Quebec Cannabis Seeds sells two kinds of seeds, and we think you should be able to tell them apart at a glance. QCS Originals are our own genetics. Classic lines are established cultivars that we have produced for us by specialist partners. Both ship from Quebec, both come with free seeds, and both are covered by the same delivery and 80% germination guarantees.

QCS Originals: bred by our founder

Our 89 original strains are bred by Trent LaPierre, who founded QCS in 2015 after more than thirty years of growing and breeding in Quebec. Trent designs each cross, chooses the parent plants, sets the selection criteria and decides which phenotypes are kept and which are culled, generation after generation.

The physical work of a breeding program — growing out hundreds of plants, pollinating, collecting and testing seed — takes space that a single facility does not have. That work is done by local partner breeders who grow to Trent's brief and under his supervision; he visits the grows regularly through each cycle. The genetics, the decisions and the responsibility are his. That is what we mean when we say a strain is bred by QCS. You will find these strains in the QCS Originals category, and every one carries a Bred by QCS mark on its page. Our free seeds come from this program too.

For the thinking behind the program — what we select for in a short northern season and why — see the QCS breeding program.

Classic lines: produced by specialist partners

White Widow, Northern Lights, OG Kush, Blue Dream and the other well-known cultivars in our catalogue are not strains anyone in Canada invented, and we do not pretend otherwise. We have them produced for us by partners whose work we know first-hand:

• AlphaType, an international cannabis genetics company with operations in Seattle, Basel and Bogotá, whose seed is sold under a number of seed-bank brands around the world. We chose them for the consistency of their production, and we say so openly because we would rather you hear it from us.
• A small number of local breeders who produce specific lines for us to our standards, and whom Trent visits regularly.

Every classic line is sold under the same guarantee as our originals. If a pack falls short of 80% germination, we replace it; if you receive the wrong pack, we re-mail it and you keep the first one.

Why not breed everything ourselves?

Because we would rather do 89 strains properly than 370 badly. A breeding program that selects honestly over several generations is slow work; spreading it across hundreds of cultivars would mean selecting none of them well. Our originals get that attention. For the classics, growers mostly want the known strain, grown true and germinating reliably, at a fair price — and that is what a specialist producer delivers.

How to tell which is which

• Strain pages of our originals show a Bred by QCS badge at the top, next to the other at-a-glance badges.
• The QCS Originals category lists only our own genetics.
• If a page does not carry the badge, it is a classic line produced by a partner.

Frequently asked questions

Is Quebec Cannabis Seeds a breeder or a reseller?

Both, and we label which is which. Our 89 originals are bred by our founder through a supervised breeding program; our classic lines are produced for us by specialist partners, including AlphaType.

Who is AlphaType?

An international cannabis genetics company (Seattle, Basel, Bogotá) that produces seed sold under many seed-bank brands. They produce most of our classic lines.

Are the originals bred at your own facility?

The crosses, parent selection and phenotype selection are our founder's; the grow-outs take place at local partner facilities that work to his brief and that he visits regularly through each cycle.

Are free seeds originals or classics?

Free seeds are our own QCS genetics.

Does the guarantee differ between the two?

No. Delivery and 80% germination are guaranteed on every pack, original or classic.