Hi All
the thing people forget is all things are handed down or collected from generation to generation , even in the origins of the land races. Still to this day in places like Morocco, India and Afghanistan the families cultivating cannabis for hashish use heirloom natural selected seeds...well that is until the commercial seed producers began selling seed to these areas and changing the face of production.
So Sam , Nevil, Rob, etc....all began by starting with seeds someone else had worked on but maybe had not stabilized. Like myself i also went to out of the way areas to collect land races but these all varied from valley to valley already...like certain hashish production reflected. Therefore at best we are hands of nature ...nothing more.
The problem is usual character of the person doing this work and those continuing this work...as we see today.
Now add to the equation new techniques and all of a sudden many companies no longer have male plants, or really know the origins of the original seed lines but still can replicate and direct genetic outcomes.
It is best not to listen too much to the white noise surrounding those who brought things into the public eye, but to concentrate on the seed you have and do the best selection you can with it.
As Nevil always said once a person takes a companies seed and inbreeds it 4 times it is already a long way from what it was original depending upon the traits a breeder is selecting for.
Pay little attention to the people stories and more to the seed is my advice.
All the best Sb