First Smoke of The Day

Countless guests who come on our show ask about the landscape of the South American 🍃industry and market, but seldom do we have international interviewees who can actually talk about it firsthand. Not to mention, make a whole documentary on the topic and compare it to the state of 🍃culture and legislation across the world. Blackleaf is joined in the FSOTD studio by Luis Navarro and Pedro, the driving forces behind Ver de Perto, an upcoming documentary focusing on the state of 🍃legislation across Brazil and South America, highlighting the deep historical connection Brazilians have to the plant and the need for change, featuring interviews from across the world. In another podcast first—this is a collaborative episode—with pieces of the interview you’re viewing eventually ending up in the guests’ upcoming documentary, Ver de Perto. Luis and Pedro dive deep into countless burning questions Blackleaf rails off, such as what it’s like picking up herb on the street across Brazil, the legal implications of sparking up, importing, and exporting herb around South America, why “pressed weed” is still a common occurrence if you’re a lower-income citizen trying to pick up. We also get into Luis’ Afro-Brazilian roots and how seeds were originally smuggled into Brazil, and how he fell into the leading role in a Brazilian TV series titled “Joint Venture,” which changed his entire perspective on Mary Jane.Luis Navarro played Biriba, a former drug dealer navigating the (fictional) newly legalized industry in São Paulo on the Brazilian series Joint Venture (originally titled Pico da Neblina), which premiered in August 2019 on HBO Brazil. In the series, Navarro actively adapts to the shifting legal landscape by leveraging his street‑smart background to launch a legitimate 🍃 business. His current focus for the near future is the completion of this documentary, along with a few small stage performances in Brazil. Pedro is one of the most well-traveled international guests we’ve had on in a minute with deep cultivation experience, and he drops some seriously bold claims throughout the pod, as well. Things like the entire European industry (in terms of cultivation, quality, hash production, etc) are currently being led by Italians and ex-pat Brazilians. We also discuss Mary Jane Berlin 2025 and how the European market has made a major shift to Germany. Throughout the pod, Luis and Pedro also discuss how the documentary came about and the community effort that’s been driving it forward.This has to be one of the most interesting episodes we’ve ever had in terms of guests’ knowledge and experiences in life with the plant outside the US. These guys are still living in a country of pure prohibition, but with innovators and disrupters actively pushing the traditional market forward. Learn how Luis has become one of the biggest faces of the movement in Brazil for legalization, as well as the immense knowledge and experience growing industrial hemp and herb across South America and Europe that Pedro drops throughout by tuning in for the entire pod.And of course, be on the lookout for their groundbreaking documentary, Ver De Perto, by following their IG page, @verdeperto.doc!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.

We’ve pulled back the curtain before on some of the insane lore of California’s industry, but never with multiple guests who lived the legacy alongside more recent players that are taking over while paying proper respect to the OGs. This is an extremely rare discussion between big dogs with endless skin in the game and countless adversities faced that drive their success today.Blackleaf is joined back at the FSOTD studio by JD from Trinity Association/Domain Miel, Dustin (once again) from Watson Supply, along with none other than Sha Bud of 707 Seedbank and his partner on Automatic Genetics to discuss the game, talking genetics, pheno hunts, and selections for massive monocrops at length, Autos vs F1s and how to create S5s, as well as the best places to set up shop internationally right now, diving deep into the infrastructure of Colombia, Brazil, and the bubbling hash community in Costa Rica. We seldom get guests in the studio with as much international experience as the 707 Grows team, so you know we had to go global with some of the discussions.707 Seedbank is a 🍃breeding company founded and led by Sha Bud, who launched it after discovering his passion for growing herb at the age of 14. The brand focuses on producing premium, heirloom-quality hybrids that blend old-school pedigree with new genetics stably and consistently. Sha Bud won multiple awards in the mid‑2000s and distributes breeder‑direct seeds that users often describe as mouth‑watering and reliably uniform. He actively preserves and refines his legacy strains like SFV OG and Kush Cleaner to maintain their quality and integrity. With his partner, he’s also started Automatic Genetics, where they focus on streamlining exotic flavors into fast-growing autoflowers.One of the biggest conversations throughout this episode is genetics. Not only in terms of hulking out varieties by producing giant tetraploid plants, the difference between diploid and polyploid genetics, and most importantly, autoflowers. The 707 Grows team delves extensively into the history of why autoflower varieties came about, how they’re even made, and why they’re desirable for big operations that need tons of raw material for distillate or live resin.JD operates Trinity Association and Domain Miel. Trinity is a boutique 🍃cultivation brand founded around 2009, known for its commitment to organic and synganic (mindful) growing practices under mixed-light and greenhouse conditions. They focus on testing rare phenotypes and sharing breeder insights. In this episode, you’ll hear JD exercise a wealth of expertise in genetics, clone management, and super aggressive pheno hunting, we’re talking 500+ plants!JD’s other operation, Domain Miel, operates as a premium, quality-first herb and hash brand with a presence in Oregon, California, and New York. They cultivate exclusive, in-house selected genetics and offer nursery and clone services rooted in organic, soil-grown techniques with over 15 years of owner-operator experience. Notably, Domain Miel has bred strains like "DubPlatez" and "Zalani," showcasing their focus on high THC hybrids. One of the highlights of this episode is JD’s Blue Lobster work, which you’ll see showcased throughout. Finally, Dustin from Watson Supply is a guest we’ve had on before, and if you remember correctly, he’s not afraid to let loose his candor. Dustin founded Watson Supply to spotlight premium, small-batch herb grown in Northern California. He built a close-knit collective that focuses on rare genetics and flavor-driven phenotypes. Their standout strain, Cold Heat, quickly gained attention for its potent terpene profile and reliable performance.

If you’ve been hearing about the industry buzz in Michigan, you heard right. With the lowest tax rates (we’ve ever heard of), deli-style shops, and the nearly unbelievable unlimited purchasing power, cities like Detroit are seated to become more recognizable meccas for the plant within the U.S., especially for product categories like rosin, which Michigan is gaining increasing notoriety for.Blackleaf is live in Detroit, moments before judging the Bring Your Best Bag 2025 competition, sitting down in the middle of the show with several bubbling brand owners in the scene to discuss the state of the industry, what strains and flavors consumers are reaching for these days, some of the biggest hurdles moving from the traditional market into recreational, hardest lessons scaling from basement traps into legit facilities, and so much more.The guests in order are: Chocolate and Mike from Hytek/The Refinery, John, Aaron, and Rob from Eastside Alchemy, Joey from Yeti Stash, Chris from Tip Top Crop, Aaron from Premier Farms, Chris from Ghostbudsters Farm, and Brandon from Voyage Bloom.Some of the hot takes from this pod include the recent customer preference for quality indoor smalls over top-shelf outdoor, how to continue navigating the “Candy Wave,” deciding what strains from your grow should be washed into rosin, what strains should be vaped versus dabbed, and why growing OG cuts like Headband aren’t for the faint of heart, but worth preserving in any legal market if not for Michigan’s deep connection to iconic varieties like Motorbreath. For those that have been curious about what the top players in the Michigan 🍃 industry have been going through, celebrating, cultivating, and looking forward to in terms of hype new strains, you can’t miss a single interview from this historic competition in the Motor City.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.1

From trapping basement grows to legally selling out boutique exotics in Kalamazoo, today’s guests embody the hunger for hunting down the most A-1 premium smoke that can only come from career consumers and passionate stewards of the plant.Blackleaf is live in Detroit, moments before judging the rosin for Bring Your Best Bag 2025, with the Growing Pains team, Jason, Seth, and Tom, to discuss all things that are “actually smoking,” as well as the state of 🍃in Michigan. We cover topics such as why Michigan fell short during the medical boom, iconic strains that Michigan doesn’t get enough credit for, what strains and products consumers in the market are actively purchasing, and so much more.Along the way, you’ll also learn the entire lore of the Growing Pains brand, even how they got their name. Tom dives into a wealth of backstory during this pod, including how he got started maxing out his basement, when he partnered up with Seth during the medical days, and how they’ve brought on Jason recently as their full-time extraction artist to truly elevate their rosin game and product offerings.Growing Pains burst into Michigan’s scene as a boutique, flavor-focused grower, hand-selecting exotic genetics and rigorously testing every batch in their modest warehouse operations. The brand leans into a hands-on, founder-led cultivation process, touting that they personally R&D each batch from seed to harvest, which you’ll learn during this pod is entirely true. Their team actively crafts popular strains such as Pink Pebbles, Crunch Berries, and Zyrup, to deliver consistent, high-terpene flavor profiles in over 50 doors (currently) across the state and through their own owned shops.One of the biggest topics during this pod is not only pheno hunting, but deciding on which batches to send 3k or more into for making hash. Jason, Growing Pain’s extraction artist, goes into deep detail on how he got educated in the field, as well as his preference for using The Osprey machine over washing by hand. He even details the methods for testing out new strains from the grow to see if they’re even worth washing.The other overarching conversation during this pod is the affordability of 🍃in the current Michigan market. These prices are CHEAP CHEAP. Not to mention, Growing Pains’ team also owns a shop where they can take their product straight from packaging to the shelves. You’ll hear about how they bring their staff and local customers in on the fun when it comes to pheno hunting. Additionally, you’ll also find out why the taxes are so low and why so many operators were able to set up shop QUICKLY in the Motor City as soon as legalization turned on by tuning into the full pod.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 some people in the industry, one whiff of a plant when it first starts flowering, or a fresh batch of solventless, is all it takes to ignite their never-ending passion to forge ahead. Today’s guest is one such individual.Blackleaf is on the road for this episode and sits down with Tyler Hall of Michigrown following the Bring Your Best Bag 2025 competition in Detroit to discuss literally everything surrounding terps. From Tyler’s bursting box of rosin pucks he calls his head stash, to the logistics of keeping over 300 mother plants in rotation, as well as consulting large-scale grows across the country, dialing in their SOPs and genetic libraries, the story behind naming the Titty Sprinkles strain, and so much more.For the uninitiated, Tyler Hall is a seasoned cultivator who currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Michigrown, a leading Michigan-based 🍃 company. Since taking over cultivation in November 2023, he has revitalized the company's flower quality, emphasizing terpene-heavy strains over high THC content to deliver game-changing varieties and trend-setting terps.Hall's extensive experience includes consulting for growers across Colorado, Arizona, California, and Alaska. He is known for his meticulous selection process, recently narrowing down 800 seeds to 30–50 promising strains. Beyond Michigrown, he is also the CEO of Kinship C******s Co., where he continues to flip the game on its head in terms of genetic forecasting and branding.You’ll hear several bold claims from Tyler during this episode, such as his preference for high-terpene, lower-THC flower, and the rigid timeline for boutique cultivators and ma-and-pa businesses in the industry unless they establish unwavering IP as soon as possible. There’s also tons of discussion about the politics behind popping seeds while Tyler discusses his tenure as a breeder. They talk about what it’s like hunting F2, F3, or F4s, and why Tyler went after the Blue Zu strain when no one is hunting Blue Power crosses right now.By the end of this conversation, you will fully grasp the depth of what we mean when we say that Tyler Hall is a literal “strain forecaster,” debatably a weatherman of weed. You’ll hear him talk about maintaining hundreds of different mothers throughout the year while still doing a 35-plant pheno hunt on the side. Despite his endless seed library and regular pheno hunts, Tyler will highlight why he still does a yearly run of Blue Dream that sells out every Summer. His understanding of what the market wants on a seasonal basis, as well as his opinions on what to pursue next, are nothing short of inspirational if you work with the plant in any capacity.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.

If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t stay in one place too long, or have lived a thousand lives in terms of jobs and careers, today’s guest puts your entire lore to shame. On top of that, he’s probably growing better 🍃than you, too.Blackleaf is joined back in the FSOTD studio by Heston Allcorn, home-grow pioneer, past-life collector, avid no-till farmer, and co-founder of Floro Farm in Lincoln City, Oregon, to discuss the road that’s led him to where he’s at today, working alongside his family, falling in love with no-till organic farming, the lack of herb festivals in Oregon, old strains from Alaksa like Matanuska Thunderf*ck that still haunt him, what a worm tower is, the power of undercanopy lighting, and so much more.Floro Farm, located in Lincoln City, Oregon, is a family-run 🍃 cultivation company founded by Heston Allcorn alongside his brother and sister. Heston is renowned for pioneering indoor, no-till, living soil cultivation methods, incorporating innovative techniques such as vermicomposting towers and custom lighting setups.Heston’s commitment to sustainable, organic practices has positioned Floro Farm at the forefront of the Pacific Northwest's 🍃 industry. Beyond cultivation, Heston actively shares his expertise through podcasts and serves as an official judge at the Autoflower World Cup.The stories in this pod are absolutely out of control. You can’t miss a moment of Heston recalling his days moving weight out of the old trap house in Rhode Island, or what it was like living on a boat growing a couple plants in the bathroom. There’s also the nightmare hurdles he went through to get OLCC licensing, the classic cultivars he’s engineered and unleashed in the Oregon market, or having to destroy his first major crop of CBD because it tested .2% over.More than anything, this episode is for the passionate growers who have an undeniable wanderlust. Heston has truly been all over the world doing every odd job possible so he could get closer to carving out his own lane in organic, no-till 🍃farming. If you’re ever looking for inspiration or super insightful insider knowledge on how to elevate your home-grow with the right organic soil or lighting, or even boss up your commercial indoor grow with proper undercanopy lights, tap in with this pod and you’ll always dig up something new.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.

Josh RAW: RAW Paper Empire, Rolling Secrets, Exclusive Factory Tour, Culture That RollsSometimes when you’re the owner of the biggest 🍃rolling papers and accessories company in the world, you might seem larger than life. For this episode abroad in the heart of Benimarfull, Spain, the FSOTD team heads to the factory for a once-in-a-lifetime conversation with the man behind the curtain to dispel some of the myths and learn some of the real-deal lore.Blackleaf and Co. diverted during their Spannabis trip to take a private tour of the RAW Factory and sit down for a heart-to-heart with Josh Kesselman, who many have called the “Willy Wonka of W**d,” where they discuss his (almost unbelievable) journey from Florida into Spain, securing mentorships from legends, the history of counterfeit papers, why RAW papers have the intricate imprinted designs, how thinner papers equal slower burn, the amount of fresh water needed to produce massive amounts of papers, the first time Josh heard Wiz Khalifa rap about RAW, the truth behind the common misconception that he’s always happy, and so much more.A little backstory, Josh Kesselman is the founder and CEO of RAW Rolling Papers, a brand renowned for its natural, unbleached, and vegan-friendly rolling papers. His passion for rolling papers began in childhood, inspired by his father's magic trick involving a disappearing paper, which led him to collect various types of rolling papers. In 1993, he opened a smoke shop called Knuckleheads in Gainesville, Florida, where he imported specialty papers from Europe. After facing legal challenges, he relocated to Arizona and, in 2004, invested $1 million to develop RAW Rolling Papers, which gained popularity among herb enthusiasts and mainstream hip-hop artists like Wiz, Curre$y, and more.During the pod, you’ll hear Josh talk about the old seshes being the backbone of RAW’s success. If you’ve ever wondered how to take guerrilla marketing to the utmost extreme, you can’t miss this part of the interview. Josh even speaks on giving out multiple boxes of papers to smoke shops, and as a favor, begging them to literally give out at least one full box to their regulars. Beyond the topical questions that you’ll get to hear, like what Josh’s go-to papers are, or how he celebrates big company wins on his farm with his donkeys and his family, there are countless tidbits of free game on building a business brick-by-brick jam-packed in between every iconic story.Whether you’re here for the wild stories about Josh smoking on the Jet Life Tour with Curren$y and exchanging entrepreneurial dreams and ambitions, or for the intimate understanding of his factory employees (some with 50+ year tenures), how he got the factory and why they name each machine, or how to build a globally-recognized brand that generates millions in revenue, or even the best way to handle people infringing on your copyrights—there’s something for everyone in this interview. It’s truly hard to convey the entire scope of this conversation in one description.You might even catch some sneak peeks and backstories on exclusive collaborations between RAW, such as the Phatty Elements with FSOTD, The TenCo x RAW at Zalympix, and how Cole Bennett and Josh came together to create Lyrical Lemonade papers. And, if you’re chomping at the bit by the end of this pod to see the rest of the facility, tap in with our exclusive VLOG on the channel showing you the inside of the RAW Factory on some Golden Ticket-type energy.Subscribe to our channel and the FSOTD.com site to keep up with other key players and enjoy conversations with trailblazers from the culture during our 2025 Spannabis trip you can’t find anywhere else.

The definition of connoisseur smoke often includes “indoor cultivation,” but what if we told you many of your favorite players have bagged up a particular brand’s mixed light and sold it as indoor? You’re about to find out why this was a blessing in disguise.Blackleaf sits down in the FSOTD studio with recurring guest and certified legend, Dave of Preferred Gardens, along with his core team, Alex, Mike, Blaine, and Nikki (also Dave’s wife,) to discuss turning a legacy brand into a thriving MSO, winning the $60k Proper Doinks Z Challenge, raising kids and building a brand with your significant other, breeding in-house genetics, and the intricate and mythical nature of Preferred’s methods for Quality Control.​David Polley founded Preferred Gardens in 2015 in Sacramento, California. The company is renowned for its mixed light growing methods, and cultivating over 260 unique strains, including Sherbanger, Lazer Gun, Znackz, and more. Initially prominent in the medical market, Preferred Gardens now operates in California, Florida, Arizona, and New York, with more new states coming online in the future. They’re even dipping into international markets, as you’ll hear Dave discuss on this episode.With over two decades of experience in the game, Dave will shed light on how crucial being a cultivator and lowkey breeder has been to his success as a brand owner, allowing him to fully understand quality control, as well as set up his same facilities in different states and be able to make minor adjustments and thrive. He’ll also discuss how he and his team are the sole barrier of quality control in terms of what they’ll put out, and how to develop relationships with retailers and partners where their word is bond and that trust is maintained.Aside from Dave and his constant game-dropping, the rest of his team that’s in-studio shed tremendous light on how they’re each able to make this global operation work without ever giving into the big investors and corporate hellscape structure. Hustling is an understatement when you get to hear from Preferred’s sales and management team, Mike, Blaine, and Chris, as well as their resident mom and powerhouse accounting, programming, and back-of-house champ, Nikki.Again, bringing up quality control, Blackleaf rattles off tons of bubbling questions surrounding how they define a keeper, what Dave deems as the proper cure time, if white ash really matters and how they breed for it these days, how important unique genetics are in the legal game, how to establish trustworthy relationships with buyers, their internal voting system for picking fire cuts, how they’ve been able to keep crops A-1 with The Flowery in Florida, and if you really need to be a passionate smoker to run a top-tier flower brand.Find out more by visiting preferredgardens.com and check back on any of our previous episodes with Dave and Preferred Gardens to learn more about his journey and imminent rise to the top.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.