I hope everyone is doing ok.
This week is the best air quality we’ve had in Oakland in some time. In honor of this high level of optimism I figured I’d write an update for the eve of Fall and Croptober.
First off, I’m very thankful to still be a journalist. Between AB5 and the pandemic, it was a pretty tough stretch for journalism in California. While I haven’t had the same output I’ve had in years past, I have had more time to work on stories. I’ve really appreciated that extra dash of substance.
I like to pretend to myself I put the same amount of effort into everything. Whether speculating on the future of the CBD market in China or hunting down the real deal heat. But there are only so many hours in day to try and figure all this stuff out before I write about it. So it’s cool to have a little more room to try and understand things a bit deeper before the storytelling starts.
I’ve had a few cover stories since the pandemic started!
It was a great time writing all of these.
I’m starting to roll up my sleeves for the harvest, which is basically the playoffs of weed journalism leading up to The Emerald Cup. While the cup is going to be a lot different this year, it’s happening. So I don’t plan on adjusting any of the timelines I’ve used over the past few years in my eternal quest to hunt down the heat.
This summer has been a little tough on making it out to farms, but I’ve tried to make it happen. I went on a trip to Humboldt for a few nights in August, visited Sonoma Hills Farm in early this month, and also got to check out the results of a 1200 seed pheno hunt Compound Genetics did.
As hard as I’m trying to keep my finger on the pulse these days. I super appreciate tips. If your farm has a particularly fire run or you see something on dispensary shelves that blows your mind let me know!
Everyone stay safe, wear a mask, and see you soon!
Jimi Devine 