Hashish legend Frenchy Cannoli passes away.
Renowned hashish and cannabis concentrate expert, teacher and activist Frenchy Cannoli has sadly passed away aged 64, on July 18th. His death was an unexpected result of surgery complications. The news was broken to the community on Instagram by his wife, Kimberly.
Cannoli is best known in the cannabis community for being a unique character and for his superior skill set in making high-quality hashish. Cannoli was pretty much the authority when it came to cannabis concentrates and their history and was highly respected for his knowledge and abilities.
Born in 1956, Cannoli grew up in Nice, France and was no stranger to imported hashish commonly available in the region during the late 1960s. A true free spirit, Cannoli lived as a nomad for over 20 years. He travelled widely to Morocco, Mexico, Nepal and Pakistan, learning ancient hashish techniques. Eventually, Cannoli ended up in India and spent eight growing seasons living in a cave and harvesting cannabis resin with the Parvati Valley Cultivators.
When Cannoli did settle down, it was in California where cannabis was being recognised for its medical benefits and where he could make concentrates legally.
Eager to pass on his skills to a new generation, his "Lost Art of the Hashishin" seminars inspired and upskilled many aspiring hash makers and helped keep the traditional artisan process alive. Cannoli also posted his techniques on youtube, amassing a following of 174,000 on Instagram.
As well as passing his knowledge on Cannoli was also a prolific advocate for the cannabis community, promoting post-legalisation education and developing grading standards for hashish quality. Cannoli was a big supporter of the idea of regional growing certifications for cannabis production, inspired by "appellation d'origine contrôlée", a set of rules used to protect Bordeaux wines' integrity. Cannoli was well known for likening his hashish techniques to those of winemaking.
A 7 part TV series, "Frenchy Dreams of Hashish," was developed by Cannoli and filmmaker Jake Remington and gave us a great insight into the challenges faced by small California farms in the wake of legalisation. The docu-series showcases Frenchy's partnership with connoisseur, award-winning cannabis farmers in the "Emerald Triangle" region. It follows their journey through legalisation together in 2018 and their strong ethos of "quality above all else."
Thanks to Frenchy and his life's work, the authentic methods of hash making will live on for new generations thanks to his students and proteges. He definitely will be missed by the cannabis community, but his legacy will most definitely remain.
You can find out more about Frenchy Cannoli, his life and work at Frenchycannoli.com
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Liz Filmer
