best nederhash), I was given a better offer by a Swiss group to set up a medical cannabis farm and distil oil… so I sold my share to Arjan and left.”He took all his mother and father plants with him. Nevil, trusting him completely, entrusted his own plants to Shantibaba as well. Together, they had a library of practically all genetics possible in the cannabis world.
That same year, Shantibaba founded Mr. Nice Seedbank with Howard Marks, the legendary British hashish smuggler, author, and cultural icon. The name came from Marks himself.
The Partnership with Howard Marks
The partnership began at the 1996 High Times Cannabis Cup. Shantibaba had just won an award, and Howard Marks approached him.“Any chance an old bastard like me could find a way to work with you in this business?” Marks asked.
Shantibaba’s reply was cautious: “I think you might be a little high profile for me.” But the friendship and partnership evolved naturally, and over the years they became inseparable.
“It was one of the most easy and deeply touching friendships that evolved from day one,” Shantibaba later said. “Howard Marks was unknown to me previously, so I did not have all the expectations that can cloud one’s view when you meet.”
Marks and Shantibaba would go on the road together six or seven times a year to cannabis shows, building a community of growers and patients that spanned the globe.
Gene Bank Technology and the Fall
In Switzerland, Shantibaba established Gene Bank Technology (GBT) in Ticino, a state‑of‑the‑art facility for seed production, essential‑oil distillation for the cosmetic industry, and medical tinctures for pain management. The operation was initially legal and fully compliant with Swiss authorities.“GBT took over an old silo with eleven floors in Bellinzona in 1999,” he recalled, “and the top floor was made to house the entire mother and father plants in a huge ‘state of the art’ grow room. It contained forty‑two different original plants.”
But in 2003, Swiss authorities launched “Operation Indoor,” arresting Shantibaba and confiscating all of GBT’s assets. He was detained in a Swiss prison for two months and later served time before the charges were ultimately dropped. He reflected on that period calmly: “That period was 2003‑2005… due to making the wheel more efficient in Ticino, Switzerland, seemed to be the official reason behind the incarceration… even though we began the same time as GW Pharmaceuticals in the UK, my company Gene Bank Technology was closed.”
Fortunately, he had backups of all his plants in five different countries. The genetic library survived.
What do ya'll think?
