August has been a whirlwind. From Outsidelands in San Francisco to Jimi’s fourth Transbay Challenge taking place in LA for the first time, my travels have taken me from great grow, to great show, seemingly countless times this month. There’s been a LOT of heat to sort through!

While my cup is certainly overflowing with dank at the moment, it felt important to tie this month’s Cop List to one of the biggest labors of love I undertake at this job, September’s Art Issue. You see, this issue is my baby. I spend all year working on it. In fact, I’ve already begun on 2023’s. The issue is all about showing the larger reach of the cannabis community, past the plant navel gazers like us, and I truly believe it’s an excellent showing of the breadth of our community. If you don’t normally read our print magazine, or haven’t picked one up in years, this is the one I’d really like for you to check out. It’s a lot less plant focused than our normal issues, but we work really hard to make sure there’s something for everyone – and it just looks so fuckin cool. This year’s covers were done by NYCHOS and CES, who are both absolute legends in the graffiti game… I still can’t believe how great it looks.

With that in mind, the below are some of the most beautiful, trippy, or just out of the ordinary things I’ve seen in awhile – from excellent cultivation, to excellent branding, to excellent vibes. Most of ‘em hit on more than one front, but I have no doubt you’ll see that for yourselves.

As always let me know if there’s something I missed, or something you’re looking forward to. The search for the good bush never sleeps!

Snowtill Organics

I’ve been drooling over Snowtill’s IG for awhile now, so when I went up to the bay for Grasslands earlier this month I HAD to tap in to see if the finished product matched the promo shots. Let me just say, it’s not easy to impress me lately, and it’s even harder for the real to stack up to the bud porn most post online, so believe me when I tell you, these nugs are even better in person. In fact, calling them nugs almost feels sacrilegious, as if they were any old weeds. These beauties were nothing short of works of art. Grown as organically as possible indoors, Snowtill combines the best of both worlds to output some truly next level products that frankly are as close to perfection as one gets. I got to take a peek at four of his strains, and while each is a standout in its own right, it was his selection, Electric Sugar, that floored me. From the absolutely shimmering buds to a high that lasts hours, this is how cannabis is supposed to be.

Fiya Farmer’s Strain Album

I’m a sucker for good marketing. We all know this by now. I love fancy mylars, good content, and creative launches, but we also all know that when someone’s trying super hard on the promo side, it’s usually because the actual product is lacking. Well friends, I’m pleased to inform you that I might have found the holy grail here. Showcasing the progression of his genetics, Fiya Farmer has released his first ‘Strain Album’, and while the marketing is some of the best I’ve seen, the weed inside is even better. Appropriately designed after a record, as each of these ‘tracks’ are LOUD, the eight piece compilation guides the consumer on the evolution of the farmer’s work. Beginning with C.R.E.A.M. & Zangria, two personal favorites he collabed on with Wizard Trees, and finishing up with Brrberry Gary #12. My personal favorite has to be the Sweet Retreat, which along with Track 7 ‘Midnight Mistress’, are upcoming collabs with Doja Pak. I know these boxes are ultra limited, but if you get your chance don’t miss checking this out – this record’s previewing the biggest hits of next year, for sure.

Doja Pak’s LA Premieres

Speaking of Doja Pak, I wouldn’t be adequately doing my job if I didn’t let you in on the best underground weekly in LA right now. Though I can’t tell you where exactly it is (you’ll have to follow Doja on Telegram for that), what I can say is that every Thursday feels like the 215 days in Hollywood again. You see, each week the Doja gang assembles to debut the latest from their brand, or that of one of their friends, and the whole thing turns into an exotic potluck, as Ryan called it on IG. Taking place in a private space, probably the most special element of this event is the community it attracts. From cultivation legends like Fieldz and Wizard Trees to world class trappers, this unique gathering actually attracts both sides of the market, and I regularly see rec dispensary owners and brand guys in there trying to take a peek at the new. While I have a ton of good things to say about Doja, probably the most important is that this team stays ten down – there are few others who have as good of an understanding of what’s happening on the streets, as what’s happening in the boardrooms. Doja’s it.

Oakfruitland’s Oak-Cano

The featured image for this month’s column (the first ever in which I’m actually in the picture) was taken at Oakfruitland. As you can see in the image, I was floored by the work these guys put in front of me. From their Oak-lato to their Sugar Coded, each pack was more impressive than the last. In fact, even their V-Power, which has graced this list before, was even brighter than the last cut I’d seen, so let me be clear here: these guys have a LOT of winners. That said, my pick of the day was their Oak-Cano, an RS pheno which is truly something else. With a much more peppery nose than the rest, what’s most refreshing to me about the Cano was the fact that it’s nose was truly unique. It’s not just candy, or gas, though you can smell the hints of those terps that the market responds best to, and it’s much less of a downer than I was expecting. While I wouldn’t call it morning smoke, this is definitely the type you can light up in the afternoon to accentuate your workflow, as opposed to crash from it.

Sacred Fruits’ Magic Carpets

I’ve already told you how good these guys mushies are, but they’re not content with just having the best fungus around – they needed to innovate. Their latest creation, the Magic Carpets, are without question the best way to consume psilocybin I’ve experienced. Basically all natural fruit roll ups, the carpets each contain 2 grams of magic fruit – which is more than enough to get a real experience in – but for those more experienced explorers, they come 2 rolls to a tube, so 4 grams in total. Made using simple ingredients and organic fruit, the Magic Carpets were SF’s “response to an overabundance of chocolates and gummies”, and it’s one the entire community will benefit from.

SF Canna / Planta’s Big Boy Prerolls

Y’all know my preferred consumption method is joints, and how hard it is to match the quality of your own hand roll once you get it down, so when I find a preroll that I actually want to smoke, it’s hard not to shout about it from the rooftops – so why try? The latest of these prerolls I’ve experienced actually come from two brands, SF Canna, and Planta, both of which are currently packing 1.8 gram full flower rolls. While I know they also have donut versions, the full flower ones are the perfect cannagar style experience one looks for when they want to get real high, and feel like a boss in the process. Complete with branded biohemp filters, these are a must cop if you see them at your local.

Your Highness Ecozotics

In the past I’ve told you about Your Highness’ indoor work, and the folklore around strains like Shady Apples & Lemon Meringue. Well friends, I am pleased to tell you that those fan-favorite genetics that were once unattainable to most just got a hell of a lot more affordable. Dubbed their new ‘Ecozotics’ line, the YH gang has brought their acclaimed cuts into the greenhouse to make them more accessible to consumers of every tax bracket. On the shelves at ~$30 an eighth, you can find these guys at the Pottery in LA, or any of the Farmacy locations in California.

Flatbush Zombies x Sackville’s Limited Edition Collab

I don’t know if the Zombies have the same effect on people from everywhere, but as a New Yorker it’s pretty impossible for me to not love these guys. From their swag, to their unique voices, everything about these guys screams not only originality, but that they’re true to themselves – which is arguably the most New York characteristic there is. That’s why when I saw that the Flatbush gang paired with another native Brooklynite, Sackville & Co., to release a custom designed smell-proof stoner travel-kit, I had to tap in. See, this is something they’re undoubtedly all using, and even as a road warrior myself, few are on the go as much as those guys. Complete with three storage containers, a rolling tray, and a custom four-tiered grinder, you certainly don’t have to be a fan to find the function in this kit, but you’ll be hard pressed to get em before their fans do. Dropping next month on Sackville’s website, keep an eye out!

Headfirst Headstash

If you happen to find yourself in the Pacific Northwest, and you’re looking for a bit more than a head trip, I highly recommend tapping in with Headfirst Headstash. These guys have all the exploratory goodies you could imagine, and then some. While Sacred Fruits presented the first mushroom fruit roll up I’d seen, these guys brought me the first fun dip (produced by @mushthrax) – which, I know, sounds absolutely bonkers, but totally fuckin rules. Now, I won’t lie and say you don’t sorta taste the fungi – shit doesn’t taste like roses, after all – but the sweetness of the powder does a pretty good job offsetting the gross, and out of all the ways I’ve tried consuming these now, this has got to be one of the best. That said, they’ve got far more than fun dip – from chocolate bars to gummies, so tap in when you’ve gotta defeat your ego boss level.

Stuf Cannabis

I do my best to try and keep my eye out for up & comers, and there’s a new brand down in San Diego that’s caught my attention. Dubbed ‘Stuf’, these guys are bringing to market flower and hemp blunts, both of which are of impressive quality for a rookie. The deal is though, while this is the first real legal play for this squad, their cultivator Jake is anything but a new jack. Having been cultivating in his home since before moving to California many years ago, Jake was dialing in his process long before the ideation of this brand. But if you do stuff well for long enough, eventually opportunity knocks. I’m excited to see how these guys grow.

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