Interview

Mr Sherbinski: «Breeding and giving back to the community»

Newsweed / Trends / Interview

Published

6 years ago

March 4, 2020 - Updated on 11 April 2023

Aurélien BERNARD

At the intersection of the worlds of cannabis and fashion stands Mario Guzman, also known as Mr. Sherbinski. A former cannabis breeder from the San Francisco area and founder from the Sherbinskis brand, Mario is one of the creators of Gelato, one of the most popular ice cream flavors in the United States and Europe. While visiting Paris for Fashion Week, I met up with him at a restaurant near Place Vendôme to chat breeding and giving back to the community.

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NWD: How did you get into this business in the first place?

Mr. Sherbinski: I got into it out of necessity. I was born and raised in California. Back then, I was a real estate agent and needed to pay my bills. I set up a few grow lights in a garage in San Francisco; I had access to some great strains. Right from my first grow, I got a good yield, and the quality was really good. It was the early days of the medical cannabis movement. I put the weed in my backpack, downloaded a list of official dispensaries in San Francisco, and went to offer my weed at the Vapor Room, an iconic dispensary. I developed a good relationship with the dispensary owner, and I eventually became part of their work and the culture that emerged from dispensaries—one of compassion and giving back to the community.

I’ve experienced the gray market and its transition to a regulated market. I then became an activist, and I wanted to provide safe access to cannabis, even if that meant being registered as a grower and therefore taking risks. But for patients, dispensaries are better than buying on the street. There, I used to run into suits & wheelchairs, guys in suits and others in wheelchairs, from all social and geographic backgrounds.

A lot of people came up to me to tell me how much my varieties were helping them.

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NWD: Did you use genetics from the Cookie Family to create Gelato?

Mr. Sherbinski: Yes, my genetics come from them. I was introduced to Jigga and Marshall, who lived in San Francisco—I was in the right place at the right time. That’s how I got started breeding. Together, we created Pink Panties, which is also the father of the Sunset Sherbet, which I crossed with a Cookies, and that resulted in the Gelato.

The issues of Gelato (Editor's note: Gelato 31 or 33, for example) are actually the numbers on their jars; I had about a hundred of them. Gelato 33 is nicknamed “Larry Bird”—that was his jersey number with the Celtics. Number 25 is “Barry Bonds,” but it’s actually Guava Gelato. And the others are Acaiberry Gelato, Bacio, and Gello.

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NWD: What is your goal with your brand, Sherbinskis?

Mr. Sherbinski: To spread my plants as widely as possible, share my genetics, educate people about safe access, and work with the right people. For example, I’m going to release four new strains with Dinafem at Spannabis. This allows me to share the true message of what cannabis really is—to change its image and break down taboos.

Things are already changing quickly—take CBD, for example. People who were afraid of the psychoactive effects are trying CBD and realizing that THC works for them, too. It breaks down barriers and helps them quit other things, like alcohol, which is killing our families and our parents.

I like to do things with passion and in a trendy way. With one foot on the street and the other in the regulated markets.

NWD: You tell us that you only work with the right people. How do you choose them?

Mr. Sherbinski: Our visions must be aligned, and so must our energies. I'm looking for people who really know what they're doing. It's hard to find the right people—those with genuinely good intentions. I avoid as much as possible the bad actors. And I prefer people who are passionate about the plant rather than those who are passionate about their money. I'm looking for talent and people who have something to offer me.

NWD: How do you see Europe? What would you like to do there?

Mr. Sherbinski: I’m going to start by introducing Gelato to Europe—it’ll be available through Dinafem—and crossbreeding it with CBD and autoflowering strains to create other phenomenal strains and so that people can enjoy the real Gelato. Gelato has 350 compounds, whereas a good OG Kush has only 60. We’re trying to figure out what makes Gelato such a unique strain.

As for the expansion into CBD, my core business is still THC and seeds. I have hemp cigarettes with 8% of CBD, and I’m working on vape pen with different THC ratios. I’m also going to create a perfume using cannabis terpenes and plants from around the world to make a unique luxury fragrance. That’s another reason I’m in Paris—to meet the right people who will help me with this project.

The goal is also to have Sherbinskis stores everywhere—in Paris, at 100%, for merchandise, my clothing line, or CBD products.

NWD: What advice would you give to people who want to get into the cannabis industry?

Mr. Sherbinski: You need to start by finding your identity. Identify your target market. Stay true to your message. And be prepared to tell your story.

NWD: What's been your biggest challenge so far?

Mr. Sherbinski: Shady investors. Often, the people who invest don’t share the same passion and vision as the people who founded these companies. You need to find people who are passionate about what you’re doing. That way, in the end, you’ll have a partner who truly believes in you—not just someone who’s only looking out for their own bottom line. For example, someone who’s been personally affected by cannabis—either through someone close to them or in their own life—so it becomes personal. And that can be something that keeps you two together.