First Smoke of The Day

For all the real fans of A-1 smoke, we invite you to try and keep your eyes on our three guests, who line the headstashes of connoisseurs across the nation, as the haze thickens to a dense fog by the end of the pod.Blackleaf is joined in the studio by the real underground kings of tippity-top-shelf genetics from California all the way to New York and beyond, Dustin, Urban Buddha, and The Commission of Watson Supply to discuss all things “actually smoking,” along with stories like trapping out an apartment in the Mission with a double-decker, the current state of the industry, brand building in this day and age, the mythical selection process and soil medium preferences that have brought them winners, and so much more.You’ll hear Dustin delve into his journey with cultivation in NorCal that’s led him to cranking some of the best small-batch herb anyone’s seen these days, building the dream team with Buddha and Commission, and even consulting to referral-based clientele about how to not only maximize and optimize, but also ensure quality. Dustin proudly claims during this pod that he doesn’t mind giving away the sauce or teaching people how to grow because he believes he can “give you the Jedi handbook, but that doesn’t make you Luke Skywalker.”Another prominent topic throughout the episode is hunting the best genetics, the process of selecting them, and then creating the most unique and diverse artwork and designs to house the most fire herb imaginable. Dustin and the team will tell the story of their popular Cold Heat strain and how they finally mastered Z and believe that cuts of that caliber are like a Merlot, and deserve to be showcased by a number of different breeders to highlight subtle, yet incredible nuances. Countless other invaluable topics come up in this episode for anyone who’s currently building, or considering building, a brand in the industry. Dustin, Buddha, and Commission cover a range of questions from Blackleaf such as what defines a “keeper,” the importance of white ash, how to decide mylars vs glass for your artisanal small-batch bud, the best ways to move from the trap into the legal market, and if purpleness even matters these days if you have the right genetics.This conversation contains not only a treasure trove of insight into demanding quality over everything, but also just how much a room gets foggy when four heavy smokers are in the room. Blackleaf specifically goes crazy over their Tropical Depression strain in this pod, which combines Z with Triangle Kush. Discover all of the fire strains contained within this episode and hit @watson.supply with a follow on IG to see all of the heat they’re cooking up and keep your eyes peeled for their goods appearing on the shelves of your local legal shop soon.Subscribe to our channel and the FSOTD.com site to keep up with other key players and enjoy conversations with trailblazers from the culture you can’t find anywhere else.

3rd Gen Family: Zkittlez Story, Iconic Terps, Ego Clash Tradition, Breeding WinnersIf you’ve ever wondered what it would’ve been like to be a teenager during the height of Prop 215, living in the Emerald Triangle running and gunning with legends like Jack Herer and Eddy Lepp, you can’t miss a minute of the conversation with this guest.Blackleaf is joined in the studio by none other than Brandon of 3rd Gen Family Farms, Terp Hogz, Moonshine Melts, Dying Breed Seeds, and more to discuss growing up in the right place at the right time in terms of the evolution of the culture, the legend and legacies of Gas Station Bob, Overall Dave, and OGCookieMonster415, as well as his take on the creation of Original Z, the events that led to creating Ego Clash, arguably the world’s premier hash competition, and where the market is currently at with predictions of the future.Brandon is not only one of the most outspoken guests we’ve ever had, but he is also one of the fortunate few who grew up around and learned firsthand from a lot of the legends we worship today. Originally born in LA, Brandon will unravel the story of his journey back to NorCal to his family’s roots, to become a 3rd generation legacy farmer, with his mom first connecting him to Eddy Lepp and Jack Herer who lived down the street.You’ll hear Brandon recall helping Eddy and Jack run their medical programs, selling whole plants to patients after they tied red ribbons around them back in veg, even advertising in the back of High Times magazine. You know, the good times.The real lore that comes to life in this pod is that of Gas Station Bob. Many have heard of this mythical figure responsible for world-famous varieties like Original Z and Rozé. Brandon dives deep into who this man is, his contributions to cultivation and breeding, and how strongly he wants nothing to do with the public eye. Among the rambunctious recollections of his past, Brandon also highlights his stake in hash making. Back when the game was rife with nothing but BHO hounds, Brandon was pushing solventless like a madman, even sweeping cups (much to the dismay of others.) He will also explain his stance on the origins of Original Z, how he believes it’s a descendant of Key Lime Pie, and how he’s able to visually identify real Z off the rip, and that many stopped competing in competitions once he stepped in. These events led him to create Ego Clash, the world’s biggest hash competition that takes place in California and Barcelona.Crazy stories aside, Brandon lets loose a slurry of bold claims in this podcast, such as the assertion that he created Runtz, the medical vibes are dead, and if he had taken over one of Connected’s early facilities there’d be no Alien Labs, and that a price surge in packs is coming, and he needs to be the one to form a high council of industry leaders to standardize quality and pricing.Love him or hate him, Brandon from 3rd Gen Family Farms is a “lifer” in this industry who’s earned his legendary status over and over again, even selling untrimmed pounds of Z to Berner for $4k once upon a time. If you’re a true fan of the industry and stories surrounding the plant, you will either be in stitches or on the edge of your seat for this entire episode. Tune in and try not to get your feelings hurt!Subscribe to our channel and the FSOTD.com site to keep up with other key players and enjoy conversations with trailblazers from the culture you can’t find anywhere else.

Hemper: Unboxing of Hemper, Classic to Custom, Building a Smokers BusinessIf you’ve ever wondered what it takes to bring a product like a glass piece or accessory from an idea to the manufacturing line and scale it to 20k+ orders, this episode is for you.Blackleaf is joined in the studio by the young legends behind the Hemper brand, Bryan (founder,) and Thai (lead designer,) to discuss their steady growth alongside the industry for the past decade, their wins vs losses in terms of dropping a new piece and accessories every single month for years, how market demand drove them into taking over the cone industry on a side hustle turned overseas pre-roll empire, and of course, all of the crazy stories in between.For the uninitiated, Hemper is an herb accessory brand known for its high-quality smoking products, including glass b0ngs, rolling trays, and subscription boxes. The company was founded in 2015 with the goal of delivering curated smoking essentials directly to consumers. Hemper collaborates with artists and influencers to create innovative, limited-edition designs that appeal to both casual and experienced smokers. The brand has grown significantly, becoming a go-to source for affordable and stylish smoking accessories.The story of how Bryan essentially graduated from college on the East Coast while simultaneously building the dream team to scale Hemper is one that you truly can’t miss. You’ll also hear about Thai’s background working with Hypebeast and Karmaloop on countless creative endeavors from creative design to music videos and more before Karmaloop’s imminent demise and bankruptcy around the time Diddy got involved.A name of interest that comes up in this pod is Rama Mayo, an entrepreneur and visionary known for his significant contributions to the herb and music industries. He co-founded Hall of Flowers, a premier herb trade show, and Green Street, an herb brand agency. Before his ventures with the plant, Mayo spent 15 years in the music industry, working with renowned artists such as Jimmy Eat World, The Hives, and At the Drive-In, and co-founded the record label Big Wheel Recreation. You’ll hear about Rama reaching out to Bryan only 15 months into the business running, insisting they come to Los Angeles to live in the same building as him and run their operation at the Green Street building. Bryan divulges crazy stories surrounding their time at Green Street and running with Rama, meeting essentially every key player in the LA scene pre-2020. One of the biggest topics of conversation in this episode is easily product manufacturing and merchandising. Thai and Bryan weigh in on a number of topics surrounding deciding which glass pieces and accessories to mass produce in the thousands to tens of thousands, doing all their CAD design in-house, which ideas are even worth pursuing, and what goes into developing a full product line for an MSO. The true gem of this pod is when Bryan and Thai talk about their cone side business that’s driven them to set up shop in India. Getting in during a cone shortage around 2017-18, they were able to rapidly scale their factories overseas to now own and operate over a dozen. Bryan will divulge exactly how they were able to meet crazy demand in the millions and presently produce around 30-40% of the world’s pre-roll cones.Any aspiring entrepreneur who loves the plant should sit down for this inspirational episode about how you can build massive empires in this industry without ever having to grow, trim, or cure anything.Subscribe to our channel and the FSOTD.com site to keep up with other key players and enjoy conversations with trailblazers from the culture you can’t find anywhere else.

Dan’s Rollin Up: Luxury Cannabis Rolls, Hash Hole Artistry & Japanese CraftsmanshipThe term “professional roller” is thrown around a lot these days by people in the industry, but today’s guest is almost the textbook definition.Blackleaf is blessed in the studio by the presence of the man with the magic fingers, Dan aka @dansrollinup, to discuss the evolution of his connoisseur curation brand that brings together the utmost premium A-1 flower with the dabber’s dream headstash of rosin, along with how important maintaining quality control is, some of the incredible cultivators and hashmakers Dan is fortunate to work with, what it’s like visiting Japan on a regular basis, and some of the best places to grub down around LA.Dan goes in deep on his storied career with the plant and all the different hats he’s worn that have brought him here today, as he will say, to his third iteration of branding himself. Now 37, Dan talks about his decades of experience cultivating, extracting, moving packs, and eventually discovering his gift for rolling the most beautiful donuts you’ve ever seen in your life. Branding is a big conversation on this pod, as Blackleaf probes Dan about how he was able to land on his designs and elevate every detail of his packaging and unboxing experience, and what even goes into that. You’ll hear Dan talk about his love for his dog and iconic animes like Dragonball Z and emphasizing that you should create something based off the things you truly love (without biting too much on anyone’s IP.) You'll hear Dan claim authenticity in your brand as a reflection of yourself in so many words, always keeping your passion and head in the right place to build something meaningful and lasting.If you’re curious at all about how to take your rolling game to the next level, this is definitely a pod you can’t miss. @Dansrollinup weighs in on how he believes you achieve the next step in taking your roll game professional, as well as maintaining quality control as business expands, and the organic method in which he sources all of the flower and rosin for his artisanal rolls.As a bonus, if you’re ever visiting Toyko or Los Angeles, Dan riffs off tons of incredible places to grab a bite to eat ranging from Nobu in Japan to the bomb noodle spot at the airport, as well as the ACTUAL best sushi spots around Los Angeles. Dig into this episode and you’ll unearth countless delicious gems.Subscribe to our channel and the FSOTD.com site to keep up with other key players and enjoy conversations with trailblazers from the culture you can’t find anywhere else.

For any aspiring member of the industry that feels like they don’t have the capital or equipment to start growing or breeding, this episode is 1000% for you.Blackleaf is blessed in the studio once more by Compton’s own Masonic Smoker aka Masonic Seeds to discuss his heady operations out of his backyard where he’s been breeding and selecting some of the most fire cuts on the West Coast for washing into hash, popping seeds straight into soil, as well as rolling the dice with landrace genetics and growing 25-30’ tall Moroccan plants. We can’t emphasize this enough, he’s done all of this in his BACKYARD IN COMPTON—WHAT HAVE YOU DONE LATELY?Any real deal fans of the plant and/or grow nerds will have a hay day with the episode. You’ll hear Masonic shed light on how he developed his lauded Wilson strain, as well as some of the breeding projects he’s done with it since, like his absolutely insane Banana God cut. Masonic also drops serious gems like how he (haphazardly) pops seeds, where he got his hands on Indian landrace genetics, how his “natural selections” work for new varieties, a few of his favorite breeders in the Los Angeles scene over the years, the Lemon Tree breeder controversy, and what happened to the real Sour D.This episode is all about breeding for hash, cultivation, and fire genetics so don’t skip a second if you want to hear how Masonic Seeds handled his first backyard run of Z, why Oreoz looks fire, but isn’t actually fire, and how, for the most part, breeding fire with fire typically equals more fire.Masonic Seeds lets loose an incalculable amount of opinions on this podcast about what he thinks is fire for smoking versus washing, how to grow light deps vs outdoor behemoths, and even what the best competitions are to showcase your work. You’ll hear him bring up Ego Clash among other competitions, as well as what it means when judges “shake n’ bake” to tip the scales in favor of their homies. Hands-down, this is an episode you can’t miss if you’ve ever felt like you don’t have the tools to start participating in the industry. Masonic Smoker is the poster child of making it work with what you got and putting in the hard work to produce a consistently quality product. You don’t need a big fancy facility to build a business in this industry, just a backyard in Compton and some serious gumption. Masonic Seeds is living proof that all it takes is passion and consistency in this game to make a name for yourself. Find his work on www.masonicseeds.co and on IG @masonicseedsco. Follow Masonic Smoker on Youtube to see behind-the-scenes footage of his daily operations in the grow and what fire he’s currently working with.Subscribe to our channel and the FSOTD.com site to keep up with other key players and enjoy conversations with trailblazers from the culture you can’t find anywhere else.

Lately it seems like all anyone can talk about are the classics like OGs, Sours, and Hazes. The guests blessing the studio on this particular episode just so happen to be a couple of the fortunate few that keep the lore of numerous iconic OG cuts.Blackleaf is joined in the studio by two serious legends from behind the curtain: Payaso and C*nn*bis Grower aka The C*nn*bis Brothers to discuss the relaunch of their brand in California, how they’ve been steadily booming in Canada, an upcoming launch in Australia, and of course, the brothers’ tenure in the game, working alongside the urban legend OG Raskal himself, and the genetics that made them all famous like Cookies and Chem, Fire OG, White Fire OG, and WiFi OG.If you claim to know all of the biggest names in the industry that have been cranking work out of California since the beginning of Prop 215 and you don’t mention Terence and Philip Cabral, you’re mistaken. These guys have seriously been in the trenches, acquiring their first license in 2000, and catching plenty of charges along the way. Today, they proudly operate an almost completely family-run business in California, with complete autonomy over their project in Canada as well, often going up North and getting their hands dirty in the grow.The stories from Terence and Phil in the episode are certifiably insane. You’ll hear the brothers talk about their entrance into the High Times Cups and how they definitively stepped up their games, citing this as the first place they ever met Dope as Yola and formed a lifelong friendship. Blackleaf at one point asks about some of the old crews they used to run with, and the brothers may mention some of the hustlers that used to absolutely crank work out of the Hollywood Hills, a West Coast Cure deal that went sour, and running and gunning with people like Ivan from Jungle Boys around LA.In terms of game you can soak up from this pod—it’s immeasurable. You’ll gain insight into international events like Spannabis, how the C*nn*bis Brothers work with their significant others, children, and cousins on the day-to-day without going insane, how to build solid partnerships and take your work to new states/countries, how to produce A-1 flower, and what the legal market is currently like in Canada, Australia, Germany, and more.Keep a lookout at your local shops for the relaunch of The C*nn*bis Brothers products if you want to taste a piece of history. If you’re in Australia, keep it locked for their official launch in February-March of this year!Subscribe to our channel and the FSOTD.com site to keep up with other key players and enjoy conversations with trailblazers from the culture you can’t find anywhere else.

This is hands-down the most important episode to tune into if you consume, cultivate, handle, or have anything to do with the plant and don’t want to have a hard time with law enforcement.Blackleaf is joined in the studio by the famed Pot Brothers At Law (@pot_brothers_at_law), aka Craig and Mark Wasserman of Wasserman Law, to discuss countless scenarios where their copyrighted #STFU© script comes incredibly handy when dealing with the police. They also discuss their deep familial connection to the industry through Craig’s son and founder of West Coast Cure, J Cures, and how they became a global sensation for being the first to offer free legal tips on social media for the past 8 years.The Pot Brothers at Law, Craig and Marc Wasserman, are Southern California-based herb and criminal defense attorneys who have become viral sensations by simply educating the public on their legal rights. Through their weekly "Shut The Fuck Up Friday" (#STFUfriday) campaign, they teach individuals how to handle police encounters by sticking to a simple, effective script. Leveraging Marc's Hollywood background and Craig's legal expertise of over 30+ years, they’ve built a massive social media presence, attracting millions of followers with engaging and impactful content. Now expanding into media ventures like weekly Zoom sessions and potential movie-related projects, they continue to advocate for consumer’s rights while entertaining and educating a global audience.Craig and Marc cover nearly every situation where you might encounter the police as someone who is caught in the act of smoking, is in possession of, or transporting, large quantities of herb. This includes wild stories from Craig about why it’s so important to invoke the 5th amendment during an arrest, the most common and random reasons you get pulled over, and the (il)legality of smoking in public or flying with herb on you. These two have literally seen it all since they’ve been defending consumers and industry members since the early days of Prop 215. If you listen real closely to this pod you might also gain invaluable insight on the best ways to start up your own legal brand in CA in today’s competitive market and potentially save a pretty penny on licensing. One thing that becomes abundantly clear in this episode is that if you’re in the mindset of taking your traditional brand into the legal market or even starting one from scratch, Craig and Marc should be the first people you talk to. Even if you aren’t based in California, these two have built a global network of resources that may be able to point you in the right direction. The other glaringly clear message from this episode is that if you’re even in doubt when encountering the police, SHUT THE FUCK UP, and STICK TO THE SCRIPT.The SCRIPT©“Why did you pull me over?”“I’m not discussing my day”“Am I being detained or am I free to go?©(if detained) “I INVOKE THE 5TH!” then SHUT THE FUCK UP™I do not consent to a search!To any police officer or law enforcement personnel:“I am invoking my 5th Amendment Miranda Rights and will only speak to you with my attorney present. Please allow me to contact my attorney.”Visit PotBrothersAtLaw.com or call 855-WASS-LAW for more resources. Subscribe to our channel and the FSOTD.com site to keep up with other key players and enjoy conversations with trailblazers from the culture you can’t find anywhere else.

When you’ve been in the game consuming and cultivating herb as long as FSOTD’s host Blackleaf, you can immediately recognize when you’ve found a truly innovative new product for handling and breaking down your flower.Blackleaf is joined in the Las Vegas Haze Radio studio by Brent Stevens from Flower Mill and his team, Q, Aaron, Jason, and John, to discuss the most groundbreaking technology for milling and/or grinding your herb in arguably the past 100+ years. Founded only in 2020, Flower Mill has found almost overnight success from their high-grade steel handheld mills designed by smokers for smokers to create the perfect grind with the optimal sift screen for collecting kief.You’ll hear Brent tell the story of his first come-to-Jesus moment with this technology in 2018 at CannaCon in Detroit when he met his future counterparts, John, Jason, and Aaron, who came from the high-end automotive engineering industry. They developed the Crown grinder under the Royal Health moniker originally before fully conceptualizing the Flower Mill, and by 2020, Brent claims he has never forgotten the Crown or let the people who developed it leave his side.The train to success has been moving almost at a bullet’s pace for this group of passionate individuals who go on to claim zero outside funding and how they’ve essentially stumbled upon extremely powerful organic promotion and support from not only their local areas like Arizona, California, Michigan, and Illinois but also by noteworthy celebrities such as That Mexican OT, Wiz Khalifa, Vic Mensa, Red Man, and more.Two crazy stories you absolutely cannot miss during this episode are Brent explaining how they got their first big brand collaboration with Zig-Zag. This collaboration marked Zig-Zag's first venture into cannabis-related products in its 140+-year history. The second one is how their Flower Mill fell into the hands of Wiz Khalifa during his KK launch in Las Vegas, leading to their grinders showing up in his music video despite Wiz’s partnership with Santa Cruz Shredder.One of the most powerful lessons you can learn from this podcast is that if you are a fan of herb with a brain for engineering, science, or math, there are incredible ways that you can disrupt and bring innovation to the industry. How many of us have had the same $30-45 grinder for the past 6+ years that is totally stripped and locks up when you have something especially sticky in there? The Flower Mill team put their heads together and solved this problem in less than five years flat.Follow @brentfolowermill on IG to see all of the newest updates straight from the horse’s mouth. And, if you tune in for the entire pod you might even learn how to get into the Beta Testing program for all of the new cutting-edge products Flower Mill is constantly cooking up such as their new affordable “Next Gen Standard” grinders. Subscribe to our channel and the FSOTD.com site to keep up with other key players and enjoy conversations with trailblazers from the culture you can’t find anywhere else.