[INTERVIEW] Sherbinski: «We are each pioneers of a movement».»

For Spannabis, Mario Guzman aka Sherbinski made the trip to Barcelona to present his collaboration with Silent Seeds and its 5 new varieties. We asked him a few questions and talked Gelato, Prop. 215 and legalization.

Hello Mario. First of all, how did you meet Silent Seeds?

To put it simply, Silent Seeds is my family. Dinafem's legitimate descendants. The whole team is experienced and professional, and I love working with them. We share a great passion for what we do and a common vision for the future.

It's an interesting collaboration because we're both pioneers of a movement. I'd say it's a perfect fit because each side has its own level of expertise. Silent Seeds has a long history in the development of feminized cannabis hybrids, and for my part, the creation of the Gelato line has created a major new universal trend in the industry.

What was the aim of this collaboration?

The main concept was to develop feminized versions of each of my Gelato line varieties, which are now emblematic the world over.

First of all, by crossing the Bacio Gelato and the Sunset Sherbert, we have developed the Polar Gelato, which is quite simply the best feminized version and, above all, true to what we've come to expect from a Gelato.

The Pink Sunset is certainly the most faithful feminized version of the Sunset Sherbert, which is why we used our « Pink Panties« a direct relative of its genetic line with our Florida OG, which brings great stability and preserves the aromatic characteristics of the original.

We then developed the’Açaí Jelly, the faithful feminized version of my Açaí Berry Gelato. For this, we've crossed it with Bacio Gelato, to firmly preserve the aromatic richness and all the intrinsic qualities of its predecessor.

Finally, we also had to think of a fast version of Gelato for all growers who live in parts of the world where the climate is hostile, and so together we developed a autoflowering version of Polar Gelato and by Pink Sunset.

Today, Gelato is known the world over. Are you proud of it?

Yes, I'm proud of it, because without really meaning to, we've created a new global trend in exotic varieties.

What I mean is, people used to look for strong varieties, without necessarily being interested in taste. Today, people are looking for a more holistic experience with their herb, which means that the bag appeal is important, but so are aroma, taste and effect.

I think this has led to a positive evolution at all levels, as people logically become more demanding and have a higher level of knowledge. It's true that the importance of terpene profile has become a major one, which is why most varieties now have a name related to gastronomy, which is quite amusing...

Do you have your next varieties in mind?

At the moment, I'm working on terps for the original Gelato line and an Emerald Cup winner, the «Sherbhead», which should continue the legacy of the original Gelatos.

There is a large variety called« Headband« which has a complex and very interesting terpene profile, so I'm trying to do more research to create something new with it. As I told you a few minutes ago, I'm very attracted to the deep, intense aromatic tendency of lemon, to complement and diversify the complex aroma of Gelato.

Your strains were widely used during the Prop 215 era. How has the «legal» landscape changed since cannabis was legalized in California? Is it more interesting to work today, or were the old days better?

Logically, it became a big money business, and many investors and companies arrived. This can be a good thing if you have a solid concept and need the money to take the next step, but you still need to take the time to choose the right player so that the equation is a win-win for everyone. Otherwise, you can quickly find yourself out of the game and lose control of your business - that's the risk...

On the other hand, taxes are so high that only financially sound companies can establish themselves and be viable in their business. In the past, everything was simpler, but the legal evolution of the sector has also made it possible to sleep more peacefully, so there's good and bad in everything.

What can be frustrating for some is that they were founding members of the movement at the time, and because of the current rules, find themselves out of the game. Reality isn't easy for everyone.

Medical cannabis is barely legally accessible in France. How can France be persuaded to move forward?

It seems to me that Europe functions as a community, so in my opinion a majority of the countries that are part of it will have to agree to gradually harmonize their laws on the subject along these lines. I think this will take several years and in several stages, but the domino effect could also happen quickly. It's pretty complicated to predict the future for these things...

Vive la France and thank you!