MY CANNABIS AND HASHISH STORY

The Dank Duchess is a multifaceted artist who has chosen Cannabis and Hashish as her latest focus.  A storyteller focused on Hashish, she massages words into intense narratives with all of the robustness and nuance of her hand rolled balls of cannabis resin. As a consummate educator, she adheres strongly to the motto, “Each one, teach one.”

The Dank Duchess applies her 17 years of  cannabis growing experience, priceless mentorship under Master Hashmaker Frenchy Cannoli, and fierce commitment to her art to fully immerse herself in the global cannabis industry; sharing insights, techniques, and innovations with growers and hashmakers around the world.

With dozens of feature length Hashish stories, how-to videos, public appearances, and Hashish education modules to her credit, The Dank Duchess has become an internationally recognized Hashish authority in 5 short years. Initially a cultivator, she has blossomed into a Hashish storyteller, maker, and media personality.  Her distinct writing style, crafting intimate scenes that viscerally invoke the sights, smells, and effects of everything she relates, has graced magazines and books; including Weed World UK, Skunk Magazine, Cannabis Now, and anthologies by Ed Rosenthal.

Thoroughly enjoying being in front of the camera, Duchess has appeared on VICELAND’s “Bong Appétit,” (Seasons 1 & 3) as both a Hashmaker and celebrity judge, and filmed educational and entertainment segments for Greenflower Media. She has filmed hours of free tutorials; amassing on Instagram and YouTube almost 2 million watched minutes about her Hashmaking technique called The Duch Touch.

Duchess has served as a judge for prestigious international competitions such as The Monsters Cup, Terp Tower International, and Masters of Rosin in Barcelona and Copa Mexico in Mexico.  

She currently provides Hashish consultation and education services to small and large farms both in the United States and abroad. Duchess recently taught hashmaking in Mexico City and San Miguel de Allende as part of an education tour.  She brought “The Duch Touch” back to California in the Spring and her hands-on teaching style has been well received by her inexperienced and professional students alike.

Duchess has applied her communication skills to a growing interest in public speaking.  She was a featured speaker at the 2019 Sprint Plant Medicine Conference in Vancouver. She also served as a moderator for a panel highlighting the emerging voices of women of color in the psychedelic arena.  At the 2019 Emerald Cup, she joined other women growers and producers on the panel titled “Not Your Mama’s Cannabis.”  

Constantly filming, her camera takes it all in as her attention to media representation never wanes. Hundreds of images of her high end Hashish have titillated the senses of novices and connoisseurs alike as her discerning standard of aesthetics is always on display.  Using social media, she urges people to take control of their personal healing by encouraging them to grow their own weed, make their own hash, and never stop believing in the health, beauty, and wellness that cannabis has to offer.

Cannabis is essential to her existence and with her dedication to an All Weed Everything lifestyle she has found a way to integrate it completely into her life.  In her words, “My niche is Hashish. And cannabis flower fuels my power.“

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In the beginning…

Growing up, using cannabis never crossed my mind.  I grew up reciting Nancy Reagan’s ‘Just Say No’ mantra and I stuck to it for 23 years.  Once the veil of ignorance about the true properties of the herb were revealed, I threw all reservations to the wind and sought to learn as much as I could.

Throughout my life, I have been an artist in some shape or form. From the age of 8 through my mid teens, I performed professionally with several dance troupes.  From the age of 9 to the present day, I have played the steelpans with legendary groups and arrangers.  In college I took up web and graphic design, teaching myself how to create visual works of art that effectively conveyed my clients’ ideas. I attended grad school, pursuing a Masters in Landscape Architecture.  It was during this time that I gained a more holistic appreciation for art and design as extensions of the human condition.  Unfortunately Landscape Architecture was not what I really longed to do.

Rather, I wanted to simply make people happy.  Far too often we carry around our burdens as if there is wonderful nobility in endless suffering.  Mindful of the extreme stress Miami residents faced, I helped build one of the most superb on-location massage companies in Miami Beach. As the Creative Director of Love Life Massage, I used my eye for clean and polished design to fine tune our marketing materials, website, and overall image.  Working with 5 Star hotels, their concierges, and handling their discerning clientele gave me a first hand lesson in fine service and sophistication.

Life was good, but still something was missing.  For all of the joys I experienced in the 13 years of living in Miami (with 8 of them being in the heart of South Beach), my life lacked the freedom to enjoy cannabis with no apologies.  I resented what I saw as undue limitations to my happiness.  I began eyeing the West Coast in 2013; when High Times had their first legal Cannabis Cups in Denver and Seattle.  While I was in those legal areas, a sense of calm and peace replaced my borderline paranoia.  I realized that my quality of life would be much improved if we moved West.  I would not have a career lined up for myself, but entrepreneurial fire had burned within me for the 14+ years, so I made the leap figuring I could handle the worst that could happen.

In late 2013, I attended Oaksterdam University to get a better feel of the cannabis industry.  Then, in early 2014, over the course of  a two week internship, I learned CO₂ concentrate production in Seattle.  Working in a lab was intriguing, but I just couldn’t get over how dreary was the weather.  So we settled on California, and in Oakland to be exact, as their laws would allow me to grow many more plants than other municipalities.  I had no intention of becoming a full-time farmer, however. Translating our acquired knowledge to a full-fledged career seemed risky. Finding a “job” was also proving fruitless, but I remained buoyed.  Less than 2 months after having moved across the country, a fortuitous meeting with Hash Master Frenchy Cannoli led to an invitation to write about Hashish for Weed World Magazine.  Citing my need to truly understand the process, Frenchy poured his 40 years of experience into teaching me how to make powerful medicine to positively change people’s lives.

Creating Hashish from the wondrous Cannabis plant is my latest artistic endeavor.  I put all of my love, care, and intensity into each hash creation.  I learn from everyone I meet; even the BHO lovers 😉.  I look forward to innovating new methods to produce the best medicine.  Within this cannabis community, with our very diverse backgrounds, our opportunities for growth through collaboration are endless.  What an exciting time to be alive, full of vigor, and in the mix!