Ben Dronkers
Ben Dronkers is an entrepreneur and the founder of Sensi Seeds, the world's largest producer of cannabis seeds, and most extensive seed bank. Dronkers also established the Dutch hemp fiber company Hempflax, the Netherlands’ main producer of hemp, and is on the Board of Foundation for the Cannabis College.[1]
Early life
Dronkers was born in 1949, in Rotterdam. In 1963, he became a merchant seaman for the Holland America Line.[2] During this time, he visited numerous different countries and started collecting cannabis seeds. This extensive collection, sourced from parts of Asia and India, is now highly regarded.[3]
Career
Sensi Seeds (or Sensi Seed Bank) is based in Amsterdam, and markets cannabis seeds. It is also the world's largest cannabis seed producer[4] with the world's largest cannabis seedbank.[5] Ben Dronkers founded Sensi Seeds in 1985,[6] after purchasing The Seed Bank from Schoenmakers.[7]
The company has won two Cannabis Cups for their strains; firstly for NL5 x Haze (1993), then for Jack Herer (1994). The business is located in Nijmegen, in a building referred to as the "Cannabis Castle". The facility contains the mother plants for all of the varieties sold by Sensi Seeds. In 1998, Alan Dronkers claimed that “some of the mother plants are over 20 years old.”[8]
In 1985, Dronkers founded the Hash, Marihuana & Hemp Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.[9][10] The museum contains an exhibition showcasing the history of cannabis, and information regarding its medicinal benefits. It also details the advantages of hemp fiber (compared to cotton).[11]
- HempFlax
Hempflax was founded in 1993 in Oude Pekela,[12] and is the largest producer of hemp fiber in the Netherlands.[13] Hempflax products include building insulation, fibers for use in the textile industry, and door panels for automobile manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes, Bentley and Jaguar.[14] In 2012, Hempflax expanded to Romania and became the largest farmer in the country.[15]
In 2012, Dronkers opened the Hemp Museum Gallery in Barcelona, Spain. The museum is a subsidiary of the Hash, Marihuana & Hemp Museum. It is located in Mornau, a historic Renaissance palace. Sir Richard Branson, the CEO of Virgin Atlantic Airlines, attended the grand opening.[16]
In literature
- Preston, Brian (2002). Pot Planet: Adventures in Global Marijuana Culture. Grove Press. ISBN 978-0-8021-3897-2. Search this book on
References
- ↑ "Un petit empire qui vit de la graine de cannabis". La Libre Belgique (in français). 29 April 2013.
- ↑ Duin, Roelf Jan (18 August 2018). "Hennep is het gewas dat de mensheid gaat redden". Het Parool (in Nederlands).
- ↑ "'Preservation Is Our Duty': An Interview With Cannabis Giant Sensi Seeds". Leafly. 19 April 2018.
- ↑ Schulz, Ole (25 September 1998). "Süßlich duftende Leckereien aus dem Raubtierkäfig". Die Tageszeitung (in Deutsch). p. 14.
- ↑ "Zapfhähne raus, Joints rein". Spiegel Online.
- ↑ Cadenbach, Christoph (31 October 2013). "Ein Berliner Cannabiszüchter gewährt Einblicke in sein Geschäft" (in Deutsch). Süddeutsche Zeitung.
- ↑ "Marijuana's magic bean men". america.aljazeera.com.
- ↑ "Eerst met de bus en dan delen hofdames de wiet uit". de Volkskrant (in Nederlands). 29 November 1994.
- ↑ Jessop, Tara. "The Hash, Marihuana & Hemp Museum In Barcelona". Culture Trip.
- ↑ Khaddari, Raounak (25 June 2019). "Amsterdam heeft nu een tweede museum rond de hennepplant". Het Parool (in Nederlands).
- ↑ "Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum". Time Out (magazine).
- ↑ Dinther, Mac van (19 August 2016). "Hij teelde vezelhennep, en wordt nu verdacht van drugsproductie". de Volkskrant (in Nederlands).
- ↑ "Cânepa, abandonată de români, aduce bani buni olandezilor. La Sebeş se produce fibră pentru Mercedes, BMW şi Bugatti". Economica.net (in Romanian). 7 October 2016.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
- ↑ Barreiro, Ramiro (1 September 2017). "Podrían haberlo previsto, no vemos solución". El País (in español).
- ↑ "HempFlax at 25: Building on a legacy of innovation". HempToday. 18 July 2019.
- ↑ "Opening museum in Barcelona". Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum. 14 June 2015.
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