Frenchy Cannoli: A Hash Hero's Legacy

This week, the worldwide cannabis community mourns a legend. Master hash maker, educator, influencer, activist, and cannabis pioneer Frenchy Cannoli died at age 64 on July 18th, 2021 due to complications from surgery. PotGuide is here to celebrate the incredible life of this central and influential figure in the world of hashish and concentrates in general.

Born and raised in Nice, France, Frenchy Cannoli developed a passion for travel and hashish that would plot the course for the rest of his life. His curiosity sparked by the imported hashish he experienced in the late 1960s, he left home as soon as he was able to learn more about hash’s cultivation and processing

Frenchy Cannolis' travels taught him about hash cultivation from all over the world. photo credit

As Frenchy’s Brand recounts, for the next 20 years Frenchy lived as a hashish-making nomad. He stayed with master hashish makers all over the world, from Pakistan to Morocco to Mexico, to learn the traditional techniques honed across generations. This included a long stint in India’s Parvati Valley, one of the epicenters of cannabis production. Frenchy lived in caves for eight growing seasons as he harvested cannabis resin alongside the locals, learning from them and perfecting the art of hashish production.

After the passing of the 1996 Passionate Use Act in California, which legalized medical cannabis, Frenchy moved to the United States with his family. Thanks to the passage of this law allowing legal cultivation, Frenchy had the freedom to collaborate with other cultivators and further his passion, while also educating others on hashish production.

Working with the legendary growers of Northern California’s Emerald Triangle (Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity counties), Frenchy was able to experiment and perfect the art of hashish production. He merged the traditional techniques he’d learned during his two decades of wandering with modern technologies. His concentrates were soon heralded as some of the best in the world. 

Frenchy was not selfish about his techniques. His wildly popular “The Lost Art of Hashish” seminars taught other cultivators, processors, and cannabis consumers how to become master hash makers. He also ran a Youtube channel that taught how to master the art of hashish production. At his passing, his Youtube channel has 44,200 subscribers and his Instagram feed has 193,000 followers.

Frenchy’s writing was published widely. He wrote articles and essays for cannabis magazines all over the world, including Extraction Magazine, Weed World, Skunk, and Dolce Vita. At the time of his death, he was working on a book about the history of hashish cultivation.

Frenchy Cannoli's dedication to hashish has greatly influenced the concreate world we know today. photo credit

He had also completed a docu-series titled Frenchy Dreams of Hashish, which showcased his partnership with some of the best cannabis growers in the Emerald Triangle, their dedication to producing quality product, and their journey through California’s legalization push in 2018. More information is available on his website.

Throughout his life, Frenchy maintained a high standard for both the hashish he consumed and the hashish he created. Due to his dedication to the art of hashish making, he pushed to develop hashish grading standards and regional growing certifications. Much like wine production, these would classify and clarify where the hashish was grown and produced. This would inform the customer of all the benefits and characteristics that cannabis grown in those specific regions entail.

Frenchy’s impact on the worldwide cannabis community is hard to understate. His lifetime dedication to the art of hashish making and his unselfish drive to share everything he had learned made him a fixture in the community. He took hashish to a higher standard that will only improve thanks to his contributions. He was also remembered as a warm, giving person by everyone who met him, including the next generation of hashish masters.

What are your impressions of Frenchy Cannoli and his impact on the world of hash?

Photo Credit: @realms.manifest (license)