Jon’s Stone-Cold Cop List #33: A New Year of Flame

I’m so glad January is almost over. The winter days kind of gel together into this endless cold and gloomy haze that’s just miserable. It simultaneously feels like it’s both the first day of the month, and the six hundredth, and I never feel warm, like, inside, ya know? And I’m reporting from Los Angeles, so I could only imagine the icy hellscape you guys are facing elsewhere in the country. We’ve been bombarded with rain, but it’s better than snow, I guess. At least the sun is starting to shine again… So not all is depressing! Last weekend the First Smoke of the Day gang had their first ever Family Reunion, and it was honestly one of the best weed events I’ve been to yet. Ballers from across the nation, not just the state, pulled up, and it was great to see some flame from across the country under one roof. It was a nice departure from the seasonal hibernation many of us find ourselves undertaking. Remember to get out there and hang out with your friends. Or strangers. Other living things, really. It helps during this time of year. 

I digress, I know why you’re here, so here it is. The best heat that I’ve uncovered as of late. I mentioned in the past that the barrier to entry to this list is ever rising, but competition’s getting heavier than ever, so buckle up. No whammy’s on this side. However! I’m not ignorant enough to think I know EVERYTHING. There’s always more gems to dig out. If you’ve seen a shooting star, or got something worth showing off, holler at me! It’s @joncappetta across platforms.

Fidel’s x Carrot’s Collab

I’ve written a lot about Fidel’s work lately, but this latest collaboration he released with Carrots by Anwar Carrots is more than worthy of its shine. It’s also available nationwide, so you don’t have to rely on your location to participate. Including one of the most comfortable hoodies, t-shirts, and pairs of sweats I’ve ever gotten from a weed brand with crossover logos, what’s even better is the box comes with a half ounce of Fidel’s premium Flowers of Zion, and a full size Hash Hole in a collectible 3D printed carrot. This dude is constantly evolving the brand side of his flower business, and while the weed’s great, the marketing is just – *chef’s kiss*.

The Jig Is Up’s 730

So this was immediately a contender for my favorite mylar design ever. Something about the shiny straight jacket just intuitively screams ‘there’s fire inside here’, and I can’t get enough of it. As such, I had to track down the real, and friends, the 730 inside is just as hot as the packaging it’s encased in. I got a chance to sit down with Jig during his recent trip to Los Angeles and while he’s clearly got an eye for the marketing side of the game, the work he showed was no cheap gimmick. 

Mush Melo

Y’all know I love candy, so candy that fucks you up’s a win/win, right? And I’ve told you about how seemingly everything was turned into a gummy last year, from LSD to MDMA. Well friends, have you ever had a psilocybin s’more? Now you can! The magicians over at Mush Melo figured out a way to turn everyones favorite natural psychedelic into a marshmallow and boy is it stupendous. I must also note for the record that I made a hot chocolate with these that made me feel colors so while s’mores are of course America’s favorite treat, there’s really no going wrong here.

Zig-Zag’s Blanket Hoodie

Speaking of tripping, my new absolute favorite thing to wear while on a vision quest is this new oversized hoodie / blanket from Zig-Zag. This fluffy cloud of comfort is exactly what it sounds like, and it’s honestly amazing it’s taken our collective civilization this long to figure out how to make something this perfect. It’s like the evolved drug-rug, complete with the kangaroo pocket and everything, but this one’s a much more welcoming type of fuzzy.

Heady Heads

Usually when you see giant pre-rolls you don’t expect much from the flower. It’s mostly for the gimmick. People want to take pictures with the fancy smoke, but don’t want to waste the real flame. Not Heady Heads. These eighth prerolls (served in packs of three – 10.5 grams per pack) are filled with actual heat. The first pack I tried was Zkittlez, and it tasted as excellent as Z is meant to, and his latest collabs with Sourwavez, which include both his RS-11 and Sherbanger cuts, will only continue this strong legacy. Plus, considering how much you’re getting per pack, these guys are more than reasonably priced.

Preferred Gardens

I’ve been hearing the gospel about the incredible work Preferred Gardens has been doing for awhile now, but it wasn’t until the First Smoke of the Day Family Reunion that we finally crossed paths, and boy am I glad we did. While their coveted flower rarely makes it this far down state, Dave broke me off with one of their personal 3 gram bangers and yo – it’s as good as I’ve been hearing. A homemade salad of Znackz X Rs11 rolled by Mike on his team, this was the perfect way to get my day started, and honestly would be my preferred joint regularly if they were more readily available down here. I know he’s got a bunch more work coming online this year so here’s to hoping we all see more of these headies IRL.

GOAT Global’s Westwood Lounge

I’ve been meaning to check out one of the GOAT Global shops for awhile now, but this past month they opened their newest location in Westwood so it was a good excuse to finally get off my ass. I’ve got to say, it’s even better than I expected. Not only did the party have all the right canna-elite, but those guys are stocked with literally every hype play you could imagine – from Zushi to Super Dope. I’m excited to see how these guys grow because while I know a lot of people are landing at LAX and heading straight to Cookies, I think the GOAT’s about to give the reigning champ a run for it’s money.

LA FAV

I didn’t realize just how wide-reaching Blue’s hands were out here, so now I feel very late to the party. I knew he owned Archie’s, the exotic snack shop & deli in Noho, but thanks to his support of my late friend Jesse I now realize he’s got spots all over the city – and pushing far more than just cold cuts. He’s got a collectibles shop, interest in a Tattoo parlor, and my favorite, some really, really fucking good weed. His Yuzu has been a daily driver the past few days, and his pre-rolled blunts are going to become a staple in my rotation.

Death Row Records Cannabis

I’ll be honest, I expected this one to be a gimmick when I first heard it was coming. We all know how celebrity stuff goes, and with all the NFT focus Death Row has, I was just a little bit sus. That is, until I heard that AK was putting it together. A Cop-List alumni for his work Shirazi under SMKRS, the new brand is being selected and QC’d by the man himself, so I know it’s not going to be some basic corporate scale play. The first few bags he showed me, including his Strawberry Gary and Tropicana Cookies – which as a sidebar I haven’t seen a good cut of in SO long – was right in the pocket of what you want with top shelf product. And because this needs some level of gimmick, the mylar bags double as pendants for your chain – in true Death Row fashion.

Hella Noize

These guys are a new name to me, but they have apparently been underground for a minute already and are just now pushing out into the larger market. I’ve got to say, it clearly shows in the product, because while there are a million busters who would come to market with any old thing, it’s clear that whoever’s doing the selecting over there is a seasoned vet. My first taste was their Banzaai, which checks all the trap boxes from sweetness and gas to that dark purple hue, but unlike a lot of those that can only look the part, the nose on this one will rock you immediately. You can taste the quality in the smoke, but you’ll really feel it in the high in that way that will make you say “I remember this feeling…”

Bonus: Hug Sleep

This is totally not weed related, but I haven’t slept well in years and I think I found a solution that’s so ridiculous y’all need to hear about it. So I was watching Shark Tank and there was this product called ‘Hug Sleep’ which is basically like an adult swaddle that is supposed to relieve anxiety and make you sleep better. I thought it was hilarious so I bought one because why not, right? But yo – it’s incredible. I have been sleeping like a kid again. I have never been as productive in the morning as I have been for the last few weeks, and while I’m not sure this can possibly last, and it definitely feels a bit ridiculous to wear, if you’re having trouble sleeping, or staying asleep, give this a shot. It’s working wonders for me.