When Justin Clapick, owner and cultivator at Florekulture, told Oregon Leaf he had not one but two phenos of Skunk that were “like a time machine back to the ’80s,” we were ready to hop in the DeLorean of dank — all the way back to their Skunk No. 1 origins.
Clapick co-founded Deschutes Growery back in the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program days, and the brand quickly became known for its futuristic, planet-forward production policies, like solar-powered facilities, and fine flower. These days, his Florekulture operations remain intentionally smaller than his last project to stay “hands-on with every stage,” from genetics to soil building, harvesting and curing.
“I personally handle every part except trimming, which I leave to a small trusted crew,” Clapick explained.
This allows him to focus on finding his favorite flavors and preserving those he sees slipping away.
“Skunk is foundational to modern Cannabis. A lot of current breeding has moved away from those original expressions in favor of sweeter and more uniform profiles,” he said. “I wanted to go back to the source and work with the genetics as they originally showed up, before some of those traits were selected out over time.”
If you’re a relatively new flower fan, it’s hard to explain some of the traits he’s talking about, as the market has slowly shifted to favor fruit followers.
“What stands out is how much of that original Skunk chemistry is still present. The thiols and sulfur-forward compounds that defined the early Skunk lines are something you do not often see preserved in modern Cannabis,” Clapick shared.
And it’s true. There’s a pleasantly pungent profile present that caters to a more adventurous palate. The ’81 Skunk settles with more sourness to it — an acidic, ammonia-like offering that slaps a satisfying rot right in your nose. The ’79 brings a brightness. The first flicker of flavor is almost mistakeable for something sweet, but spark up again, and you’ll catch the putrid perfumes of Pepé Le Pew.
florekulture.com | @florekulture
This article was originally published in the August 2026 issue of California Leaf.
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