The Masters Collection: An Introduction to Underground Grower

There are few names bigger in Thai Cannabis than Underground Grower. Underground Grower’s superior flowers, inclusive of Emergen-C 34 and Sticky Jasmine (Underground Grower’s own genetics), have been featured and celebrated throughout Thailand for their unique flavors and high quality. His name has been associated with the Local Grower’s Club (supported by Sukhumweed Industries) and his flowers have only been available at the most discerning shops in Thailand, such as the Sukhumweed and Ganjana in Bangkok and Thai Top Shelf in Chiang Mai.

I met Underground Grower while on a family holiday in Kanchanaburi at the Lowland Coffee Shop and Dispensary, a sister shop to Bangkok’s Ganjana. Lowland is a laid back and cozy dispensary attached to Pizza Oil, an American Eatery, and Duangdee Restaurant, which also features live music. The vibe is comfortable, chill, welcoming and familiar. The cannabis found in the shop is amongst the best curated in Thailand with an array of Underground Grower’s flowers readily available.

We sat down and chatted over a craft soda and beautifully rolled joint of Super Saiyan #7: Underground Grower’s own exclusive cross breed. When asked about his creation he explained, “Super Saiyan #7 was specifically bred for the purpose of work. It is an energetic sativa, with a bright head high designed to allow the user to focus and enjoy daily tasks and work. This is a strain specifically designed for my daily work of growing and developing cannabis. It is my wake and bake bud.” Indeed, Super Saiyan #7 was all those things and more, energetic but also chill enough to allow me to chill, relax and chat while my family ran around the dispensary.

Custom mylars – EmergenC and Flap Jack

Thailand is now beginning to see a new generation of growers who are showcasing their flowers with their first harvests and different levels of success. In contrast, Underground Grower has been at the game for almost two decades and is part of the elite group of growers who have cemented their reputation. “My family has been growing and in the cannabis trade for multiple generations and I spent 10 years learning from them in the Netherlands. I returned to Thailand 7 years ago and have been working on developing cannabis and my own skills as a grower ever since. During the pre-legalization and the medicinal legalization era I was learning and developing with many of the big names now in the industry: T-Rex, Canis Major, and the other growers behind the Local Grower’s Club and Ganjana. I came up with them, I learned with and from them, they are very close to me. We were working together—working with universities—working with farmers—to develop are own skills and support Thai cannabis. We worked with Shovel, focusing on organic compost mixtures, focusing on clean, correct, and safe methods of growing. We were able to work on high quality cannabis which was then shared with everyone for the benefit of the industry. But as we got closer to legalization, I was also able to start working on perfecting my own growing and breeding techniques. In general, it takes about a year before I am satisfied enough to select the right phenotype to release its buds to the public. Every strain, every drop takes a lot of work and patience before I think it is ready to be smoked.”

“I was born and raised in Kanchanaburi and this is where I feel comfortable and have set up my growing facilities. It is critical for me that my cannabis is grown both in Thailand but also localized here at home in Kanchanaburi. We have been working for the last year on new strains which we will be releasing soon: first Gas Bucket and soon after Rainbow Belt. These are not my own genetics, but I am very proud of the product and think that everyone will enjoy the results.”

When asked about his establishment as a household name within the Thai cannabis community and with his celebrity reaching outside Thailand’s borders, Underground Grower’s responded, “For me this all about Thailand and supporting Thailand and our growers and community. We have champions of the Thai cannabis who are helping to establish and make us sustainable. If people come to Thailand and they have heard of me, or Canis Major, or Sukhumweed then this is great for all of us. After being quiet for a long time we were able to establish ourselves very quickly—but it takes years and years to develop. We still have the expertise to fall back on. We were able to work together. We still will work together. But Thai cannabis is what should be celebrated. If people talk and appreciate any Thai growers, they are appreciating Thai cannabis, they are supporting the community, they are supporting Thailand. This is what its all about—building Thai cannabis.”

Cannabis is an art, a science, a discipline, a way of life. The pure consumer, such as your dedicated writer, has the luxury of sitting back, lighting up, enjoying, and judging a particular bud. But there is no luxury behind growing. Superior cannabis is the product of blood, sweat, tears, failure, patience, perseverance, and dedication. There is no shortcut. There is no overnight success. Elite growers, like Underground Grower, developed excellence by investing their very beings into their flowers, into their art. We at HighThailand are proud to be introduced to Underground Grower’s buds and to get to know the man behind the flowers and the name. He is unique, his flowers are unique and they cannot be compared to anything else. Underground Grower, and his elite brethren, deserve their celebrity, they deserve their names and fame. We, the Thai cannabis community, will all benefit from such success. As our elite growers become more and more internationally recognized—the name of Thai cannabis will become more legitimized, more appreciated and more valuable.