Frenchy Cannoli. Photo pulled from Emerald Magazine’s October 2018 edition.
On Sunday, July 18th, cannabis industry advocate and hash-making legend, Frenchy Cannoli, died unexpectedly due to complications from surgery.
The announcement was made by his wife, Kimberly, on social media on July 19th. He was 64.
Post from @frenchycannoli on Instagram.
Nomad, Family man and Master Hash-Maker
Cannoli was born in Nice, France on December 13th, 1956. According to his biography on his website, he left home as soon as possible to travel the world and learn how to make hash.
“He lived nomadically for over twenty years, staying with traditional [hash] producers and learning techniques handed down over generations,” his biography states. “This took him from Morocco to Mexico, to Nepal, Pakistan, and India, where he spent eight growing seasons living in caves and harvesting cannabis resin with Parvati Valley cultivators.”
Cannoli later settled with family in California, “where early medical access laws let him go from hiding his life’s work to producing legal cannabis concentrates,” the website states.
The expertise he developed throughout his life led him to become known as a master hash-maker. He unabashedly shared his traditional processes with the global audiences through The Lost Art of Hashish seminars, on his YouTube channel, and more.
Before his death, he worked on hash-grading standards; created a docu-series about the effects of legalization on cannabis operators; and also completed a book about the history of concentrates.
Planting the Seeds to “Inspire a Whole Generation”
Cannoli’s travels, parenthood, and his role teaching others about hash were the highlights, his wife, Kimberly, explained in the announcement.
“I cannot begin to express how much meaning and joy his interactions with all of you brought him. He truly cherished this unexpected evolution of the latter part of his life,” she wrote in reference to the cannabis community.
Post from @theemeraldmagazine on Instagram.
Cannoli’s influence reached all corners of the cannabis industry. Many industry members expressed shock, but stated that his legacy lives on.
Post from @thtcclothing on Instagram.
Rachelle Gordon, cannabis and psychedelics journalist, described him as an “icon, legend, trailblazer,” she told Emerald by email. “But above all else, he was a beautiful soul. Despite his enormous popularity, he always made you feel like you were the only one in the room. Even when I interviewed him, Frenchy would take the time to ask how I was doing and what I thought about the subjects we discussed.”
“Every interaction we had was so special and while he may be gone from this world, he will never be forgotten,” she said.
Post from @staygold612 on Instagram.
In 2018, Frenchy and Kimberly told Emerald that they were honored to work with the plant openly.
“Our work is like making wine. […] We want to plant the seeds to inspire a whole generation of artisanal hashmakers that are focused obsessively on creating the best traditional hashish they can make. We strive to pass on the traditions that were given to us, clueless youths all those years ago. Through the use of water and other modern techniques, we’ve been able to create some great smoke, and we are sure that […] students of our workshop are going to carry on the tradition and take it even further in the pursuit of perfection.”
Post from @theemeraldmagazine on Instagram.
bless him father bless him mother