Synonyms:
Genetics: Unknown, likely Cardamom Mountains Landrace
Type: Point of origin, open pollinated
Style: Ganja, compressed seeded flowers
Farmer: Unknown
Sourcing: Eloise (2022)
Village(s): Unknown
District: Veal Veng
Province: Pursat
Area: Damrei Range
Region: Western Cambodia
Appellation: Cardamom Mountains
Country: Cambodia
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Cultivation Details:
Regional Planting: September
Regional Harvest: January-March
Height: 1-3m
Classification: Unknown, NLD type landrace population
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Description:
The Pursat accession represents a rare, possibly undocumented landrace from the Cardamom Mountains in Western Cambodia, sourced from Veal Veng District—a region known for its dense jungle, rugged mountains, and historic isolation. This accession was obtained in 2022 from locals in Veal Veng, where traditional cannabis cultivation has long played a role in the region’s economy and culture.
The plants are suspected to be a mountainous sativa, with open-structured, long-flowering traits well-suited to the humid, high-altitude climate of the Cardamom Mountains. Growers in the area produce compressed seeded flowers, which were historically smuggled to Phnom Penh and beyond for both local and export markets.
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Context:
Pursat Province, and specifically Veal Veng District, is one of Cambodia’s most remote and sparsely populated areas, located deep within the Cardamom Mountain range.
Historically, this region has been a refuge for rebel groups, smugglers, and cannabis farmers, all taking advantage of the dense jungle and lack of government oversight.
In the 1970s and 80s, cannabis cultivation flourished as part of a broader trade network that stretched from the Cambodian highlands into Thailand and Vietnam. Farmers grew local highland strains adapted to monsoon conditions, producing large amounts of high-quality, long-flowering ganja that was either locally consumed or compressed for transport to major markets.
By the early 2000s, however, government crackdowns and economic shifts forced many traditional cannabis farmers to abandon their fields or switch to other crops. Today, hybrids have begun replacing native landrace populations, and large-scale cultivation in Pursat has become far less common.
Despite this, hidden plots and local growers still persist, preserving what may be one of the last expressions of the ancient Cambodian ganja tradition in the western highlands.
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Accession Details:
Veal Veng Accession (2022)
Notes: Purchased by Eloise from friends who live in Veal Veng
Type: Domesticate landrace accession
Altitude: Unknown
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Current Status:
The Veal Veng landrace population is likely under serious threat, as fewer farmers grow traditional cannabis and commercial hybrid varieties dominate the emerging legal market. The extent of remaining landrace cultivation in Pursat remains unclear, making this one of the most at-risk cannabis populations in Cambodia.
A return expedition is necessary to assess whether any true landrace fields remain, document local growing practices, and secure seeds for conservation before it is too late.
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Pursat
According to the Single Convention on Narcotic drugs signed in Vienna in 1961, the possession, importation and traffic of hemp seeds are not subject to regulation. This treaty expressly excludes cannabis seeds from the list of narcotic substances that are subject to international oversight. However, while the possession of hemp seeds is not a criminal offense in France, the cultivation of cannabis can result in administrative and penal sanctions as stipulated by Article 222-35 of the Penal Code. Zomia Collective S.A.R.L. carries no responsibility for the misuse of any products sold to users. Zomia Cannabis Collective store, and its domains, remain compliant with French law.
