# Panama Red



## Legendary Genetics

I really would love to grow some legendary Panama Red. I've heard so many great things about it and I just need to experience it. Does anybody know if seeds are still available amongst the growing communities of Panama?

Saw this from another forum. It's a little thing about Panama Red and an actual picture of Panama Red.

Found these online.




And also found this story on another forum:



> The legend of Panama Red" (by anonymous)
> 
> "In this story,you will learn who and how this 12 ton load of Panama Red was smuggled into California.Have you ever heard the legend of Panama Red?I mean you have heard of Panama Red,haven´t you?Well,here´s the true story about a load that came into California in 1969. I drove up Highway 1,to Maple Street,in Tam Valley,and turned left;if you know where this is,it´s near Mill Valley.I went to my connection´s house to see what exotic weed had come in.He had Yucatan Green,which was fully filled into white plastic bags.It had a fruity aroma,and you could uncoil the kiwi colored green leavesa into their natural finger and hand shapes.I´d never seen weed cured this well.It was somewhat cured like pliable tobacco leaves.The price was $150.a pound which was a lot back in those days..Next a brown grocery sack came out of the closet,which I noticed was full of white plastic bags and the brown grocery bags. From my quick glance I estimated about 10 bags of weed in all. As the top of the brown bags was unfolded I immediatelly smelled the strong aroma of fresh tilled earth, perhaps the smell when you turn over a mulching log, combined with red clay. Then,I distinguished another smell. The smell of fresh earth was mixed with a strong hashish smell. A handful of the well dried small buds was pulled out and laid on the stainless steel plate of the triple-beam. I was in wonder as I had never seen any weed that wasn´t green or gold. To my amazement these small buds were a bright rusty color. Not brown like the colombian gold I scored a few years later, but you know, a rusty red color. I asked: where´s this weed from? My connection told me the story.
> This is Panama Red.*This stuff grows in the mountains north of the Panama canal.* The soil is red to black, with rain all the time. It´s impossible to get this weed but I have access to about a ton of it. How much is for a pound? I asked him. It´s $220 a pound. My wad of cash choked in my pocket, as I had thought that the Yucatan Green was expensive. He could read me. He pulled out a paper from his Zig-Zag pack, and rolled a pinhead joint. Then he lit it up, making a yellow flame as the empty paper end burned into the weed. He took the first puff, which sent off two intertwined lines of blue gray hashish like smoke, heading towards the ceiling. If this were possible, he looked even more euphoric from the one hit;and his eyes rolled back,and closed,as he slowly stabbed the smoking pinner across the table in my direction.As I reached out for it,he said in a choked breath while exhaling smoke: You´ll probably never get weed this good again. I knew his word was always true. My connection and his group had smuggled hashish from Afghanistan, India and Morocco. He´d been busted for importing hash in the bottom of a crate of snakes. He always had exotic weed and hash. He wouldn´t mess around with the weed I could get from the piulots in my part of the state. The only stuff I could get in my area was Mexican weed which ran about $80. to $120. a brick. We called this weed reg. for regular. The reg. kilos or bricks came wrapped in red, green or blue construction paper and was taped off with masking tape. This was the regular bottom-line non-exotic weed that was somewhat harsh to the throat but got you stoned. We resold for $10. a lid, or if you weren´t around back then,a lid is an ounce. The hashish smell of the pinner was overcoming my thougths, as I took a hit of pure heaven. The smoke was so smooth, with a taste just like it´s unburnt smell of fresh earth and hashish. I thought it tastred like Lebanese Red hash, mixed with fresh earth, as I barely watched the smoke vining it´s way upwards.It was hash without the bite. Then the stone came on as I took my second hit.My senses suddenly kicked into the hyper space as I became acutely aware of everything. My hearing, my thinking, my senses were all rocketed into Stonesville, which is a different place for everyone of us. Within a minute I reallized I was really stoned I laughed.Shortly after three hits, I started seeing trails, colors, and realized this weed was a psychedelic high too.Lots of colors.and laughs, in a mellow floating state.A weed to bring out your innermost thoughts, to philosophize,about the finer points of life and existence, with those of like mind.
> 
> In 1969, I bought five pounds of Panama Red, which is the most stony weed I have ever smoked, even to this day. When I got back home where the local hippies were used to the $1o.price of an ounce of reg., I knew I couldn´t sell the rusty red weed. First, since it wasn´t green, they wouldn´t believe it was weed. Second, the price would be about four times what they were used to paying for an ounce of reg. weed. I kept telling myself nobody was ready for this rusty weed, which could send anybody, especially these locals to heaven. I knew that if I rolled pinners.it would take me years to smoke all this exotic weed. I figured at least 80 joints to an oz., and I had 80 ozs., and let´s see that´s 6400 joints. I couldn´t take time to do one a day, so I figured maybe 150 a year, and um.it would take me over 42 years to smoke all of this weed. It would loose it´s potency after a year or two. Then the lightbulb came on. I´d roll up about 10 pinners and just give them away. I understood that even my friends could figure out that this was the best weed in the world. After they had smoked this fantastic weed, they would realize how stoned they were, and with the weed rolled up, they wouldn´t know that it wasn´t green!Great idea!I reached into my pocket again as I arrived at the toll on the Golden Gate bridge entering SF,stoned out of my mind. I want you to know something, when I got home that´s exactly what I did. I passed out the pinners and asked my friends just to try it and give me their opinions. They questioned me about the small sized joints, and I said what are you complaining about? it´s free!.Then the phone started ringing with questions like: What was that? Is that laced with acid? That can´t be ordinary weed. Do you have any more? Then I got to tell the story of PR to them.which if ever smiçokeds the real thing, I need not say more.
> MEETING THE SMUGGLER
> On another score trip north,about a month later,I discovered that my connection had moved to Stinson Beach.You might know where he moved if you ever went there.It was the third house back from the beach,it was on the left,the one with the purple door.When the purple door opened I gasped as I thought I saw my dad sitting down counting cash on a coffee table.I realized that it really wasn´t my Dad,but the guy was a dead ringer for my Dad.He had a receding conservative haircut,with brown hair and graying sideburns.Same facial features.My connection introduced him,and for his protection,I´ll just call him Roy.Roy was counting out $40.000.cash,another installment for the fronting of his illegal,precious cargo of PR to my connection.This was alot of money for a weed deal back in 1969,and probably,one of the hundred bags of money picked up by Roy.You figure it out.If he sold his PR for only $120 a pound,times 24.000 pounds he grossed about $2.9 million from his load.Thirty years ago,this money had the purchasing power of about 4 times more than what it would buy today.However,I have no idea what PR would cost today as I have never found it again.I´ve had Colombian Gold,but it´s more of a brown tobacco color.Red is very earthy,rusty color and I haven´t seen any counterfeit stuff offered.I haven´t even seen the seeds offered.The $40.000 Roy was counting out was only a payment for about 300 pounds.Payment for a ton would be $240.000.Don´t forget he had the money for selling the fish too.Roy was a very candid person,treating meas if he´d known me his whole life. He explained the PR saga. He bought a surplus submarine chaser,a 90 footer.He sold most of the military gear and paid for the vessel with money left over:It was a typical government deal where millions were spend to build and outfit the ship,and then it was later sold by peanuts: Roy outfitted it as a fishing boat:he got acrew together and went south:He loaded in 12 tons of PR,and then he and his crew went fishing...got a small fleet of fishing and sailboats together. This fleet was obviously pre-planned.The fleet was a fleet of dealers who went under the Golden Gate Bridge out about 25 miles,and towards the Farallon islands ,where the PR was quickly offloaded onto those smaller boats.One Harbor Master inside the bay was in on it too,so there was a little chance of anybody getting caught.I can´t tell you if it was day or night, foggy or anything about the conditions, but I do know from other smugglers that they use the worst weather conditions for all their activities.If it´s hard for them,it´s hard for the cops to catch them:Roy said he retired off this trip.I grew some plants from the VERY SMALL BROWN SEEDS:The plants had stalks with alternating green and purple vertical lines.The dark green leaves had purple veins:I got tired of wartering them,so I sold the crop where it stood by selling a map with it´s location.My friends nicknamed me Panama red for waking them to this high.There´s been no more P Red,that I´m aware of.If I´m wrong,I´d like to hear your story"



Anybody know if that's still true? I would definitely consider traveling there to get those seeds.


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## John Public

Hello LegendaryGenetics, I had not seen this topic 

I copy/paste my former post + some informations:

I have seeds said to be Panama red circa 1974. It grows pure sativa, 12-16 weeks of flowering, red buds, deep high, particular smell, some may hermie but not too many. The seeds are very small and brown.

Friends did a small planning to try to maintain the line. The seeds they received were from the first generation done in California since 1974. Then they reproduced 12 individuals together in a first step and kept 6 seeds to reproduce them with 19 of the progeny in a second step. The strain was dramatically stable. I have seeds resulting from the cross between the 6 first generation and the 19 second generation. 

This Panama red '74 was also used as parental line by the spanish collective ACE Seeds to breed their Panama strain. But I think they mostly used their Panama green and a modern Panama landrace to do their work. However, some red phenos appear in their line.

This Panama '74 is a great line, with a very interesting high, quite potent. I believe that it is at least an old colombian red line, if not the true Panama red. Always hard to know after all these years 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Some people believe it produces too much for an old school landrace, honestly I don't know. The guy who made the biggest buds in our group has the same effect on all landraces he tried, so I suppose it is just because he is a great grower. 

Here are some pics of the Panama in vegetative stage
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## John Public

And here are some pics of Panama flowers


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## Mutt

absolutely gorgeous. 
Senstive plant to grow? and how were they grown? organic or chem?


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## KGB30

Man I know it's morning time but DAM John Paul you make my lips wet with those ladies.:ccc: :bolt: :headbang2: :bong: :joint: :bongin: :afroweed: :bong1: :afroweed: :lama:


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## John Public

Thank you KGB 

Mutt, there are pics of two grows here: one with 250 MH for veg and 250W HPS for flowering, in a small closet (0.6mx0.9mx1.25m), in commercial soil, with sparse fertilizer (twice in veg, 20-20-20 et three times in flowering, 4-6-6). The other with 250 MH for veg and 430W HPS for flowering, in a medium closet (0.9mx0.9mx1.9m) with similar fertilizer (maybe a bit more) and same kind of soil.

She is not the hardest sativa to grow but is still a sativa, so you've to be careful with fertilizer and with overwatering. For example, the smallest grow was done with tap water at the beginning but soon, they became disturbed by it, had to use mineral water to finish the grow.


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## KGB30

John Public said:
			
		

> Thank you KGB
> 
> Mutt, there are pics of two grows here: one with 250 MH for veg and 250W HPS for flowering, in a small closet (0.6mx0.9mx1.25m), in commercial soil, with sparse fertilizer (twice in veg, 20-20-20 et three times in flowering, 4-6-6). The other with 250 MH for veg and 430W HPS for flowering, in a medium closet (0.9mx0.9mx1.9m) with similar fertilizer (maybe a bit more) and same kind of soil.
> 
> She is not the hardest sativa to grow but is still a sativa, so you've to be careful with fertilizer and with overwatering. For example, the smallest grow was done with tap water at the beginning but soon, they became disturbed by it, had to use mineral water to finish the grow.


 



I've read that Sativas grow better out doors then Indica because Indica does grow better Indoors is this true or not.  

Doesn't Sativas take longer to grow & flower?


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## tcbud

wonderful pics....panama red brings back memories of the early years....that and a post about acapolco gold, then there was the oxacan, then the columbian pushed those three varietys to the background by the beginning eighties, and of course.....sensimillia.. then came on the scene....i remember getting a "lid" of panama red for the premium price of $25 ....that was way more than the usual $10 for a "lid", but if i remember correctly...it was some awesome weed for that time.

maybe i bought some that came under the Golden Gate, cause i was living down there then....in the east bay....in Santana's home town.


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## ChatNoir

That is lovely! I can put it in my living room and watch it and get high!


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## Legendary Genetics

How's the Panama Red smoke? High, taste, smell, potency, etc.


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## lyfr

that was wonderful reading LG.  sounds like i missed it by just a couple years.  i remember hearing stories about it when i was a teen.  it was sort of like a bigfoot legend to us.  over the years ive learned that it was no fantasy...it was def real.   some day i may be so lucky to smoke some!


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## John Public

Legendary Genetics said:
			
		

> How's the Panama Red smoke? High, taste, smell, potency, etc.



Smell is particular, don't know if it is due to the curing method, somewhere between earthy, rotten and fruity. The taste was earthy, smoke was thick. The high is powerful and longlasting. It is great to smoke with friends, and is also interesting alone. First part is like an explosion and second part is like a deep meditation effect. Something like "boooom, pssschchhhhh, waouuuuu, ahahahahahaha" first and then "Lord, was I high, what does it mean?What is this plant?" if it makes sense.  

It is always hard to judge potency, it is so subjective, maybe I just smoked too much of it at a time, but I heard similar reports from friends so....Many long term smokers can not use it all day long as they would with other lines such as thai or jamaican. At least, you always have the deep part of the smoke. Not at all like a sedative strain or an indica, it is a real sativa high, but deep instead of irie like could be an indian, a jamaican or a thai. There is no ceiling in this deep, you can smoke more and you'll go deeper, but be careful, you won't fall asleep and you'll have to take on it ! 

You have understood I like it


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## Legendary Genetics

John Public said:
			
		

> Smell is particular, don't know if it is due to the curing method, somewhere between earthy, rotten and fruity. The taste was earthy, smoke was thick. The high is powerful and longlasting. It is great to smoke with friends, and is also interesting alone. First part is like an explosion and second part is like a deep meditation effect. Something like "boooom, pssschchhhhh, waouuuuu, ahahahahahaha" first and then "Lord, was I high, what does it mean?What is this plant?" if it makes sense.
> 
> It is always hard to judge potency, it is so subjective, maybe I just smoked too much of it at a time, but I heard similar reports from friends so....Many long term smokers can not use it all day long as they would with other lines such as thai or jamaican. At least, you always have the deep part of the smoke. Not at all like a sedative strain or an indica, it is a real sativa high, but deep instead of irie like could be an indian, a jamaican or a thai. There is no ceiling in this deep, you can smoke more and you'll go deeper, but be careful, you won't fall asleep and you'll have to take on it !
> 
> You have understood I like it


 
That sounds amazing. Is it the greatest strain you ever had? Is it better than or on par with Vietnamese Black or African Black Magic in terms of a trippy psychedelic high?


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## John Public

I never grown myself the VB but I have heard a report saying it has some phenotypes that are really crazzy potent ! I don't know better the famous Black Magic African. My experience with African strains is limited to Malawi, Ethiopia, South Africa and also a strain called Dark African (but is not Black Magic), a friend called it Dark because of the dark green foliage and it is most probably a Malawi or a Kenyan. So I can not answer your question ! I don't know people that have grown one of these strains (VB or BMA) and the Panama red '74.

I can't tell if it is the better I had lol I love them all ! I try to find 'chemotypes' of strains and then pick the best I have in each spectra. In the 'deep' department, the Panama red '74 is my best one for sure ! But I love also the 'funkapsychedelicospeedy department' (Indian), the 'roots'n'irie' department (Jamaican), the 'high in the sky' department (Ethiopia and Thai), the 'sedative' department (BSC Colombian gold and Nepal), the 'incense' department (Hawaiian and Dark African), the 'kick up your ***' department (Mexican and Celestial Temple).....

 :holysheep: hehehehehe I love them all, this is like music, when it is good, it is good, whatever the style! :smoke1:


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## Admin

oh very nice pictures. thanks


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## Legendary Genetics

John Public said:
			
		

> I never grown myself the VB but I have heard a report saying it has some phenotypes that are really crazzy potent ! I don't know better the famous Black Magic African. My experience with African strains is limited to Malawi, Ethiopia, South Africa and also a strain called Dark African (but is not Black Magic), a friend called it Dark because of the dark green foliage and it is most probably a Malawi or a Kenyan. So I can not answer your question ! I don't know people that have grown one of these strains (VB or BMA) and the Panama red '74.
> 
> I can't tell if it is the better I had lol I love them all ! I try to find 'chemotypes' of strains and then pick the best I have in each spectra. In the 'deep' department, the Panama red '74 is my best one for sure ! But I love also the 'funkapsychedelicospeedy department' (Indian), the 'roots'n'irie' department (Jamaican), the 'high in the sky' department (Ethiopia and Thai), the 'sedative' department (BSC Colombian gold and Nepal), the 'incense' department (Hawaiian and Dark African), the 'kick up your ***' department (Mexican and Celestial Temple).....
> 
> :holysheep: hehehehehe I love them all, this is like music, when it is good, it is good, whatever the style! :smoke1:



Vietnamese Black usually only shows two phenotypes. The high is scary at first, it takes some getting use to. From what I heard from someone who has smoked both was that Panama Red is a more trippy but a more comfortable enjoyable high. Is what he said about the Panama Red true?


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## tashido

Personally , i live in panama city , There aren't any panama red growers here and panam red Never comes through this area. Good luck finding a "pure" original strain of panama red if you find it let me know I also would love to buy some seeds or clones.


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## Legendary Genetics

Have you tried looking in the foothills to the north of the Panama Canal?


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