The use of cannabis was not appreciated by commanding officers, but was more tolerable than the alternatives. While punishable by law, cannabis use was often ignored by leaders to keep their men mellow and focused, as well as defuse social tension in the group. The other drugs of choice, alcohol and heroin, are much more debilitating. Later on, widespread cannabis use helped form the pacifist movement within the military that helped end the Vietnam War altogether.

The picture above shows a classic landrace Vietnamese sativa in the Hoà ng Liên Son Mountains of northwestern Vietnam. Her tall and lanky nature make her a difficult strain for indoor cultivation, but even worse is her flowering time: up to 26 weeks! Vietnamese Sativa is very similar to landrace Thai strains that have been popular for decades. This insanely long flowering period is also the reason our Royal Thai regular seed line is a cross with Skunk #1, bringing the 20+ week flowering time down to about 12.
All in all cannabis played a significant role in the Vietnam War, and is one of the few good things that troops brought back home. As cannabis enthousiasts that try to look on the bright side, we’re glad we had a chance to become familiar with the beautiful cannabis strains South-East Asia has to offer!!!