Share

cover art for Kush Co: OGs Growing OG, The Kush Wave, A Legacy in California

First Smoke of The Day

Kush Co: OGs Growing OG, The Kush Wave, A Legacy in California

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.


Subscribe to our channel and the FSOTD.com site to keep up with other key figures and enjoy conversations with trailblazers from the culture you can’t find anywhere else.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • He Flipped A Sample on TikTok & Got Millions of Views | JBoogz

    59:23|
    24 years old. Staten Island. No label. No manager. Just beats and a vision.JBoogz pulls up to First Smoke of the Day and breaks down what it actually takes to build an independent music career from scratch in 2026. He flipped a Mac DeMarco sample on TikTok and hit 2 million views. Now he is in LA cooking with artists and stacking percentages over upfront cash.We get into how sampling actually works, why the MPC changed everything for independent producers, how TikTok built his career before Instagram did, why he takes royalty percentages over upfront money, and what a 24 year old producer from Staten Island would tell anyone starting from zero right now.For the music heads, the producers and anyone building something real without asking permission.Subscribe to First Smoke of the Day for weekly cannabis culture and the realest conversations in the game.
  • We Smoked 100 Strains to Find the Best

    02:07:38|
    70 plus phenos. One room. The most elite pheno hunt panel we have ever assembled. Jordan from Trinity Association brings 900 popped Oishi seeds worth of work to the table. This is what real pheno hunting looks like with the right people in the room.Trinity Association, Blueprint Cannabis, HYTEK Michigan, Exotic Matter, Twist and Wizard Trees.Subscribe to First Smoke of the Day for weekly cannabis culture, genetics deep dives and the realest conversations in the industry.Members get early access and unreleased content at fsotd.com
  • Green Dawg: Taking Investor Money Is The Fastest Way To Ruin Your Cannabis Brand

    01:53:09|
    No investors. No outside money. No compromise. Ever. That is the Green Dog way and it is exactly why the weed hits different.Drew from Green Dog and Barney sit down with First Smoke of the Day for one of the most honest conversations about building a craft cannabis brand that actually lasts. Self funded, multi state, 350 plus genetics in the library and zero intention of changing the formula.We get into why they never took investor money, how they failed in Arizona and won in Florida, the real MSO blueprint, ego death as the biggest SOP gap in craft cannabis, why they run old ugly green genetics nobody else wants, the Frog Poison and Drama Weed breakdown, how to build a team you want to see leave and win, and why the lore behind a strain builds a brand faster than any marketing ever will.If you know Green Dog you already know. If you do not this is where it starts.Subscribe to First Smoke of the Day for weekly cannabis culture and the realest conversations in the game.
  • Phresh Harvest: He Left California With 250 Plants In A U-Haul With Cops Right Behind Him

    01:26:53|
    250 plants hanging in the back of a U-Haul. Cops right behind him on the hill. He busted a left and drove all the way to safety.That was the last day Jay from Phresh Harvest grew in California. Within four months he packed his life in a box and moved to a dirt lot in Oklahoma with no building and no plan. 259 days later he had a facility up and his first harvest in the ground.This is one of the rawest grower stories we have ever sat down with.Subscribe to First Smoke of the Day for weekly cannabis culture and the realest conversations in the game.
  • North Coast: Cookies Showed Up With Wet Weed. Michigan Sent Them Home.

    01:01:40|
    First Smoke of the Day pulls up to a secret location in Detroit with Travis from North Coast, Mike the hashmaker from Fathead Farms, and Zoot from Zoot Rolls. While the chefs cook dinner and we work through the Z Olympics LA box, we get into one of the most real conversations about building a brand, why big names fail in Michigan and what it actually takes to make hash worth smoking.We get into why Cookies showed up with wet weed and got sent home. Why only 4 to 5 percent of cannabis on the market is actually top shelf. The post harvest secrets most growers ignore that destroy your hash before you even start washing. How one joint at a Christmas party opened every door Travis ever walked through. And what makes Michigan cannabis culture completely different from anywhere else.This one is for the growers, the rollers and the hashmakers.Subscribe to First Smoke of the Day for weekly cannabis culture and the realest conversations in the game.Chapters:0:00 - Welcome To The Secret Location8:20 - Why Big Brands Fail In Michigan22:45 - The Z Olympics Box36:10 - Building North Coast52:30 - Hash Secrets And Post Harvest1:06:15 - The Christmas Party Story1:18:40 - Michigan Culture And Shout Outs#NorthCoast #ZootRolls #MichiganCannabis #MichiganHash #FSOTD #FirstSmokeOfTheDay
  • Bring Your Best Dab: Michigan Is Competing With Oregon For The Best Hash In The Country

    01:13:39|
    Michigan hash is not playing around anymore. And this event proves it.First Smoke of the Day pulls up to Bring Your Best Bag and Bring Your Best Dab in Detroit for a two day live event featuring some of the best hash, flower, edibles and cannabis innovation in the Midwest. This is not a West Coast thing anymore. Michigan is in the conversation and everyone in this room knows it.We sat down with four different brands and operators that each represent a completely different side of what Michigan cannabis is building right now.Michigan is building cars and filling carts with rosin. Both at the highest level.Subscribe to First Smoke of the Day for weekly cannabis culture, growing conversations and the realest voices in the industry.#BringYourBestDab #BringYourBestBag #MichiganCannabis #MichiganHash #FSOTD
  • Up The Hill: Coach Kicked Him Out For Smoking. Now He Spars With Champions.

    01:30:36|
    He got kicked out for smoking weed. He quit. Now he spars with UFC champions.Bryce from Up The Hill is back on First Smoke of the Day three years after his first episode. When we first met he was running loads up and down the state. Now he owns one of the top cannabis brands in California, just made his pro MMA debut in front of 21,000 people, and is training alongside Khamzat Chimaev and Arman Tsarukyan.This is what three years of full send actually looks like.This one is for the fighters, the growers, the brand builders, and anyone who has ever decided to go all in on something that mattered.Subscribe to First Smoke of the Day for weekly cannabis culture, strain drops and the realest conversations in the game.
  • Alien Labs & Connected: They Got Denied Four Times And Still Built The Dopest Spot In NYC

    01:08:28|
    Cali weed is now on a shelf in New York City. And we were there for it.First Smoke of the Day pulled up to Torches by Palanco Brothers on 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan for 420 weekend. Right above us, Alien Labs and Connected flower legally sitting on a shelf in one of the most historic buildings in New York City. A 100 year old cigar lounge where Frank Sinatra, Giuliani and every major hedge fund in New York once had a box. Now it belongs to the culture.We sat down with Ted from Alien Labs, Malik the product brand manager at Connected and Alien Labs, and the Palanco Brothers Jose and Santana who fought for over a year just to get this location approved and got denied four times before they made it happen.This is history. First time. New York City. 420 weekend. Alien Labs. Connected. Torches. All in one room.Subscribe to First Smoke of the Day for weekly cannabis culture, strain drops and the realest voices in the industry.Brands we trust:HGV Elevated — https://hydrobuilder.com/pages/fsotdFaven Lighting — https://favenlighting.com/RAW Rolling Papers — https://rawthentic.com/SlapHub LA — https://www.slaphub.la/Chapters:0:00 - Welcome To Torches6:30 - Meet The Team14:20 - Building The Menu24:45 - The Fight To Open36:10 - Cali Weed In New York48:30 - The NYC Consumer58:15 - Favorite 420 Memories1:08:40 - Best Munchie Spots
  • Pot Brothers at Law: You Are Talking Yourself Into Handcuffs Every Single Time

    01:44:52|
    You are probably doing it wrong every single time you get pulled over.The Pot Brothers at Law are back for Part 2 and this one could literally keep you out of handcuffs. Whether you are driving through a legal state, crossing state lines, heading to a 420 event, or just going about your day with weed on you, this conversation covers everything you need to know right now.Most people think cannabis is legal so they are protected. It is not fully legal. It is semi legal. And the moment you open your mouth to a cop, you are doing their job for them.This is required watching before 420. This is required watching before you ever drive with weed again.Subscribe to First Smoke of the Day for weekly cannabis culture, legal education, growing conversations and the realest voices in the industry.