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Ontario Cannabis Fieldnotes: Meet the genetics fanatic
Capulator — MAC creator and genetics fanatic — and Blizza Brands’ Volo are in a long-distance relationship, but their shared dedication to the plant allows them to create consistent craft cannabis.
The origin story of Volo, from Blizza Brands, is equal parts determination and legend. Volo blossomed from a mutual passion for cannabis genetics between the Ontario grower and Capulator, a California-based seasoned expert and creator of the renowned MAC strain. Revered for the seeds he produces, Cap has nearly 30 years of experience growing cannabis, which all began with a teenage interest in hydroponics.
From strawberries to cannabis
Hydroponics — producing plants in nutrient-rich water instead of soil — sparked Capulator’s interest in growing. Taking inspiration from a system created by a gardening enthusiast he stumbled across online, teenage Capulator outfitted his backyard shed with a homemade air-cooled reflector, 400-watt metal halide lights and a nutrient film technique gutter system. The first plants Capulator grew were strawberries, and both the efficiency of the process and harvest results sold him on hydroponics for life.
Later experiences with growing cannabis inspired Capulator to cultivate his own plants. His expertise in hydroponic food production made for an easy transition, and he acquired clones of several classic strains, including Northern Lights, Skunk #1, Big Bud, Hawgsbreath and Jack Herer.
As most legends go, the rest of Cap’s story is full of botanical miracles and mishaps. But his eventual interest in phenotyping grew in the late ’90s when he came across some bagseed, which are seeds found among cannabis buds that have been fertilized due to accidental pollination, environmental stress or a hermaphroditic female plant. Many popular cultivars — including the birth of MAC — and a fruitful connection with Canadian Licensed Producer Blizza Brands and Volo grew from there.
What is a phenotype?
In cannabis cultivation, the phenotype of a plant refers to the physical traits drawn from its genetic makeup (or genotype). These traits can include:
- shape, structure and size
- smell and taste
- colour
- potency
- resilience to growing environment
The process of identifying these traits is called pheno-hunting.
An international connection
The collab between Volo and Capulator started in 2021 at the Emerald Cup. It was at that year’s California cannabis competition that their shared visions of bringing craft cannabis to the Canadian market sparked a connection.
“His focus on terpene profiles showcased a blend of artistic expertise and genuine passion for the plant,” says Kevin Lam, vice-president, commercial strategy and operations at Blizza Brands. “Capulator’s breeding processes, driven by a desire to offer truly memorable cannabis experiences, resonate with enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike. His dedication to quality and innovation, along with being the creator of MAC, left a lasting impression.”
A recipe for cultivating success
Capulator’s long career as both a hobby and commercial grower has given him deep intuition when it comes to selecting cultivars. Instead of using marker-assisted breeding, which selects genetics based on set specific molecular traits, he has a lengthy list of attributes for assessing cultivar success: effects, smell and taste, bag appeal, rate of growth, yield, resistance to pests, ease of pruning and trimming, structure and even hash-making ability. If the plant doesn’t check all his boxes, he won’t pursue it further.
This means you won’t catch him being a “THC chaser” either. Capulator explains: “Judging flower based on THC percentage is silly at best. We have plants that test at 15% with 1.5% terps that smell amazing — and smoke even better.”
Bringing California to Canada
Beyond genetics, replicating Cap’s California-level cannabis in a cooler Canadian environment is no small feat. Founded in 2021 and nestled in London, Ont., Blizza Brands' climate-controlled indoor facility spans almost 10,000 square feet of spaces specialized for the stages of cultivation and processing, including one propagation room, one veg room, five flowering rooms, two drying rooms and two processing rooms. A handmade finish is important to the company’s craft: Each bud is hand-trimmed to ensure the trichomes are left untouched and packaged in glass jars for optimal preservation.
At the OCS, we define craft cannabis as dried flower that’s been hang-dried, hand-trimmed, hand-packaged and grown in a small-batch facility that produces less than 10,000 kg of dried cannabis a year.
Of all Capulator’s highly sought-after cultivars, Volo chose to first produce Cap Junky x Jealousy and MAC V2. “We were keen to showcase MAC, a beloved cultivar that has captivated enthusiasts for the past few years,” Lam says.
The brand’s latest release is Marshmallow Milk. “Visually, it is striking," Lam says. “The nose is incredible. On the vine it smells like a bowl of milk, full of [cereal] marshmallows that you saved for last by eating all the bready pieces first. Once cured, it moves to a lime and gas mixture that is hard to put into words.”
Growing the family tree
What’s next for Volo and Capulator? Expect some strong citrus profiles among the newest descendants, says Lam. “Coolio #18 is a cross of Cap Junky and Caps Frozen Oranges. This flavour is straight orange oil, not like a Tangie at all. Like twisting an orange peel and letting the zest spray you in the face.” Also look out for Commando #17 — another sativa-like cultivar that reeks of lemon and lime, with a hint of cheese, he says. Its lineage is composed of MAC, Orange Apricot and Super Lemon Haze.
Cap has noticed California's current cannabis trends are all about “candy, purple and gas,” but what he really seeks out are the rarer finds. “I focus on original stuff I haven’t seen before. I am looking for that plant that surprises you, the one that gets you excited even if you have been doing this for 30 years," he says. “I keep my horse blinders on, trying not to be influenced by market trends, and instead just do what I love — and perhaps make a trend instead of trying to follow one.”
