I’ve already seen several Christmas ads, and parking lots turning into open-air tree markets, and I’m already sick of the holly jolly nonsense. Maybe I’m cynical, maybe I’m old, but this is by far the least Christmas spirit I’ve ever felt, so, drugs it is to spice things up.  Below are some of my latest favorites, as well as some fun events happening this week that I figured I’d throw in in case you’re in town. For those on the east coast, we’ll be rolling pretty deep to Miami next week for Terp Basel.

Come hang out! As always, feel free to pop me a line on twitter to tell me what you hate about this, or on the rare occasion what you loved, I’m always happy to argue with you.  We’re big fans of Preferred Gardens over here. From the immaculate flower they produce, to the massive team/entourage they roll around with, everything about these guys is top tier. I was late to the party only first getting to link up with them at the beginning of the year, but I’ve seen them many times since and the consensus remains: They’re fun to be around, and their work ALWAYS smokes.

The last time I mentioned them in a list I gave props to the joints these guys put out. In the immortal words of the team, ‘these doinks don’t suck,’ and in fact, I started calling them one ashers, as that’s really all that you’ll need if you know what you’re doing. That said, having now had a few more chances to get hands on with the flower in its original form, I’m happy to share that they’re all bleeding terps, even through a blunt.  This is one I’d been hearing rumblings of for a while.

There are few cultivars that hit the street with this much hype in tow, and typically when I see something pop off that fast I tend to assume it’s a smoke & mirrors play. The hype is usually just marketing. But friends, I’m here to tell you that’s not the case with Venom, this one’s a real smoker. A cross of Animal Face & Sin Mintz, originally bred by Ronin Seeds, grown by Cannapy Builders, and popularized by West Coast Connoisseurs, Ted from Alien Labs showed me some of the Living Soil batch they put out recently and man, I got so high that I forgot what time my flight was – while looking at my confirmation.

I hear there’s a new batch that’ll be cured up in Jan that’s expected to be very special, so I’m excited to cop a bit more for myself. I suggest you do the same. At the Full Moon Sesh last month there was one pickup that made it into my bag that exceeded all others in terms of my excitement to consume it. Now this was a hyper privileged batch, and I’m not sure when a full run will hit the streets, but Serge certainly has a hit on his hands with this one, and it seems like a light washer, so if you see this on a menu somewhere don’t sleep on your chance to taste it.

Maybe the most Pina Colada-y terps I’ve ever experienced, and from fresh press no less, the Colada was washed by frequent purveyors of hype Feel Good LA. Grown by Serge, but originally bred by Beleaf the Hunter Gatherer, this one’s not only terpy, it smacks too. It might taste like that light drink you sip by the pool, but you’re going to feel it like a tidal wave. Another frequent flier on the cop list, Pelli’s incredible legacy has been shouted from the rooftops (and included in rap songs) for literal decades, but his new hash holes? I gotta say, Pelli’s in the zone right now.

He’s been hard at work hunting for his next new flavors, some phenos of which I was fortunate enough to get to check out at Full Moon, but he’s been twisting up the classics lately and they’re just as fresh as ever. His Ropeium (which was paired with GG4) remains my favorite, but that Super Gremlin stays a superstar as well! I actually meant to get this one in the last list so I apologize for the delayed notice, but the Z that Your Highness has been rocking lately is worth calling attention to.

A bit darker than most of the Z we typically see floating around – which if anything just makes it more market viable – every time I’ve seen them this year the weed seems to somehow keep getting better. They’re also a ton of fun. At every one of Jimi’s Transbay events they always had one of the best set ups, and the aesthetics and merch continue to set an example for the rest of us. These guys have had a really good year. From winning one of the most coveted competitions on the east coast through a collaboration with Cipher Genetics on ‘Blue Lobster’ – which is a well-known but rare delicacy for those back east (I know a lot of west coasters are like ‘tf is that?’) – to now launching that same strain on the rec market out here in California, a rare feat for an east coast label, the gang from Maine has been doing some truly impressive work.

And before you ask, it’s not just the Lobster. I’ve had the good fortune of trying several of their cultivars, and they’re all in the upper echelon. I don’t want this to come off as a slight because the genetics are clearly great, but I also wonder if these guys have some special curing techniques as well because every sample I’ve seen has smoked immaculate. When I did the High Grade Confirmed event last month, Firefly Organics was the brand one of the founders was most excited to show me, and with good reason – these guys were an exciting discovery.

I got to check out three cultivars, of which the Albariño was definitely my fav, but it had that orange stain your mouth terp that not everyone loves, so I also want to recommend the White Niño, which was my favorite of the other two. That said, they all tasted delicious, and were clean smokers, so it’s worth tapping in with whatever you can from this crew. I’d been following Pleasant Effects for awhile now, and while from afar I’ve been a fan of what he’s been putting out online, having finally gotten a chance to get my hands on his small batch grow I’ve got to say, it smokes even better than it looks – and that’s already set a high bar.

True to his name, the high is *at the very least* effectively described as pleasant, and strong, with all four of the varietals I sampled rocking me. My favorite of the gang was probably his SD Warheads, but the Permanent Market and Sherbanger were also definitely amongst the best expressions I’ve seen. Another one of my favorite finds from my most recent trip back east, Bushwacker’s flower smokes as good as his jar looks, which is worth celebrating in and of itself in this marketing-driven society we live in.

That said, while the Grapeful Dead (a Runtz x Coffin Candy) was definitely my favorite jar, it was the Pandemonium (Z x Sherbanger) that stole the show for me. I also smoked the Sake Bomb, which is pictured above and a cross of Sherbanger & Gelato 33, and while not my favorite of the bunch, was absolutely a serious smoker. These guys might’ve been a new name for me, but they definitely know what they’re doing. One to keep an eye on for sure. Sacred Fruits has been producing high quality mushroom products since their inception, and while typically they buck the trends of the market, skipping over-popularized low-hanging fruit like gummies or chocolate, their latest product is likely their most familiar and entry-level SKU yet.

We’ve all heard of Mushroom Tea, perhaps the easiest way to down the magic you’re after, but it’s not like they were just selling these tea bags at the grocery store. While still not at the grocer, you can now get a pre-blended journey through their Magic Tea, which I’ve affectionately started calling Sacred Tea. A box comes with 5 teabags, each packing 1.4 grams of mushrooms as well as a delicious blend to help mask the taste. It’s recommended you steep these for 20 minutes to maximize the effect.

It was an eventful weekend online for Vandul, who participated in one of the most ridiculous art beefs to ever grace the internet, but I realized amidst the madness that I haven’t told you guys about his Hostage series yet, which I’ve been obsessed with for months. While I recognize there are serious world events happening right now and don’t say this to make light of anything happening abroad, it feels safe to include as he’s attacking corporations, rather than any perceivable innocents, and consumerism is killing us all.

He’s been crafting some of my favorite toys for years now, but this new series really tickles me in a special type of way. I’ve already bought Hostages 1 & 2 (Mickey & Kaws) and can’t wait for the next drop. These don’t usually last long so if this is up your alley I wouldn’t sleep on it… This is another artist I’ve been a fan of for a long time that’s making cool shit that I’m realizing I can include in here because who is going to tell me I can’t? Dogman crafts incredibly intricate hand made toys that are far better than most of the handmade DIY stuff you see on platforms like Etsy, and he regularly makes small runs for events in our community, like the Very Heady Halloween sesh.

Most of his characters are hilarious commentary on world events or creative bootlegs of pop culture heroes, like the Elmer’s Greenhouse shown above, and honestly I’ve started amassing a collection over here.  Following the success of Hash Hole Island earlier this summer, CGO is back with another event, and this time he’s starting up a national holiday. The combination of 4/20 & 7/10, our two days already dedicated to weed and hash, 11/30 this year represents the inaugural Hash Hole Day. Coming downstate this time to maximize the hype, the event will be hosted by industry godfathers Berner and Adam Ill, who it’s worth mentioning has been celebrating this combo holiday for a few years now, though not dubbing it Hash Hole Day.

Taking place at Optimist Studios on the west side, I’m excited to celebrate with you all on Thursday! Speaking of events this week, on Friday some of the best weed-friendly comedians in the game are doing a special night of smoke and comedy at GOAT’s new spot in West Hollywood and it promises to be a night to remember. Featuring WEIRDOS alum Frank Castillo and Steve Furey, as well as Trevor Wallace, Ron Funches and Jil Chrissie, the lineup is clearly stacked, and it’s likely that many of the jokes will be at our expense, so it’ll be worth pulling up if you’re in town.

Going to Comedy shows is one of my favorite things to do, and I’ve realized recently how many of my friends just… never go to them, so if you’re not already regularly doing this, this is also just a good idea for your mental, gangster. Doesn’t have to be this one specifically, just get out and laugh a bit. It’s medicine, too.  I simply can’t close this out without once again shouting out Weed & Wagyu and the gang over LA FAV. At Jesse’s memorial at Archie’s earlier this month, LA FAV dropped a new collab with his Weed & Wagyu brand to honor his legacy, and it’s actually the fulfillment of his original plan for Not Another Lemon Cherry Gelato – spoofing the Not Another Teen Movie poster and replacing the characters with our community’s usual suspects.

This got the nepotism tag because I’m on the jar, as is Jesse and TrulyRedPanda, but true to form for the gang even the most novice of consumers won’t mistake this Bubble Zum for an LCG. They won’t be complaining about it, either! Also, fuck SSENSE (the fashion co, not the weed guys) for covering up Saber’s mural! Read less