Who will pass on the legacies, cultivation methods, and unique eye for genetics possessed by the Emerald Triangle legends we all grew up admiring? Today’s guest is the answer to that question, along with how classic cuts are being properly preserved, showcased, and bred in new ways to excite modern smokers.

Blackleaf is joined in the FSOTD studio by the protege of giants, Leo Stone of Aficionado Seeds to divulge spicy unheard stories about his experience going AWOL from Army Intelligence to pursue the plant, being mentored by OG Mike, how he got involved with Mike and Eddy Lepp’s dispo in San Diego, how Leo got the real Lemon Diesel and Purple Urkle, when Cherry Pie Kush cuts were selling for $500k a pop, Kevin Jodrey’s impact after setting up HPRC in Arcata, when Leo got his hands on his first 160 acres in Mendo, and so much more.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to grow up in a military family, and still have an unquenchable thirst to be involved with the plant, this episode is for you. Leo will detail growing up on base in Japan and how hard it was to get a bag of weed, as well as when he made his decision to go into Army Intelligence, and the moment he got busted for having weed at his residence on base, going AWOL, and eventually getting put on by OG Mike in SD, solidifying his lifer-status in the budding industry.

For any cigar smokers out there, Leo will go into deep detail on his former affinity for premium stogies that used to charm him into many important rooms and get him seats at life-changing tables during his military years. This same deep understanding and appreciation of cigars was one of the driving factors in creating Aficionado Seeds, tailor-made for connoisseur 🍃smokers. The brand also pioneered luxury genetics by introducing highly sought-after strains like Black Lime Reserve and Chemdog Special Reserve. Combined with luxury packaging, it’s no surprise Aficionado has won multiple High Times Cups in the past.

Numerous other names of interest are mentioned throughout this podcast by both Blackleaf and Leo, including the legend of Mandlebrat, the controversy surrounding Rez Dog, Leo’s first SeedsHereNow drop, how the G6 Jet Fuel strain came around, and the origins of the EU Aficionado French Connection seed brand, as well as his budding Aficionado Colombia project. You might even see Leo gift Blackleaf an authentic Colombian farmer’s scarf from his people down South.

It’s literally impossible to detail every noteworthy story contained within this episode. If you were a fan of our Kevin Jodrey pod, you can’t miss a single story from one of his main disciples. If you’re also curious about how things really went down in Mendo and Humboldt back in the day, you’ll be on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Search Aficionado Humboldt online to see what they’re currently cooking up.

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We’ve talked about OG before, but never to this extent. For everyone out there who thinks the classic Kush varieties have long since disappeared—think again. Today’s guest is about to prove how far you can go when you hunker down on what you know and stand your ground on the impact and importance of OG in today’s industry.

Blackleaf is joined in the FSOTD studio by the mysterious legend himself, Mike from KushCo., to discuss all things surrounding OG genetics, as well as what it’s like having some of your protegees surpass you in the industry, being a diehard HPS guy, and slowly integrating LEDs, and how the original KushCo. OG cut came from Wonderbrett, the story behind the Sour Power strain, and the problems with today’s industry, from the dispensaries to the taxation, and so much more.

If you’ve ever wondered the backstory on a wide number of iconic OGs, you can’t miss a minute of this pod. Mike really dives deep into the lore for so many strains that it’s almost worth taking notes. You’ll hear him talk about some of his early work with DNA Genetics, and how the Kosher Kush and Skywalker OG strains are actually the same cut. He may even reminisce on the Original Glue that he used to put out with his people called “King Kong Glue,” citing it as the one that got away.

The main topic surrounding this entire pod is the return of the Gas and overall demand for Kush varieties once again in the legal market. Blackleaf asks Mike several questions such as why he stuck to his guns growing OG for so many years, how he responds to others trying to get his original cuts these days, why he hasn’t done an out-of-state licensing deal yet, and the extra intensive labor and experience required to even hit a dialed-in run with some of his staples like Sour Sage OG, which they’re coincidentally phasing out of their lineup for a more modern take.

For those who are still asking, “What happened to OG in California?” This episode is your definitive answer. While many wiped their rooms to make room for candy, Runtz, and LCG-inspired strains, Mike kept cranking the same strains that he came up loving, that he knew everyone would come back to again in due time…and that time is now. Blackleaf heralds KushCo.’s flower throughout this episode as the most frequently gifted to him when someone says he needs to smoke some “real gas,” or “real OG.”

If you are a passionate grower or commercial cultivator looking for inspiration, we can’t recommend this episode enough. Mike perfectly illustrates how big you can go when you never break stride from what YOU like to grow and what YOU like to smoke. You’ll even hear him discuss how to carefully build out your partnerships, too, so that everyone can keep doing what they love. Tap in and hear Mike’s full story before he ducks back into his massive grow to continue pumping out pure heat.

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This is the episode you’ve been waiting for, with possibly one of our most highly-requested guests, talking about the dirt, grime, poor legislation, break-ins, and incredibly tough decisions of the industry that no one else has the cajones to say with their chest, let alone on camera. Grab your popcorn for this one.

Blackleaf sits down in the FSOTD studio with the Elliot Lewis, the notoriously outspoken CEO of Catalyst Co, a vertically integrated operation with over 33+ dispensaries statewide, plus a consumption lounge, who also produce a slew of in-house brands, to get down to the nitty gritty of the Glass House Farms fiasco, where industry tax money REALLY goes, getting raided multiple times by the DCC, the prominence of dirty or poisonous products at smoke shops/trap shops, receiving death threats, owning 25% of Cali Plug, why Elliot has his CCW and stays strapped, and so much more.

If you thought you knew the whole story with Glass House Farms dating back to Elliot’s initial lawsuit against them, buckle up, because we really get into the entire debacle from start to finish. Elliot dives into deep detail about his inherent issues with Glass Houses’s operations, segwaying into assertions that 90% of Black Market products come from the legal market, and for those like Glass House that’ve claimed clean noses throughout, and to be caught red-handed back-dooring product…their behavior only damages the playing field on both sides.

You might be thinking this is just another episode with a very vocal guest, but Elliot goes so much further than rocking the boat. You’ll hear him talk about the real efforts he’s been making with his team to lobby for change at the legislative level in California, his “tax strike,” and how he found a loophole that enabled him to potentially save millions on his taxes, much to the dismay of the DCC.

On top of all the crazy stories that Elliot lets loose during this pod, there’s also multiple conversations about what might happen when big money enters the industry and how many players may sell and exit, how our tax money goes straight into the pockets of politicians and super PACs, where all the homeless and fire relief money has ACTUALLY gone in CA, and how he hopes that someday the people will put the right individuals in position, but if it’s up to the current powers-that-be, nothing will ever change in terms of taxation, safe banking, and general profitability and longevity in the space.

If you’ve ever wondered the full story on how Catalyst came into prominence, the partnership between Caleb at Connected and Elliot, how brands grew with them as they expanded locations, the grocery store model that have to implement these days to protect margins, as well as what it really takes to get your brand on their shelves, you have to sit through to the end to truly soak up all of Elliot’s game and candid responses.

It’s almost impossible to detail every vital knowledge-drop, never-before-heard background story, and tokens of wisdom that Elliot lets loose throughout this extended episode. By the end, you’ll understand why his slogan, “Weed for the people,” is basically tatted on his chest. If you’ve ever felt like it’s impossible to build an empire in the industry off honesty, grit, and never once “selling out,” you can’t miss a minute of this pod with one of California’s most resilient retail operators.

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We don’t talk about the consumer enough. So, we had to bring back two iconic guests whose entire reason to smoke is for the sake of the customer’s delight. These two are on the hunt for perfection in terms of smokeability, and have been developing the craziest glass tips to try and find it, as well as pitting the best-of-the-best across the nation (and globe) against each other to uncover the truth.

Blackleaf is joined once again in the FSOTD studio by Adam Pain and Paul Christmon of Proper Doinks to bring the discussion back to what’s actually smoking, as well as their upcoming $10,000 cash prize competition we’re involved in (1st round against Good Pizzza!), when colorful flower and purple bud infected California and became the standard, Alien Labs vs. Connected flower quality, collaborating with B-Real, HPS producing more fire than LEDs, the timely return of Gas varieties, and so much more.

Adam and Paul are back with a stack of hot takes that’ll surely fire up the comment section and get people talking about what matters—the smoke! A big topic that comes up again is the quality of flower that comes from a curator versus a cultivator, and how the best form of curator is also a cultivator, which Adam firmly stands on business about yet again.

The big debate gains deeper levels in this pod when the discussion about spraying latent flower arises, as well as black ash continuing to be a tell-tale sign of bad smoke. Adam and Paul even go into detail on how they break it to growers when their flower that looks great and has an incredible nose still isn’t smoking right. Drip Hydro is mentioned multiple times as a time-honored solution for providing your plants proper, clean nutrients that translates to delicious smoke.

Aside from all the fire brands that are mentioned all the way from Redding to Arizona and beyond, the Proper Doinks crew is insanely busy. You’ll hear them detail a neverending content schedule they adhere to, grinding out 2-3 videos a day nearly 7 days a week, constantly trying new strains, and the struggles of keeping the engine running with a baby on the way. Not to mention the issues creators in the industry face in terms of monetization and censorship.

If you’ve been wondering if glass tips really make joints taste and smoke better, or what adding a million holes to the tip really does for the smoke, this is a great episode for you. If you love competition, look no further, @properdoinkstv on IG is one of the best places to tune in daily and ask yourself #buthowdoesitsmoke?!

Needless to say, the Proper Doinks guys are connoisseur-grade rollers. Watch to the end and see how you might be smoking a perfectly rolled joint wrong, find out what an “improper doink” is, and then scope our recent Art of Rolling Series featuring the Proper Doinks crew. Head over to properselections.com to lay your eyes on the best glass tips and smoking accessories in the game.

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If you feel like you haven’t heard enough about the ins and outs of herb law, you’re in luck, because we had to bring back one of the most pivotal younger figures in the world of California ca**abis legal representation to chop it up about some of his biggest horror stories and dive deeper into his litigation lore.

Blackleaf is joined in the FSOTD studio once again by Chris Hickok, aka “Alien At Law,” to further uncork the mysteries and hurdles of operating legally today, some of the legal myths still believed by old-school cultivators, the laundry list of culture-shaping brands that Chris represents, the biggest crash-outs he’s seen between business partners, the craziest ways he’s seen a license get pulled, the importance of having the break-up talk before signing contracts, and so much more.

For the uninitiated, Chris Hickok is an attorney based in California who co-founded HK Law and serves as Chief of Legal Compliance at Primary Growth Partners (PGP), where he specializes in boutique regulatory and corporate counsel for 🍃 operators. He has handled over 200 state and local cannabis license applications and previously practiced at Shevin Law Group, a leading Southern California herb law firm.

Chris’s clients are definitely a topic of interest during this pod. You’ll find out he’s the current legal counsel for brands like Your Highness, Broken Promises, Smoken Promises, Terphogz, Alien Labs, Connected, The TenCo, Seed Junky Genetics, and many, many, many more. By the end of this episode, you 100% lose count of all the industry legends this guy represents in California.

One of the other biggest topics that comes up during this interview is building original IP in the 🍃industry, the dangers of it potentially appealing to children, as well as the regularly occurring trademark infringements across the traditional and legal herb markets. At one point, Chris even weighs in on the Glass House situation, as well as the dangers of posting any type of trapper content on social media or online, especially if your mylars are ripping off trademarked characters from Disney, Nickelodeon, or the like.

If you’re looking for insight into the ways that herb businesses can go horribly awry when you’re using someone else’s name on a license, even if it’s your sibling, and some scary stories about that other person coming in and taking over your business, sit tight. Chris tells all in this juicy pod where he eventually points out the biggest red flags you should look for when investing in a cultivation or retail herb business.

There’s truly so much your average industry member doesn’t understand about covering their ass legally, and that’s why conversations with legendary lawyers like Chris matter, because he was there fresh out of passing his Bar Exam at the cups in SoCal in 2016 onward, meeting the need for legal represensation very early on for young players that just need someone that they can trust. Strap in for the full pod and take notes, and consider reaching out for a consultation via @alienatlaw on IG.

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We’re still striking where the iron is hot in the culture right now with another well-connected and well-respected figure from the Michigan scene, this time to discuss a controversial topic amongst cultivators of all sizes—the utilization (or underutilization) of beneficial predatory bugs, especially in indoor grow spaces.

Blackleaf is joined in the FSOTD studio by Nick Zimmer, founder of Plantsman Group, a company breaking the stigma daily on the beneficial bugs needed to keep your grow in a state of utter homeostasis without having to use hardly any chemical pesticides. And don’t worry, the topic of whether you can run a grow chemical and pesticide-free with just beneficial bugs does come up.

Our host seriously came with his list of questions this time, certifiably, as no stone is left unturned in terms of topics surrounding ideal cycles for adding beneficial bugs and when to remove them, whether bugs really poop in the buds, best practices so you’re not burning your crop in week 5 or 6, the history of the legacy market in Michigan, using bugs with DWC, dealing with aphids, utilizing nematodes to solve fungus gnat issues, the beneficial bug starter pack, and so much more.

For those unaware of the credentials surrounding Nick and Plantsman, here are the cliffnotes. Plantsman Group is a Michigan‑based company offering organic pest‑management solutions tailored for 🍃 cultivators. Founded in 2022 by Nick Zimmer, the company focuses on integrating beneficial insects and preventative care rather than relying on chemical pesticides.

Nick Zimmer, a Michigan State University horticulture graduate, transitioned from conventional ornamental growing to pioneering biology‑based integrated pest management in cannabis cultivation, which you’ll hear all about during the pod. Besides the endless free game that is dropped, Nick’s life story will also have you 100% tuned in. He aims to eliminate pesticides across grow facilities by replacing synthetic sprays with natural predators, delivering both products and hands‑on consultation to growers of all sizes.

Some of the best parts of this pod are when Nick is regaling our host with his best horror stories from the massive array of grow operations he’s consulted for and helped bring back to pest-free. We’re talking enormous spider mite outbreaks, aphid infestations, and more. One of the other overarching points Nick makes during this conversation is that Plantsman is focused on helping each individual who comes to them tailor-make a solution using their library of predatory bugs. Nick emphasizes reaching out via their site or social media to get a direct response on troubleshooting your issue.

Blackleaf begins this episode by asserting that too many growers deal with bug issues, some big, some small, and they all refuse to look into beneficial predatory bugs. But, who doesn’t want to produce the cleanest, most pesticide-free bud possible…right? Hopefully, by the end, you’ll feel a little more inclined to bang Plantsman’s line to see if you can get some further enlightenment and (maybe) finally get rid of those pesky thrips.

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Whoever says that Michigan doesn’t have the fire is about to be proven wrong. Today’s guest is a keeper not only of insane Prop 215 lore, but also one of the real-deal pioneers of the medical and recreational scene in MI, actively setting the standard for A-1 smoke and the right way to get it into the hands of the people 7 days of the week.

Blackleaf is joined back in the FSOTD studio by the legend himself, Andrew Thomas, of Exclusive Brands, to discuss the late 90s and early 2000s, bouncing around LA and visiting places like the iconic dab bar at Kind Meds, as well as Michigan’s claims to fame in terms of Chem, OG, and Gas genetics, the prominence of customers driving in from border states like Ohio and Illinois to get MI prices and premium flower options, as well as the future of the industry in terms of interstate commerce, and safe, traditional banking, marketing access, and so much more.

For those unaware, Exclusive Brands is a vertically-integrated retailer with (currently) seven shops running across the state including in Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Monroe, Muskegon, Lowell, Coldwater, Lapeer, and Gaylord. Their portfolio includes their in-house labels like Concentrate Kings, Strain Kings, Terpene Tanks, Magic Edibles, and more, offering a full range of products from flower and vapes to edibles and concentrates. Exclusive emphasizes quality and transparency with lab-tested products and educates consumers through rewards, weekly deals, and (most importantly) knowledgeable and attentive staff, with an expansive line of merchandise and in-house product.

You’ll also get to hear about how they became the first in the state to get the licensing to manufacture and distribute major California stables like Kushy Punch. And even the story about how Andrew's partner eventually even acquisitioning the Kushy Punch brand after it had a very public legal fallout. We’re not joking when we say that this episode is JUICY in terms of free game and crazy stories surrounding partnerships, trapping, building the dream team, expanding into 5+ shops, and how to keep a lid on it with an almost religious connection to customer service paired with aggressively competitive prices.

From producing mixtapes with The Game and countless other hip-hop legends as a teenager to diving headfirst into California’s early Prop 215 days to absorb the culture, set up shop, trap it out, and then bring all the knowledge back to Michigan the minute Medical hit, it’s almost impossible not to learn something valuable from this conversation with Andrew if you’re a hustler or even just a passionate fan of the plant. Hit the play button, kick back until the end, and you’ll thank us later. Visit Exclusivemi.com to learn more about everything you’re missing out on in the Michigan scene.

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The FSOTD team is back abroad in Germany for Mary Jane Berlin with this special episode featuring one of the most well-connected and well-respected OGs in the scene, waist-deep in the culture, and deeply embedded in the past, present, and future of the medical, and hopefully someday, recreational herb industry in Deutschland.

Blackleaf sits down at the Weekend Club next to Alexanderplatz in Berlin with the legend himself, Massoud Mahgoli of The Kraut Company, and former Bloomwell Group board member, to discuss the politics of the 🍃medical market and overall herb industry in Germany, as well as the strict drug policies across Europe, the shifting focus toward Germany as a new cultural hub for innovators of the plant, Berlin’s reception to the massive Mary Jane expo the past few years, helping to bring Doja Pak into the market, chopping it up with Biggie Smalls’ son, and so much more.

Massoud Mahgoli currently drives strategic growth and innovation in the burgeoning medical 🍃market across Germany for The Kraut Co. He previously served as a board member of the Bloomwell Group, contributing to its development and industry influence by helping to bring in key players from overseas (like Doja) in terms of genetics and cultivation styles. Massoud brings a blend of startup energy and corporate insight to his leadership roles that your typical Chads could never remotely imitate.

Despite the under hourlong length, don’t be fooled, there are countless gems tucked into this episode. You’ll hear Massoud predict the future of legalization in Germany, as well as make plenty of bold claims including that Germany has (perhaps) recently taken the torch in terms of driving the culture forward, but Spain never really had it to begin with.

Massoud also goes into detail about the long history of technological innovation that Germany has been responsible for, and that although they may not have the cultivation space to become the next mecca, they surely can become the next biggest hub for creating what’s next in the space, and breeding innovation that will become the new norm. You’ll hear him highlight the Up In Smoke Cup that he co-founded last year, which wound up acting as a startup accelerator for the medical industry in the wake of last year’s Mary Jane Berlin.

Countless inspiration is contained within this pod, and by the end, you’ll understand the storied role that cannabis has played in Germany, and how change is happening before our very eyes, with the potential for legalization looking brighter than ever. Keep your eyes peeled on The Kraut Company for setting the standard of what Deutschland’s herb culture will become.

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