7ACRES is a Canadian cannabis brand that was created in 2013 and since its inception has remained synonymous with quality people and quality weed. Acquired by Canopy Growth in 2021, the 7ACRES team and brand, based in Kincardine, Ontario, blooms because of Melanie Carruthers, 7ACRES Master Grower, and her incredible team of subject matter experts.
“7ACRES flower is grown by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts,” says Carruthers, who graduated with a BA in political science and an urban forestry degree before she began her career with 7ACRES in 2017. “Growing premium flower with consistent high quality is what we do best.”
Carruthers has risen up the ranks at 7ACRES and her passion for the product shines through in how she describes each of the strains her team grows. “I’m a fan of the harvest, of the seeds, of the flower, and when there was the opportunity to grow plants in my hometown—cannabis plants, which I love—it was almost too good to be true,” she says, “Almost five years later, I still feel the same way.”
We asked Carruthers to take us through 7ACRES’ most loved strains and we learned a lot about what goes into each gram she grows.
7ACRES Papaya
Carruthers says that entering the grow room for 7ACRES Papaya is like taking a trip to the tropics. “When it’s minus-20 in Bruce County, we pop into the grow room and take a mini-vacation,” says Carruthers with a laugh, mentioning the guava and citrus notes that emanate from the 7ACRES Papaya. “Papaya is a light green bud densely coated with milky trichomes that produces the best pungent, sweet and fruity aromas,” says Caruthers, who tells us Papaya is a cross of Citral #3 and Ice #2. “Our flower has to express the best possible look, smell and taste, which is why we conduct intensive phenotype hunts from seed to find the best expression of every cultivar we release,” she says. “I truly believe the fruit of our labour on Papaya is beautiful.”
7ACRES Wappa 49
Terpy and dank, Wappa 49 is a lot of things—including bold, beautiful and a smooth smoke. “Wappa is a personal favourite of mine,” says Carruthers, adding that it’s amongst the most challenging cultivars for her to grow. Because of its height and internodal spacing, Wappa 49 is a grower’s Everest—right up until she buds.
“It has such beautiful buds,” says Carruthers, mentioning that Wappa 49 is pungent, and in-your-face. “We believe all cannabis should look like Wappa 49.”
7ACRES Jack Haze
If the 7ACRES strains were amalgamated into a magazine, Jack Haze would be the centrefold. “Just great bud structure,” says Carruthers of Jack Haze, a tribute strain to the legendary cannabis activist Jack Herer, author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes, which famously took down America’s brutalist drug laws. Jack Haze—sweet, hazy, sativa-dominant—has spicy undertones.
“In a market that’s ever-changing, it’s nice to see quality stand the test of time,” says Carruthers, adding that Jack Haze is her Saturday morning go-to before heading into the forest on a long winter hike. “Beautiful cannabis I believe will always be resistant to trends.”
7ACRES Jean Guy
Jean Guy, pictured below, has immediate jar appeal. “When you twist open the jar, people always say, ‘Wow, can you smell that?’ She grows consistently with very strong potency,” Carruthers says, mentioning that the Jean Guy notes—citrus and wood—are bountiful and unique.
“It’s just unmistakable when you harvest Jean Guy—from the smell to the look of the buds to the terpenes. We call her ‘Stable Mable,’ because she won’t let us down.”
There’s something else Carruthers mentions when discussing Jean Guy, and that’s her team. Many of the 7ACRES growers live in the area and have been with the company for years. It’s a family behind the 7ACRES brand. “In a continuously evolving industry, I’m proud of the team we’ve built and their unwavering commitment to excellence,” Carruthers says. “We have a really strong culture and make every effort to ensure each harvest is celebrated and is greater than the last.”
7ACRES Sensi Star
Sensi Star is an award-winning indica strain that people have come to count on from 7ACRES. “It has high THC and complex lemon, pepper and fuel aromas,” gushes Carruthers, adding that it’s her Saturday-afternoon, post-hike, couch hang-out strain for time spent vibing with her dog. Sensi is arguably the most popular strain in the 7ACRES stable.
“It’s probably something we’ve grown the most of,” says Carruthers. “It definitely has a very high, even international, demand (which makes sense because it’s fire).”
7ACRES Craft Collective
In addition to the 7ACRES core strains, 7ACRES is proud to work across the country with craft growers through its 7ACRES Craft Collective brand and craft grow program. “It’s so exciting to work with the best small-batch growers across Canada on ultra-premium, hand-selected strains,” says Carruthers, adding that Jet Fuel Cookies, their newest drop, is a cross of Orange Cookies and Jet Fuel Gelato, with dark purple and blue buds caked in trichomes. “We know that premium cannabis consumers are very discerning – for them, quality is king, and variety is what keeps them looking for the next best thing,” says Carruthers. “Through the Craft Collective, we’re able to bring consumers a number of limited-drop strains so that they can sample a wide variety of premium flower strains.”
“Cannabis production is a tight-knit community across Canada and we love working with great small-batch producers who share the same respect for the plant,” says Carruthers. “I love what I do and love who we work with in an industry full of passionate growers – I can’t wait to see what the next five years brings.”
Photograph of Carruthers by Jess Rosner.
