Courtesy Puffcon
I’ve said many times before that Puffcon is one of my favorite events in this scene – it’s like a family reunion – and thankfully this year’s event was no different. If anything, it was better.
Opening to the public for the first time – that is, to people who don’t already own a Puffco product, it was the heaviest hitting lineup yet, and admittedly the busiest of the events they’ve had so far. Collectively it felt like they finally maximized the potential of the downtown footprint they’ve called home the past three years – even adding a new area for food vendors, and more actual hash brands on the floor. There was little left to be desired.
Personally, I didn’t see anything but people having fun with their friends, enjoying great music and hash, at a great event.
Speaking of which, lemme throw out some shoutouts real quick to those not mentioned below. As always, it was excellent to see the homies All My Hats Are Dead, Trapis Designs, and Earth Trade Center down in LA. The homies Trichadelics, Guru, Kalya, Wooksauce, and the Terp Hogz all had booths vending their latest and greatest, and both Liquid Death and Jones Soda were giving product away adjacent to cool vehicles. It was a fun time. Finally, I can’t forget the Puffco crew – thank you Roger, Kevin, and the entire squad once again for all you did to make the event special.
Below are my event-specific highlights, but feel free to let me know yours – or what needs to be on the next one of these – over on (what will forever be known as) Twitter.
Always the belle of the ball, this year TT switched up the program, moving from the Terp Cottage they’d built out the past two years into a full-fledged head shop in the upper indoor area. Introducing a slew of new products from lighter sleeves to branded Flower Mills and Rip Tips, they even had custom glass proxy holders, bowls and chillums for fans to further accessorize. It feels like there’s finally something for everybody over there now. Even further, in perhaps their first official THC collaboration, the Terps crew debuted 3 collab rosin jars with Pioneer Farms. Both the Zazul and the Tropical Z were worth writing home about, but you’re not going wrong with any of these.
Super Chill is known for making killer THC edibles, but did you know they’re dabbling in the fungi world now too? Perhaps the most exciting new product I saw at Puffcon this year was Super Chill’s new Super Fung! Packaged in a paper produce container like you’d find blueberries in at the supermarket, their new mushroom product comes with 1.5 grams and looks like fresh mushrooms, with an almost meringue like dry marshmallow to shape the cap and stem, and a bit of infused chocolate hiding in between. These things not only look adorable, they smack too! I know people get mad when I talk about packaging here, but these things are the full package – that’s just a fun detail!
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned him in a Cop List yet, but I’ve long been a fan of the creativity sprouting from the homie Truly Red Panda. The ideator behind the ‘I’m wearing Carhartt because I’m working on myself’ and ‘…because there’s work in here’ bags, for his latest drop he’s released a sack that’s fun for the whole family. Essentially a Red Panda stuffed animal with arm loops and two storage spaces (inside the plush’s back & tail), this backpack is great not just for people of all ages, but they’re incredibly popular with our four legged friends as well.
Speaking of Panda, I should also mention his additional collab with Astraluxe, but first let me give you a proper introduction. If you haven’t heard about Astraluxe yet, prepare to be amazed. Introduced to me by Action Matt Jackson a few weeks ago, Astraluxe’s ‘Space Ice Cream’ has immediately become my favorite edible in the game. Dosed at 30 mg per serving and in 150 mg tubes, eating one of these is an oral experience. It starts hard and dry, but almost immediately upon getting wet begins to encompass all of your taste buds, providing the best mouthfeel I’ve experienced in an edible. Their Pina Colada and OJ varieties are especially pleasing. They taste exactly as described, but with the fun effect that still kind of surprises me every time. That said, the new drop with Panda, their Hashpresso line, is less heavy on the THC side, but packs an energizing punch, with 10 mg of THC and 50 mg of caffeine in every piece. If you’re worried about the strength of the big boys, that’s a great place to start.
Waves has been producing some incredible flower the past few months, but today I’ve got to give him props for the insane merch he dropped for the event this year. I’ve seen him crushing the branding game on his jars for as long as I’ve known him, but I was not expecting the flood of heat he brought out for all of us to wear. From a unique graphic that included both of Puffco’s premier products, as well as a Jolly Roger tribute featuring Puffco’s CEO with rosin eyes, every item in the collection was not only something you’d LIKE to wear, but doubles as a statement piece.
Considering it was a hash event, I expected to see some solid Honey Bananas rosin floating around the lot, but I’ll be honest, finding Honey Banana flower was probably the last thing I expected to see. In fact, I’d never seen it before, just the rosin. Well that all changed when I went by Professor Sift’s booth, and he showed me some of the flower that Ted from Alien Labs had grown out… it’s otherworldly. Not the prettiest looker, but boy does she smell beautiful – and with a flavor that transfers perfectly. I know it’s a bit early to call, but if this hits the market I think it’s safe to say that while HB’s had a solid hash run the past few years, 2024 is going to be the year of the HB flower.
Another creative I’ve been stoked on lately has been the insanely talented Blazzy. I was originally put on by my late homie Jesse when the original anime ashtrays dropped, but Nothing Personal, Blazzy’s brand, has not stopped making noise since. Having now released a third version of the cult classic ashtray, Bend Over Becky, what I’m actually the most excited about from these guys right now is the collab they’re dropping with Don Merfo’s, the duffle bag tray. Coming to you in a sealed evidence box – true to form for the Nothing Personal squad, their packaging stays next level – this one’s much deeper than your typical tray, and is ideal for when it’s windy and you don’t want your mess getting all over the place. If you haven’t tapped in with Nothing Personal yet, it’s time.
Another Weed & Wagyu special, I know Jesse and Fidel had been working on this collaboration before he passed, and I’m so proud to see it finally come to fruition despite Jesse’s early departure. Truly taking the W&W lifestyle to the next level, together they dropped a cooler filled with everything you need to live this life – from hash holes, rosin, and flower, to an actual cut of the highly coveted meat, straight from Japan. Jesse didn’t play about that. Of course there’s some meatwads & banana pudding in there too, which, if you didn’t know, stays selling out at all available retailers. If you haven’t gotten a chance to grab a taste yet, there may be a few more coolers floating around…
Metro Bloomin’s been boomin’ in the streets for ages now, but his latest play is lifting the brand up past just cannabis, and into tobacco. A ton of brands have launched their own leaves in the past few months, but out of all the ones I’ve gotten to try thus far, these are my favorites. Sourced from the Dominican Republic, and pre-cut into rectangles so you don’t have to trim the leaves down yourself, the Jungo’s come 5 to a pack like your traditional backwood, but without all the filler. When it comes to blunts in the past I’ve only really liked two types of wraps: the big Dutch Masters, and Brothers Broadleaf. Now we can add a third to that list.
Sam launched a Cookie Club last year, and while this traditional mailer business was good, at Puffcon this year she brought the club to the party, and was rolling around with her latest creations fresh for attendees to try. While she’s always been adventurous, concocting crazy recipes that would make any mouth water, her latest Flan cookie may be the best cookie I’ve ever had, period. The combination of chewy crunch on the outside, and then pudding in the middle… It was like a mystery ball cookie. I had no idea what I was getting into, but if possible I’d eat these cookies exclusively going forward. It’s true, I was incredibly high at the time, but trust, it was next level. You’re going to want to try one for yourself.
I think the award for the most creative set up of the event goes to West Coast Cure, who recreated the house Jerett lived in when he started the brand for fans to walk through. Complete with butane running equipment, dehydrators filled with slabs, and rigs set up in the backyard, it was like walking through a time warp for those of us that can remember those days, and a great way to introduce the young bucks to how things used to be. The front of the house was adorned with a classic low rider, as well as a ping pong table in case you needed an activity to keep you from freaking out. Overall great display.
While WCC wins most creative, 710 Labs definitely wins funniest. Their entire set up was a soundproofed room filled with a lie-detector test and polygraph examiner, and they offered the chance to win a year’s supply of weed if you could just answer their 21 questions honestly. This was easier said than done. If you’ve seen the show ‘Moment of Truth’ before, this is what they were recreating, and you have a good idea where this is headed. However, if you’re like me and had NOT heard of the show, the gist is they ask some of the most humiliating questions possible, in front of your loved ones, and if you tell the truth you could win a lot of money. Let’s just say I’m quite certain the questions on the show weren’t as graphic as these. I can’t wait to see the footage…
As far as afterparties go, this is the first time I’ve been to one at a deli, but the vibes were the best I’ve experienced, especially considering we basically took over a sidewalk in North Hollywood in the middle of the night. Bumping from 11-2, and featuring the Kebab Senpai grilling up out front, Archie’s is often a late night jaunt, but with all the friends in town, and everyone ready to devour some good eats after a long day, this one hit the spot. In case you’re unfamiliar, Archies has everything from fire sandwiches to exotic snacks and sodas from around the world – and unlike some of these exo shops, nothing in there is TOO crazy expensive.
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