It was the early ’90s, and a Grateful Dead concert brought 18-year-old Gregory Krzanowski to Deer Creek, Indiana.
A lucky encounter with fellow Deadheads, Mike “P-Bud” Nee and Joe Brand, led to Krzanowski receiving weed that was so good, his life changed forever.
Nee claimed that after smoking the stuff, you’d roll over like a dog. So, he simply referred to it as Dogbud. But because of its loud, nearly chemical-like flavor, Brand called it Chem. Pungent and nearly mind-bending, this was a strain Krzanowski could not leave behind, saving the numbers of his new friends on an index card.
A Massachusetts native, Krzanowski returned to his apartment in Northampton. Soon after, he had an ounce of his own. Remarkably, he found 13 seeds, three of which blossomed into the early versions of Chemdog; Chemdawg 91, Chem D, and Chem’s Sister.
He kept them alive in his closet, unaware of the road ahead. Loud, sticky and tangy, Chemdog and its phenotypes became an instant crowd-pleaser among cannabis breeders; particularly Skunk VA, who had been given a cutting of Chemdawg 91 from a friend in 1995.
Sometime in the early 2000s, Krzanowski lost the original cutting of his Chemdawg 91 plant and struck a deal with Skunk VA. Krzanowski gave Skunk VA a cut of Chem’s sister in return for a cut of Chemdawg 91, allowing Krzanowski to preserve the original genetics of his work.
Like so many other legendary cannabis strains before it, both the creation and preservation of Chemdog paved the way for the creation of many beloved cannabis strains. Because of Chemdog, cult-classic strains like Sour Diesel and GMO Cookies were born.
But in 2011, Krzanowski’s grow operation was seized by federal agents, changing the trajectory of his life in the blink of an eye. While Krzanowski was arrested, he narrowly avoided prison time. He was sentenced to three years of probation and a $2,500 fine. After forfeiting $300,000, pleading guilty to money laundering and federal distribution, Krzanowski laid low; spending his time blowing glass pipes to earn money for himself and his family.
Thanks to Massachusetts’ social equity program, which works to help people impacted by the prohibition of cannabis, Krzanowski was able to get a job in the cannabis industry. He currently works as the director of cultivation for Canna Provisions in Massachusetts, where he oversees his line of craft cannabis, Smash Hits.
Chemdog functions as a fossil of cannabis culture in a way; an emblem of fated friendships, cherished memories, and a dedication to preservation.
Krzanowski’s story, with its many twists and turns, is deeply indicative of the dramatic shifts the cannabis industry has experienced in recent years. A creation that initially landed Krzanowski in hot water with the federal government, is now legally sold in dispensaries across the nation.
