Arjan Roskam (born April 4, 1970) is a
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...
entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail beyond the minimal amount of risk (assumed by a traditional business), and potentially involving values besides simply economic ones.
An entreprene ...
, the founder of Green House coffeeshops and co-founder of Green House Seed Company. Roskam is known being part of the team that bred the
Super Lemon Haze cannabis strain by crossing Lemon Skunk with Super Silver Haze.
Roskam is also known as the (self-appointed) "King of Cannabis".
[ Others refer to him as the P.T. Barnum of Cannabis.
]
Green House Seed Company
Together with Scott Blakey, Arjan Roskam co-founded the Green House Seed Company in Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
in 1994 based on the seed collection Sam Skunkman brought with him upon his arrival in the Netherlands in 1984 including Skunk #1, Original Haze, Hindu Kush, Cali-O, Durban Poison, etc. In 1998, Blakey also known as "Shantibaba" sold his share of the company to Roskam, thus making him the sole owner of the firm.
Arjan's Haze #1 won the Cannabis Cup
The ''High Times'' Cannabis Cup is a cannabis festival sponsored by ''High Times'' magazine. The event features judges from around the world who sample and vote for their favorite marijuana varieties, with cups (trophies) being awarded to the ove ...
in 2006. Super Lemon Haze from the firm won the Cannabis Cup in 2008 and 2009.
In media
''Strain Hunters''
In 2008, Roskam started a series of documentaries called ''Strain Hunters'', in which he portrays to seek out rare or vulnerable landraces
A landrace is a domesticated, locally adapted, often traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural environment of agriculture and pastoralism, and due to isolat ...
from around the world.
Roskam fell under public scrutiny since his claims of being involved in working and selecting world-famous Cannabis varieties known as "White Widow" and "Super Silver Haze", as well as his attempts to register trademark patents for popular Cannabis seed varieties. Roskam's claims largely contradict Scott Blakey's life story and work, who is widely believed to be the originator of world renowned varieties such as "White Widow", "Super Silver Haze" and many others.
National Geographic
Roskam appeared on the show ''Drugs, Inc.
''Drugs, Inc.'' is an American documentary style television series on the National Geographic Channel that explores global narcotics production and trafficking. The series features drug dealers, recreational users, and addicts, as well as pro ...
'', in the "Marijuana" Episode, in which he discussed his work in the Cannabis business.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Roskam, Arjan
Living people
Cannabis in the Netherlands
1970 births