DJ Short

DJ Short — born Daniel John Short — is one of the most influential cannabis breeders in history, and the man responsible for Blueberry, a strain whose genetics have shaped the modern cannabis landscape more profoundly than almost any other single cultivar. Working out of Oregon from the late 1970s through the 1980s, Short developed his breeding philosophy at a time when the craft was both illegal and largely undocumented — operating with a small closet grow and an exceptional eye for quality. Short began cultivating in the mid-1970s, motivated partly by personal use and partly by his mother's and girlfriend's medical needs. He started with pure Sativas, but found the available Indicas of the era too narcotic for his taste. His goal was a hybrid that preserved the cerebral uplift and complex aromas of old Thai and Oaxacan genetics while gaining the manageable size and faster flowering of Afghani crosses. Working in a 16-square-foot closet, he produced what would become Blueberry — a landmark achievement first stabilised around 1979-1981 that remains one of the most awarded and widely propagated cannabis varieties ever created. Today, Short notes that virtually any strain with "blue" or "berry" in the name traces its lineage to his original Oregon work. His company DJ Genetics continues to operate, releasing seeds through select retailers for growers interested in owning a piece of cannabis breeding history.