My Stoney Summer Staycation
Cannabis experiences in Summer '24 that helped restore my faith in humanity.
A wise woman once said: “Time flies. Nobody cares if you drop that Summer recap post a few days before Halloween.”
That woman is me.
Difficulties navigating linear time aside, I’ve been thinking a lot about Summer ‘24 — and shockingly not within the context of “brat” (I missed that whole thing, y’all). One of the greatest perks of being a stoner and working in cannabis in the Golden State is that Cali is a basically a weed incubator where every aspect of legalization is tried and tested.
And occasionally fails as we all now know, but that’s a post for another time.
With cannabis evolving faster than most of us can keep up, let’s reflect on the current moment: cannabis has never been this legal. Say what you will about bans on hemp and synthetic cannabinoids — more Americans have access to the plant and myriad products derived from it than ever before.
And if these summertime events are any indicator, now really feels like an exciting time to be a cannabis consumer:
SF Hash Week
Brought to you by veteran cannabis journalist (and all around dope individual) David Downs and a cadre of cannabis industry legends, trailblazers, brands, and retailers, SF Hash Week in July honored all things concentrates in a direct spinoff of the highly successful inaugural SF Weed Week in April. Much in the way New York and Munich respectively do Fashion Week and Oktoberfest, both weeks centered on activations in San Francisco and other Bay Area cities geared toward connecting consumers with the people behind some of the dankest, most delicious weed on the planet.
As one of the journalists on deck, I was tapped to hop on IG Live to interview my good friend Terryn Buxton, creator of the Color In Cannabis podcast and co-founder of Oakland Extracts, who this particular night held court at the dab bar in the beautiful Urbana dispensary in San Francisco. I was drawn in immediately by Urbana’s warm energy, personable staff, and wide assortment of products, but it was the onsite consumption lounge that really sealed the deal: a rec-room-meets-den asthetic featuring an assortment of games, bottomless water and tea, plenty of tables and lush, comfy seating facilitating blazey conversations. Don’t sleep on consumption spots y’all, they really are a vibe!
A POC-owned brand beloved by its community, Oakland Extracts has endured a lot since launching a decade ago. So it was cool to hear from Terryn about that in between watching him talk about hash with people who love it. Hash Week was a lot of fun largely because it was educational and stigma-defying. Check out my chat with Terryn here.
Big Bag Wolf
Confession: I almost didn’t include Big Bad Wolf because I love how curated and special her events are. But after learning that the Big Bad Queen behind these experiences, Chef Haejin Chun, is on the hunt for a new space to host her sumptuous events (there’s no bigger buzzkill than a Bay Area landlord), I realized this is much bigger than me.
In late-July my girl Jen and I checked out our first BBW dinner after a couple of years stalking her Instagram and not really knowing how to tap in (hint: you need the password; nope, I’m not telling!). We were greeted by the Chef herself who immediately offered us pre-rolls and invited us to join the sesh that was happening on the balcony. Talk about a warm welcome. Joints and low-dose (5 mg) edibles were passed around to encourage chatting between strangers, and within 30 minutes everyone had taken a seat at one of the two long tables at the center of the loft space. Chef Chun shared a few words with the room, spoke of how the loss of a dear friend years ago inspired an off-the-grid camping trip and a mushroom journey that ultimately revealed her life’s purpose: "gathering people from all walks of life, bridging gaps, making connections and sharing a dialogue through the universal language of breaking bread together."
It’s all so clear when I tasted her incredible food. My favorite was the yuzu-sweet pea gazpacho with blistered tomatoes, peas, and shrimp — a bowl of lip-smacking, creamy, sweet-and-sour umami that still gets me drooling every time I think about it.
Everything looked gorgeous and was a total flavor bomb that Chef and her team skillfully managed to create without stress or any palpable tension in a small kitchen right in front of us — an environment expressly curated so guests could be present and in connection with each other. The chance to enjoy exceptional culinary experiences like this is part of what makes living in a legal market so much fun!
Sovereignty Summit
Folks who aren’t in the regulated weed biz may not have heard about the Sovereignty Summit. This invitation-only event wasn’t mean for the general public or even the industry at-large, and while I was there in a professional capacity — the company I work for was a major sponsor — I know I witnessed something history-making.
Representatives from Tribal Nations across the country and Canada gathered at the One Log campus in Humboldt County over a weekend in early September to discuss what cannabis sovereignty could look like for indigenous tribes. With expert-packed panels, roundtable discussions, and resource-sharing front and center, the event delivered lots of education and plenty of real talk about some of the industry’s harsher — and potentially more lucrative — realities.
The Summit was the brainchild of Lindsey Renner, founder/owner of the brand Native Humboldt Farms, cannabis activist, and enrolled member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes — she is an incredible human with a remarkable story. Sovereignty is defined as “the ability to govern and to protect and enhance the health, safety, and welfare of tribal citizens within tribal territory,” but anyone possessing even the slightest knowledge of American history knows the U.S. government sucks at keeping its word. Still, Sovereignty exists as does a whole lot of potential to set a precedent, and Lindsey believes cannabis could finally be the key.
Exploring business and partnership opportunities through the lens of education, empowerment, and mutual benefit is not something one sees every day. At the Summit that weekend, I was able to experience it firsthand, and I’ve been riding that wave of hope ever since. Be sure to follow Lindsey’s Instagram because she’s just getting started.
There you have it, my little glimpse into a pot girl summer 2024!