Illinois News Joint is pleased to partner with D.C. Seed Exchange (along with other businesses) on the early stages of a project to help build a support system that offers needed recourses for Illinoisans who want to legally grow their own medicine but may not otherwise have the means.

Illinois News Joints strongly shares D.C. Seed Exchange’s beliefs in supporting and prioritizing veterans, persons with disabilities, and care providers in need.

D.C. Seed Exchange is a small independent seed bank focused on rare and exotic genetics.

D.C. Seed Exchange image

Established in 2015, D.C. Seed Exchange’s mission had been to build a virtual trading space that features genetics from the best breeders in North America as well as highlight local talent from the Mid-Atlantic region.

“We are totally self-funded and have no corporate backing and prefer to work with breeders who share the same ethos,” said D.C. Seed Exchange founder, who goes by Paul N. Chucker.

Chucker learned to grow cannabis in Southern California under Prop. 215 law (the 99 plant rule).

“I’ve always been interested in genetics,” he said. “In 2001, I moved to D.C., and in 2015, I was part of a group bidding for a cultivation license in Maryland. We ended up ranked 19, an alternate, out of over 150 applications. Not bad for a bunch of folks with no corporate backing.”

As part of that process, he began seriously collecting what he hoped would be the backbone of his breeder program. At the time, very few seed banks existed and even fewer on the East Coast.

“My mission was to bring the highest quality genetics to the Mid-Atlantic region while highlighting local breeders working in our Ag zone or similar Ag zones,” he said. “I believe seeds bred in the area you are growing will always be better acclimated than seeds bred from across the country or globe.”

D.C. Seed Exchange photo

Since 2015, D.C. Seed Exchange has successfully fulfilled more than 25,000 orders and continues to grow.

D.C. Seed Exchange does not work with untested breeders or seed banks that only produce first generation strains and works only with breeders who have stabilized genetics that produce results generation after generation.

Having lived and worked overseas in conflict and post-conflict zones before establishing D.C. Seed Exchange, Chucker takes supporting our veterans very seriously.

Along with supporting veterans with suited souvenir genetics, D.C. Seed Exchange partnered with Armor Down to provide veterans with Tactical Meditation Cushions.

D.C. Seed Exchange photo

D.C. Seed Exchange can be found on Instagram at @dcseedexchange.

If you are a business related to the Illinois cannabis industry and want to joint our efforts to support veterans, persons with disabilities, care providers, and others in need, or if you are an Illinois medical patient in need, please contact Illinois News Joint for more information.