Issuu

THE ENLIGHTENED VOICE

#197 | NOV. 2026

BUDDY BOY FARM EASTERN WASHINGTON

FEATURING

HIGH FIVE FARMS // pg. 34

EAGLE TREES FARM // pg. 36

BUDDY BOY FARM // pg. 38

HARVESTING REVOLUTION // pg. 54

BARNEY’S AMSTERDAM // pg. 58

F RE E / L E A F M AGA Z I N E S . COM

The Harvest Issue

INDEPENDENT CANNABIS JOURNALISM SINCE 2010

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Warning: This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with the consumption of this product. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children. Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons twenty-one years of age or older.

IN MEMORIAM

EAGLE TREES FARM

HIGH FIVE FARMS

COURTESY

FEATURE | P. 34

GROW TOUR

COURTESY

JOY BECKERMAN

BRENDA PHILLIPS

the harvest issue

#197

[

NOV. 2026

issue

GROW TOUR

SHOP REVIEW

B reeding S uccess

40 YEARS 22 OF BREEDING IN THE GENES Born on May 25, 1959, in a small Gaelic-speaking town in western Ireland, Brett seemed almost destined to become a master breeder. Raised on a farm by a botanist mother and a father who grafted fruit trees, Brett was first exposed to Cannabis around age 11, when some of his dad’s younger brothers — who had traveled the infamous Hippie Hash Trail during the 1960s — came to visit. “They would come back from trips to India, live at my dad’s farm, and grow marijuana seeds they brought back,” Brett explained. “And of course, I was a very impressionable young boy, so I got kind of hooked up in all of that.” Brett helped his uncles tend their plants, but never considered smoking any of the weed they grew at that age. It wasn’t until he was 16, during an encounter on the way to the local village, that he decided to give marijuana a try. “One day I was walking into town … and a police car was passing by. The trunk was open, and sticking out were these huge marijuana bushes that they’d cut down. And because my uncles were known for growing weed, and I had a reputation as a bit of a rebel, they thought it was mine,” he recalled. “That was when I started smoking weed.” Derry and his pals had befriended a gravedigger who lived on the grounds of the local church and liked to blaze. It was with him that he first got high. “We’d hang out there on the graveyard smoking weed at night when we shouldn’t be,” Brett snickered. “That was my first experience of that.”

CANNTHROPOLOGY

NOV. 2026

P RE SE N T S

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Barney’s is not only one of the most renowned coffeeshops in Amsterdam, it’s also one of the world’s most award-winning seed companies — all thanks to the vision, dedication and hustle of its legendary owner, Derry Brett.

leafmagazines.com

FIRE CANNABIS CO.OMAK

REHASHED

BONNIE BROOKS @THECANNAVVITCH

HALLOWEIRD 2026

A PASSAGE TO INDIA After working his way through college, Brett was offered a lucrative engineering job by Shell Oil in, of all places, Amsterdam. “Shell … gave me a house and a car and put me up in the center of Amsterdam. It was amazing,” he reminisced. “They paid me so much money that I only had to work six months a year, and I could just go away for the other six months.” So, in 1982, Brett decided to follow in his uncles’ footsteps and set out for India. Along the way, he befriended some like-minded stoners who joined his quest. The group established base camps in Manali and Himachal Pradesh from which they’d set out by bus, train or motorcycle in search of landrace Cannabis. “We spread out on genetic expeditions. We brought back cuttings and sometimes seeds, and we did some crossings,” he recounted. “We weren’t interested in selling anything; we were just experimenting.” Over the next few years, Brett and his companions explored every major Cannabis region they could, including Afghanistan, Nepal, Thailand, Laos, Burma, Cambodia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Vietnam and China — collecting data and genetics, then bringing them back to

Barney’s owner Derry Brett at the Barney’s Farm shop in Amsterdam in 2009.

THE BIRTH OF BARNEY’S In the mid 1980s, Brett was swept up in an immigration raid along with a fellow Irishman named Nick Mathews. They spent two days in a cell together, then handcuffed to each other, boarded onto a plane and deported to Ireland — an experience that bonded them for life. In 1986, Mathews partnered with a friend named Paul Gould to take over an old Hells Angels bar called Gary’s Place on Haarlemmerstraat and turn it into a coffeeshop catering to non-Dutch speakers with warmer customer service, English newspapers and comfort foods

>> continued on next page

WORLD OF CANNABIS MUSEUM

FIRE FOLLOWER

BUDDY BOY FARM

MORETA FIONA @MFJANE

HUMBOLDT SEED COMPANY

GLASS ART SPOTLIGHT

cannthropology

DAVID DOWNS @DAVIDDOWNS REX HILSINGER @BOROPHOTO

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XLB GLASS 11 12 14 16 18 22 24 28 32 34 36 38 44 48 52 54 58 62

EDITOR’S NOTE ED ROSENTHAL FIRE FOLLOWER GREEN WEDNESDAY JOY BECKERMAN SHOP REVIEW BUDTENDER EDIBLE REVIEW STRAIN OF THE MONTH HIGH FIVE FARMS EAGLE TREES FARM BUDDY BOY FARM HALLOWEIRD REHASHED COOKING WITH CANNABIS GLASS ART SPOTLIGHT ELEVATE YOUR FATE CANNTHROPOLOGY STUDIO SESSIONS

REX HILSINGER @BOROPHOTO

HALLE PENNINGTON

ZOOTS

small shot.

ask your budtender for zoots shots ZOOTSUSA.COM

Enjoy Responsibly.

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WARNING: THIS PRODUCT HAS INTOXICATING EFFECTS AND MAY BE HABIT FORMING. CANNABIS CAN IMPAIR CONCENTRATION, COORDINATION AND JUDGEMENT. DO NOT OPERATE A VEHICLE OR MACHINERY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THIS DRUG. THERE MAY BE HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CONSUMPTION OF THIS PRODUCT. FOR USE ONLY BY ADULTS 21 AND OLDER. KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.

E S TA B L I S H E D 2 0 1 0

T H E E N L I G H T E N E D VO I C E

LEAF

OREGON

LEAF

MARYLAND

A B O U T T H E C OV E R Every year, and truly, every issue, the Leaf strives to recognize the hard work of Cannabis growers and the people behind the plant. And in The Harvest Issue, we’re pleased to highlight three Cannabis farms across the Evergreen State: cover stars Buddy Boy Farms, High Five Farms and Eagle Trees Farm. For more than fifteen years, since the magazine was launched in 2010, we have published The Harvest Issue. Back when the magazine began, growers often did not want to share their names, sometimes even their faces — but their pride in their work was always worth recognizing. As always, be sure to check out these trichome-covered stories, and share your favorites on social, tagging @nwleaf. PHOTO BY MORETA FIONA @MFJANE

WES ABNEY C E O & F O U N D E R wes@leafmagazines.com

WES ABNEY, FEATURES

MIKE RICKER O P E R AT I N G PA R T N E R

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Editor’s Note Thanks for picking up The Harvest Issue of Northwest Leaf! Growing Cannabis using nature’s gifts of sun and soil is hard work, so we honor that with the annual return of this special issue. Today’s dispensaries are so full of beautifully packaged vapes and candies and tins full of infused joints that it’s easy to forget it all comes from a humble plant.

Before the Leaf started in 2010, I had never seen a Cannabis plant in real life. Drugs were bad, and I thought of pot as an illegal substance, not a beautiful garden-filling plant. After all, the government, in its infinite wisdom, said weed caused cancer, which is pretty blasphemous considering the government’s own patent on THC, U.S. Patent No. 6630507, titled “Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants.”

CONTRIBUTORS ANGELA-JORDAN AGUILAR, FEATURES

TOM BOWERS C H I E F O P E R AT I N G O F F I C E R

LEAF

BRUCE WOLF, PHOTOS LAURIE WOLF, RECIPES

We are creators of targeted, independent Cannabis journalism. Please email us to discuss advertising in the next issue of Northwest Leaf Magazine. We do not sell stories or coverage. Email ricker@leafmagazines.com to start advertising!

CO N N E C T W I T H

NORTHWEST LEAF!

Exclusive Cannabis Journalism @NWLEAF

How ironic that science has led to confirmation that humans were designed to exist with this plant, a gift from God for our bodies via the endocannabinoid system, which is larger than our central nervous system! We were made to live with this plant, and for millennia we did, and not just with Cannabis, but with the plants that fed humans and livestock. Today’s hyperprocessed diets and digital lifestyles have disconnected our species from the Earth that still provides food, shelter, medicine and healing.

“WE MUST CELEBRATE AND HONOR THIS SPECIAL TIME OF YEAR AND THE FARMERS WHO DEDICATE THEIR YEARS AND LIVES TO OUR MOST SPECIAL PLANT. “

That’s why the plant matters. It isn’t a drug processed in a lab. It’s not addictive or harmful. It’s extremely unique that Cannabis, and especially hemp, bioremediate the soil, meaning the plants build soil health, unlike commercial crops like soy or corn that deplete soils and rely heavily on synthetic fertilizers. From hemp can come rope, clothing, paper, food, oils, fuel and even biodegradable plastics. From Cannabis we today enjoy topicals, tinctures, drinks and edibles, joints and flower, dabs and disposables in every flavor imaginable. What a wonderful gift it is from the Most High!

While harvest now means pumpkins and decorations, holiday travel plans and shopping lists, our species has spent many more years celebrating harvests (or lamenting bad ones and going hungry) than we have building Instacarts, which is why we must celebrate and honor this special time of year and the farmers who dedicate their years and lives to our most special plant. Ask your favorite budtender for their favorite outdoor Cannabis brands, and experience the full-spectrum buzz of sun-grown bud as you read this special issue of the Leaf.

NORTHWEST LEAF MAGAZINE

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

-Wes Abney

NOV. 2026

PHOTO BY ROGER KISBY @ROGERKISBY

NORTHWEST

Ellen Holland is a San Francisco Bay Area-based freelance writer, the former editor of High Times

perspective

and the author of multiple books, including "Weed: Smoke It, Eat It, Grow It, Love It" (2024).

One of the tropes in Cannabis culture is that there’s nothing like growing your own flowers. Well, this isn’t true for me.

ED ROSENTHAL’S LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

LOW-MAINTENANCE GROW To be honest, although I’ve grown a few plants, I never

got hooked on growing weed. Making Cannabis journalism my career has meant that oftentimes great Cannabis comes my way, and because I roll in a group of master cultivators, their weed is often exceptional, while mine is always so-so. Because of this, I didn’t grow my own crop this year, or at least I thought I wasn’t going to … until now.

NOV. 2026

MY MAIN MENTOR in the weed game is horticulture expert and author Ed Rosenthal. I’ve known Rosenthal for years and worked on several books with him. Beyond that, we are neighbors and see each other socially quite often. Rosenthal is always experimenting in his home grows, trying to see what techniques work best for growing Cannabis. One year, he turned his plants on their sides to see if he could get more lateral branches stretching toward the sun rather than grow big top colas. Last year, he was working on growing plants with single stems. These plants had almost no branches and produced one main line of buds. The idea is that the single-stem plants are easier to harvest and have a faster turnaround time because they spend less time in the vegetative stage.

This year, Rosenthal popped some autoflower seeds and started experimenting with how minimally he could work with them so they would produce flowers. His home greenhouse setup includes five hours of supplemental LED lighting, an aerated plastic trash can filled with water and nutrients, 3-gallon pots filled with clay pebbles on the bottom and soil on top and a heated water reservoir beneath the pots that lets the plants draw water as needed. The plants are covered in panda plastic white side up to prevent insects, keep the containers cool and stop water from evaporating. There was one snag in his plan this year, though. Rosenthal has been on a quest to relegalize Cannabis in India, a place where he has formative memories from his younger days, and set off on a long trip “... Plants have been around for hundreds of at the beginning of October. That’s where I come in; I’m millions of years, and set to give the plants 2 quarts they did pretty well of water a week and watch without humans.” them for about a month to see when they are ready to harvest. Then, I’ll have to harvest, dry, cure and trim them. In exchange, Rosenthal said I can keep most of the buds. “The plants take care of themselves,” Rosenthal said while giving me the instructions for the setup. “The lights go on every day, and I give them about five hours of extra light, and then they do the rest themselves. It’s up to them.” This low-maintenance setup is designed to minimize daily human involvement. The seeds were started in Rockwool cubes around late August or early September. The clay pebbles act like a wick, drawing water up from the reservoir below through capillary action, like a tissue pulls water from a glass. “A lot of people like to take care of their plants every day and think that plants need their help, but plants have been around for hundreds of millions of years, and they did pretty well without humans,” Rosenthal said. “And so, as long as they get the requirements met — enough light, enough nutrients, enough water, enough air for the roots — they can take care of themselves. This shows that they don't really need human love and, you know, caresses.” Rosenthal told me that next year he might replace my role watering the plants once a week by using the force of gravity. It feels like a blow to have my labor replaced by a natural phenomenon, but I understand. It’s all part of making growing Cannabis easier for all of us. By next year, I’m sure Rosenthal will be trying other methods of growing as part of his never-ending project to grow pot in the simplest way. And, this year, that involves recruiting me as a somewhat reluctant Cannabis cultivator. In the end, Rosenthal and I will probably have some weed to smoke. And, who knows, maybe the simplicity of the setup will help me finally fall in line with one of his most famous quotes: “Marijuana may not be addictive, but growing it is.” EDROSENTHAL.COM @EDROSENTHAL420

STORY & PHOTO by ELLEN HOLLAND @HOLLANDBUDS for LEAF NATION

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HUMBOLDT SEED COMPANY’S NEW PEACH EMOJI HAS US DROOLING THE YEAR OF THE PEACH-SMELLING TERPENES RAMPS TO A FINALE

WE’VE ALWAYS been fans of stone fruit — the riper, the better! As we near the end of 2026 and review the year’s trends, it’s clear we’ve been having an era of the peach. The fresh-freezing and solventless processing of flowers into hash unlocked huge, fresh, new fruit flavors that otherwise die in the drying room. Virtually every fruit flavor can be found on a good hash shelf, and, shocker, hash heads drool for peach candy. Rounding out this year of peach genetics is the latest from the industry-leading Humboldt Seed Company: Peach Emoji. You can see the team driving at mucho peach terpenes that also yield tons of hash. They got there with CHA Genetics’ Grilled Peach, magnified by the hashers Papaya, TallyMon and Honey Banana crossed with UK Cheese. This wasn’t a one-and-done project. HSC founder and CEO Nat Pennington bred the Peach Emoji to itself twice, which is called “selfing.” They also selfed their strain Honey Bear three times in this project. “It took us a while to feel like we could confidently say that this strain is just peach candy,” Pennington said. The result is weed that smells like peach ring candy and peach pie on the branch. Make hash from it and expect this expansive, artificial peach taste PEACH EMOJI with hints of schnapps and vanilla. “It doesn’t taste like a real peach. When Cannabis imitates something, it’s often the flavoring version of it. It smells like a bottle of cheap peach schnapps or Dollar Tree peach rings,” Pennington said. The 70% sativa revs smokers up, HASH PLATTER while the strain itself doesn’t take that long to finish. HSC doesn’t add problem MORE PEACH BUZZ HSC'S children to its lengthy roster. Peach HSC’s Peach Emoji helps close out an NAT PENNINGTON Emoji is a vigorous plant that deTAKES A PHENO epic year of tight peach terps all around. HUNT BREAK IN velops tall, frosty, green Over in Oakland, California, “It took us a while Purple City Genetics pumped THE SHADE. spears with purple freckles and big bracts. to feel like we could out Moroccan Peaches crosses confidently say It finishes as fast as anything else despite the in its El Krem hasher line. The that this strain is sativa profile — about 50-60 days indoors and standouts included Habibi (Z x between Sept. 25 and Oct. 5 outdoors. just peach candy.” Moroccan Peaches), released For the cash croppers, the company states at Clonetopia in May. that Peach Emoji hits 34%-40% THC, performs Staefli Genetics’ Mewell indoors and outdoors and is a dual-use plant capable ga-Peaches, grown by Neukom Family of producing flower or hash. Farm and washed by Fire King, had We saw the hash obsession from the brand at the Oct. dabbers making the goon face during San 3-4 Puffcon Block Party in downtown Los Angeles. AlongFrancisco Hash Week in July. side their seeds, the HSC crew was dabbing people out Down in Compton, California, Masonic from a custom six-pack of hash flavors they had processed Seed Company released Mase and the from their own material. Giant Peach (Peach Limeade x Tropicanna Look out for three more cultivars from HSC in the fourth F2). quarter of 2026: Cloud Candy, based on its 2025 star, Colorado’s Bloom Seed Co. really owns Candy Hustle, as well as Hawaiian Papayaz, also bred with the peach hash game with Peach Guava hash in mind. Lastly, expect a third Bob Marley Family strain (Peach OZ x Pure Guava) and Peach Pinein the lineup — they’re locking in the name as of press time. apple (Peach OZ x Pomelo Punch 5).

HSC'S HALLE PENNINGTON SMELLS THE FLOWERS

HUMBOLDT SEED COMPANY

perspective leafmagazines.com

FIRE FOLLOWER

Award-winning journalist/author and former Leafly Senior Editor David Downs’ monthly genetics intelligence dispatch.

nov. 2026 NOV.

THE HSC CREW DURING A 2025 PHENO HUNT

International brand name Doja also showed its Peach Tree (Gelonade x P41) crop going straight to fresh-frozen. As we noted last month, Grounded Genetics of Amsterdam has Maracuya (Zwisher x Peach Guava) and its own Peach Guava (Peach Limeade x Key Lime Guava). Online, Aficionado Seeds dared to list a $20,000 Peach Tree clone this year that was super loud in the bag and featured unabashedly green buds. And at Puffcon 2026, we chatted with Terphogz’ Tony Mendo, who is excited to be working on a project that crosses Pineapple Lemon Superboof with Peach OZ. NOV. 2026 POT FARMER’S ALMANAC Finish drying, and begin curing and trimming the outdoor crop. Make bubble hash. Press rosin. Plan a harvest party. Plant a cover crop. Full Beaver Moon: Nov. 24, 2026.

HUMBOLDTSEEDCOMPANY.COM @THEHUMBOLDTSEEDCOMPANY

STORY & PHOTOS by DAVID DOWNS @DAVIDDOWNS for LEAF NATION

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The Coast is Calling!

Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 and older. This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of reach of children.

Quick Hit

perspective

Former San Diego Magazine Managing Editor Jackie Bryant joins Leaf Nation to imagine the future of the Cannabis industry.

41% more items per bag on Green Wednesday compared to Ordinary Wednesday (OW) 12% higher ticket per customer on GW vs. OW 21% lower price per item paid on GW vs. OW 84% of GW customers were months-long returning customers 8% of GW customers were new shoppers

A familiar dispensary has its advantages when you’re trying to get through a shopping list. You can spend an absurd amount of time comparing menus, especially when every flower description seems to promise a life-changing experience. Knowing where to find something you like saves some homework. And there’s a small, specific pleasure in spotting a discount on a product you were already prepared to pay full price for. Plenty of the shopping happened early. Activity during the 8 a.m. hour nearly tripled compared with an ordinary Wednesday, according to Sweed’s analysis. Pickup accounted for just over half of Green Wednesday orders, up from about 44%. The holiday was well underway before the after-work crowd arrived. Those numbers suggest a place for the dis“You can spend an pensary in the Thanksgiving WHO’S BUYING WHAT, ACCORDING TO SWEED absurd amount of time errand run, with an order waiting to be collected becomparing menus, tween other obligations. especially when every REEN WEDNESDAY gives buying weed the I find that fairly endearworks out to an average price per item about flower description respectable air of getting ready for coming. Buying weed can occu21% lower, reflecting both prices and the mix seems to promise pany. The long weekend is coming, and py the same mundane corof products people bought. Shoppers took a life-changing restocking the stash gets to share a to-do ner of life as remembering home substantially more without increasing list with buying potatoes. This year, the coffee for the next morning. their spending by nearly as much. experience.” dispensary shopping holiday falls on Nov. 25, the The pleasure comes later; I’d happily use that kind of purchasing day before Thanksgiving. I would happily volunteer right now, you’re checking power to buy more flower I already love. to handle that errand. something off a list. Getting a good price A discount also makes an unfamiliar grower a little A sale on something you already enjoy has obvimakes the stop a little more satisfying, easier to take a chance on. ous appeal during a week when the grocery bill can especially with a long weekend ahead. There’s room for some curiosity here. The trouble starts get obscene. Of course, a dispensary promotion can My ideal Green Wednesday would end when the offer does all the choosing: buying several also send you home with several things you had no with something I’m excited to smoke and products you barely want to qualify for a deal on the one intention of buying. Suddenly, getting a deal involves enough left in the budget for everything you came for. At some point, you’re paying to help clear spending more money than you planned, and you’re else. I’d like to get home feeling pleased a shelf. explaining the purchase to yourself with arithmetic with the purchase, without having to The people filling those carts had some history with the that would embarrass you under other circumstances. explain to myself why I needed four extra stores. Sweed found that 84% of Green Wednesday shopSome transaction data from dispensary software things to save money on the first one. pers had first purchased there more than 100 days earlier. company Sweed offers a glimpse of what actually There are still potatoes to buy. New customers made up about 8% of shoppers. happens at checkout. In the stores the company The holiday crowd was largely made up of people analyzed, 2025 Green Wednesday orders contained returning to a business they had already tried, which is 41% more items than on an ordinary Wednesday, unsurprising to me, but I think it may surprise industry SWEEDPOS.COM while average spending per order rose 12%. That marketers who bank on new consumers constantly. @GETSWEED

THE THANKSGIVING WEED RUN

leafmagazines.com

nov. 2026

STORY by JACKIE BRYANT @JACQBRY | ILLUSTRATIONS by ADOBE STOCK

in memoriam

JANUARY 27, 1970 - OCTOBER 16, 2026

Joy Beckerman Joy Beckerman lived a life exemplified by her name, spreading cheer and using her natural gifts of kindness and influence throughout her storied career as a hemp and Cannabis activist.

leafmagazines.com

MY FAVORITE MEMORY of Joy is at Olympia Hempfest, although I have countless memories of her at the iconic Seattle Hempfest, where she organized and spread her special brand of cheer and activism relentlessly. The moment I remember is Joy running a booth by herself, a white tent in the shadow of the state Capitol dome stuffed with different goods and products made from hemp. She had soaps, cooking oil, motor oil, clothes and so many food items, all made from the plant that was so versatile and useful, it’d been made illegal 100 years before, catching Cannabis up with it. Her booth was a little store where nothing was for sale, and every piece had a story attached of how hemp was involved. She even lugged around a chunk of hempcrete, which is a most amazing and natural form of concrete — made by mixing hemp hurds, lime and water — that is mold and microbial resistant, can’t burn, is extremely breathable and durable as a construction material and lasts for centuries. Joy would approve of this educational aside. Why I love Joy and this memory is that she wasn’t getting paid to be at the state Capitol. She’d accumulated all the items herself over 30-plus years of activism, loading a car and driving from event to event, spreading the truth about hemp the way a traveling missionary would. She cared so much about the plant — and making the world better — that she would stand publicly and proclaim it to anyone within earshot, never selling anything or asking for donations. If ever there was a pure and true spirit of activism for the plant, Joy was certainly a shining example.

The term “tireless advocate” should have a picture of her beaming next to it, for her smile lit up a room, and it was her energy above all that drew people in to learn about hemp.

nov. 2026

Joy was a smiling rebel who opened a hemp store in Woodstock, New York, in the early ’90s and received a visit from the Secret Service in 1994 for stamping “I grew hemp” on dollar bills next to George Washington’s face. Far from arresting her, the freedom fighter was advised to use a specific type of ink for her free speech activities, and she continued stamping “legalize it” and “lower taxes” on bills for years despite the threat of arrest. Joy’s energy was contagious, and she spread the vibe everywhere she went, activating others and earning awards and recognition along the way, including the Hemp Industries Association’s 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2014 National Hemp Activist of the Year Award, the Cannabis Women’s Alliance’s 2016 Outstanding Contribution Award and Seattle Hempfest’s 2016 Outstanding Cannabis Activist Award. She was an advocate for hemp before it became hip for the purest of reasons: saving the Earth! Joy inspired my own deep dive into the usefulness of hemp, which can replace and improve upon so many petrochemical plastic or synthetic products. Even as Cannabis was being legalized, and so many activists were high on the potential of THC, myself included, Joy was there to ground us in the potential of the movement and remind us that we can celebrate medicine and Cannabis, but hemp can change how the world works and runs. She cared so much about people and this planet that she spent her life trying to improve both with plant medicine and resources. We spent many sunny afternoons at various weed events, where I would be peddling the Leaf, others would be selling their newest high hopes and weed and Joy would always be on mission. The term “tireless advocate” should have a picture of her beaming next to it, for her smile lit up a room, and it was her energy above all that drew people in to learn about hemp. When she opened her hemp store in Woodstock in the ’90s, the plant was illegal, and all the hemp products she sold were imported from European or Asian countries where the plant was allowed to grow. Amazingly, Joy lived to see fields of hemp planted all over America, the legalization of Cannabis and the restoration of a crop that helped build this country and the human species itself. Joy is certainly resting peacefully knowing that hemp roots are in the ground, but I hear her calling on us to continue the activism she began decades ago. We’ve planted the seeds, but the work to change the world isn’t done, and her torch is still lit, waiting to inspire and ignite the next generation of activists. Joy came to a Leaf event earlier this year, and as we spoke about life, growth and love of the plant, she told me that she wasn’t scared of what was to come. I spoke of God’s love for her, of eternal life in heaven, and the peace she emanated in return filled me not with sadness, but with the very feeling her name embodied. As she shared a sense of satisfaction of a life well lived, the progress of the Cannabis plant and industry and her own journey reaching the end of one destination and the beginning of another, she had no fear. As she was here on Earth, and I’m sure she is today in heaven, Joy lived up to her name in every single way.

STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX @NWLEAF | PHOTOS COURTESY & FACEBOOK See more photos at LeafMagazines.com

WELCOME HOME

RENTON

14300 SE Petrovitsky Rd. Renton, WA (425) 572-6333

Tacoma

2632 S. 38th St. Tacoma, WA (253) 625-7628

dankswarehouse.com | @dankswarehouse.co Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 and older. This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of reach of children.

edmonds

7207 212th St. SW Edmonds, WA (425) 670-0690

FALL FIRE POWDERHOUND

Lazy Bee gardens

WINNERS OF

-10WWW.LAZYBEEGARDENS.COM

LEAF BOWL AWARDS!

WARNING: Cannabis products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 and older. This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Cannabis can impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of reach of children.

shop review

OMAK

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

FIRE CANNABIS CO.

nov. 2026

“... WE END UP BECOMING ALMOST FRIENDS WITH OUR CUSTOMERS. MOST OF US KNOW MOST OF THEM BY NAME MOST OF THE TIME.”

FIRE CANNABIS CO.

903 ENGH ROAD SUITE D, OMAK, WA FIRECANNABISCOSHOP.COM (509) 557-6420 SUN.-THURS. 8 A.M.-11:45 P.M. FRI./SAT. 8 A.M.-MIDNIGHT

AND CHECK OUT THEIR OTHER LOCATION 1401 S 1ST ST STE 102, YAKIMA, WA

shop faves FLOWER Sky High Gardens Mintmosa C O N C E N T R AT E

Many Cannabis consumers prefer to pick up at a store where everybody knows their name, a store like Fire Cannabis Co. on Highway 20 in Omak. The small, senior-rich community is served up fire flower alongside wellness-driven edibles and tinctures every day in this sunshine-filled neighborhood weed shop. FIRE CANNABIS CO. budtender Marshall Haque shared more about the store culture and preferred products in an interview with Northwest Leaf. “I just like to think that all of our customers, especially since we’re in a smaller town, we really get to know them, and we end up becoming almost friends with our customers. Most of us know most of them by name most of the time,” Haque said. Convivial, chill energy seems to permeate this space. The store is known to play ’70s, ’80s and ’90s music with a few modern tunes thrown in — employees pick from a few finely tuned Pandora stations. The small crew of budtenders also keeps dog treats under the counter for four-legged companions. Those who visit will see daily specials posted at the front of the shop, touting deals like 40% off Phat Panda on Tuesdays and 30% off the entire store every Friday. Every day, a new 25% off special on specific categories, like 25% off prerolls every Saturday, is also in play.

As for first-timers, the team is trained to guide even the most beginner Cannabis consumer to the proper products. Haque likes to learn about first-time customers to understand more about their Cannabis needs. If they have smoke-sensitive roommates, for example, he’d likely direct them to vapes and edibles. For sleep, most find relief with Doozies gummies from Green Revolution, which contain melatonin. “None of the budtenders at Fire have any issue helping customers who come in not knowing what they need, or even just having a general idea, like ‘Oh, you know, I have pain, or I need to sleep.’ All of us are super happy, and we all have a bunch of different recommendations to give out, for sure,” Haque said. Seniors make up a large part of the regular customer base, many of whom lean toward edibles catered to sleep, CBD tinctures and coveted Ceres Dragon Balms. The store also sells lots of Phat Panda, Lil’ Ray’s lemonades and Microbars.

Freddy’s Fuego was Honey Tree Extracts by Bodhi added to the menu Orange Kush recently after customers VA P E asked about the brand. Sweetwater Farms Haque is looking forward Pineapple Colada to trying Freddy’s Oreo Blizzy disposable vape. PREROLL From the menu to the FOG Khalifa Candy music, Fire Cannabis Co. EDIBLE is a dispensary that seems Mary Jones versatile for the sake of Orange and Cream Gummies its customers. High-THC products line shelves next to wellness-based fare in a cornucopia showcasing the powers of the plant. But on top of that, the team behind the counter has cultivated a vibe that makes everyone feel welcome. “Before they even walk through the front door, you know we already have their account pulled up — and sometimes even their order. So, just stuff like that, I think, makes the store really welcoming,” Haque said. It does not matter if a customer is passing through town or a daily regular; the staff members at Fire Cannabis Co. are down to help them find what they need. Everyone gets the same service and the same smiles, even the furry friends. Those who find themselves in Omak or Yakima, where the second Fire Cannabis Co. location is, should stop in and experience the heat for themselves.

STORY by CARA WIETSTOCK @CARA_JUANA for NORTHWEST LEAF @NWLEAF| PHOTOS by REX HILSINGER @BOROPHOTO See more photos at LeafMagazines.com

budtender of the month

MATTHEW WHITE

4108 STATE ROUTE 105, TOKELAND, WA TOKELANDCANNABIS.COM @TOKELANDCANNABIS 8 A.M.-9 P.M. DAILY (360) 505-4304

This is more than just another pot store down the road; this is a remote, small area, and this team puts a ton of focus on two main things: community and medical patients. “I think that’s part of the benefit of out here. We even have limited options for shops; it doesn’t matter what you want to go buy,” White said. “The amount of community involvement we get, I think, is going to be higher than almost an average pot shop because people come in here just to chat about the weather and how they’re doing.” This definitely seems like more of a third space than just another Cannabis retailer to us. Offering medical assistance in a small town like this is also a huge benefit to the community. Not all products are created equal, and the purchasing team here listens to their clients’ feedback and researches the companies supplying products to their customers. This is all to maintain the high standards their community has come to rely on.

LEAFMAGAZINES.COM

TOKELAND CANNABIS

“THIS DEFINITELY SEEMS LIKE MORE OF A THIRD SPACE THAN JUST ANOTHER CANNABIS RETAILER TO US.” Tokeland Cannabis is a unique Cannabis retailer in Pacific County, operated by the Shoalwater Bay Tribe since 2021. This reservation has a deep-rooted history in the area. Despite being recognized in 1866 by presidential executive order, the Shoalwater Bay Tribe did not gain sovereignty until 1971. This allowed the reservation to gain rights as a legally independent nation, which provides economic independence and access to direct federal protections. This is where our Budtender of the Month, Matthew White, now calls home.

nov. 2026

HE GREW UP just south of Tokeland in the beautiful seaside community of Long Beach. Once he graduated from high school, White spent time in Bellingham at Western Washington University earning his degree in history. Then, it was on to Seattle for his 20s and early 30s. Eventually tiring of city life, he spent some time enjoying the Oregon coast and finally ended up landing here in Tokeland, where for the past three years he’s been working at Tokeland Cannabis.

From the local retired MATTHEW’S Aussie who doesn’t consume FAVORITES Cannabis herself but humorously claims the store FLOWER has turned her pooch into Washington Bud Company a “pot dog” to the tribal Gorilla Girl members who have found CONCENTRATE mental and physical relief PurForm Labs through the plant, the stories Tropical Jet Fuel of happiness and healing here PREROLL are abundant. If you time Ooowee Raspberry Mimosa your visit right, you can really EDIBLE see the community come out Wyld Kiwi Gummies for Tokefest! It is the annual BEVERAGE gathering the store puts on Green Revolution Blueberry that has really gained speed Acai Wildside Max THC Shots and continues to grow each year. Full of live music, food trucks and producer/ processor booths, this is another one of White’s favorite times of the year. We asked him what the best part of working here was, and he simply said, “This job is so fulfilling.” So, needless to say, if on your next journey to the coast you should be near Tokeland, stop in and say hi to White and the team while you enjoy the beach vibes. @ALKIPIRATE STORY & PHOTOS by REX HILSINGER @BOROPHOTO

Who’s your favorite budtender? Tell us why! Email nominations to rex@leafmagazines.com

This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Cannabis can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of the reach of children.

new flavors

new look!

coming soon!

edibles of the month

“WITH HEAVY-HITTING EFFECTS AND TRUE-TO-FRUIT FLAVOR, WE FOUND OURSELVES SOARING THROUGH THE HOUSE BETWEEN THE KITCHEN AND THE COUCH.” ZOOTSUSA.COM @ZOOTSUSA

Harvest Hits ZOOTS GUMMIES & LEMONADE SHOTS

leafmagazines.com

Embrace the holiday season with a fresh offering of gummies and shots from the brand with a name that is also a vibe, and get baked like a Thanksgiving turkey with Zoots. DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME hits almost as hard as 100 milligrams of THC in this delicious, fruity shot, which is why the changing of seasons must come with adequate supplies of edible treats. Failure to pack a goody bag full of gummies and infused shots can lead to painfully sober holidays, which nobody is looking forward to. Even this writer struggles with the concept that Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner waiting to smack us with holiday cheer, like an edible digesting, ready to melt the mind and body into a blob of festive fun. To properly embrace the holidaze, one must get extremely high, so we begin with the new Lemonade Shots in the Soar 100mg THC blend.

nov. 2026

Lemonade is delicious year-round, especially when real-fruit infusions and a huge hit of weed are mixed in. We gulped down a delicious fresh-squeezed blueberry shot, mixed the sharp, sweet blackberry into a Red Bull to become a fruity, infused spritzer and we added the bright and tart raspberry to a punch bowl for everyone to get a taste at the holiday party. With heavy-hitting effects and true-tofruit flavor, we found ourselves soaring through the house between the kitchen and the couch, ready for baked goods that matched our stoned vibe. To stay awake and focused and still baked, we turned to the Clarity elderberry gummies, which have equal parts CBG, CBC and THC.

Purple and sugary, these bites have a deep berry sorbet flavor that’s bright, tart and syrupy, with a perfect kick of cannabinoids to focus the mind — and bake it. While it’s definitely too early to joke about going to sleep in time for Santa, the new Dream Strawberry Gummies are the ticket to a relaxing night’s sleep. Soft sugared pink squares burst with fresh strawberry jam flavor, coating the palate and delivering 10mg each of CBN, CBD and THC in each bite. Pillowy soft and with a perfect melt and finish, these are top-shelf gummies with hard-hitting effects. From floaty shots to dreamy gummies, the season of good cheer and giving starts with treating yourself to Zoots.

REVIEW by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX/NORTHWEST LEAF @NWLEAF | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

B L UN T

doug

ieblun

RY DAY

strain of the month THE harvest ISSUE leafmagazines.com

Take a trip back to the new old school, when GMO was king of the funk and transforming palates, and prepare for a heady hit of terpy fire from the sun-kissed flowers at Lazy Bee Gardens. GMO STANDS FOR either garlic-mushroom-onion or grandpa’s mouth odor, which reminds us of the unique flavor profiles that Cannabis carries. When we get a bud so funky it reminds us of an old garlic clove stuck in a pawpaw’s tooth, and then we drool over it and smoke it, we know that weed is a special plant. Indeed, the magical world of terpenes, flavonoids and volatile sulfur compounds means that the same limonene in a lemon is in a Super Lemon Haze, and the same VSCs that give a skunk its stank or garlic its power are also found in the GMO. How amazing that science can tell us what the nose knows — this GMO is some funky and loud flower. Repeated tokes Sealed in glass, cover the palate the bright lime green in a resiny, tingly, flower is dripping with garlicky funk as trichomes that covthe mind becomes er every bit of bud, glazed over like a glistening as we break holiday ham, the up the medium-light density flower for a big temperature rising with each hit as a bowl of face-melting supremely baked fun. Cracking open buzz takes over. nugs releases a cloud of honey-garlic fuel that ignites senses, teasing the palate with sour glue and a fermenting, funky lemon cookies finish that smells spectacular as a bowl is loaded. The first tokes are sweet and sour, with an exceptionally smooth inhale that tastes like a pure hit of sun-powered GMO. Repeated tokes cover the palate in a resiny, tingly, garlicky funk as the mind becomes glazed over like a holiday ham, the temperature rising with each hit as a supremely baked buzz takes over. With eyes watering, the mind melting and the body happily sedated, this GMO is powerful, clean and tasty, and it carries the best of this classic strain that debuted in 2014 that still smacks over a decade later. Grown using the sun and supplementally lit greenhouses in the Methow Valley, Lazy Bee Gardens has produced exceptional sun-grown Cannabis since 2015. With deep roots in medical Cannabis and a passion for the plant, owner Matthew Frigone has stayed true to the sun and earth, continuing to grow using natural and organic style inputs to produce beautiful, clean Cannabis. With flower and rosin squished fresh from the earth and sun to our lungs, Lazy Bee is ready to share a fresh buzz for the holidaze season. LAZYBEEGARDENS.COM @LAZYBEEGARDENS

NOV. 2026

G MO GROWN BY

LAZY BE E GARDE NS REVIEW by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX @NWLEAF | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

THE harvest ISSUE

CARBON CAKE

THE CREW

leafmagazines.com

HIGH FIVE FARMS High Five Farms sits in arguably the best place to grow hops, a plant very closely related to Cannabis, in the entire Western Hemisphere. This is no joke; it is literally the epicenter of hops production. About 75% of the U.S. hops supply comes from the Yakima Valley, and around 30% of the entire world’s hops production takes place there, too. This is where Prosser-based High Five Farms got its start in 2014, and this team can confidently boast that their Cannabis is also some of the best sun-grown in the country. What do you get when you mix 30 years of cultivation experience, dedication to sustainability and a strain collection that ranges from some of the most sought-after oldschool flavors to the latest and greatest hybrids? Stunning flowers and solid concentrate products that are happy to take The Pepsi Challenge with any indoor-grown Cannabis. Light up, and enjoy a little chat we had with High Five Farms owner Jason Zucker.

nov. 2026

>> WHEN DID YOU GET YOUR START IN CANNABIS? I’m originally

OWNER JASON ZUCKER

from St. Louis, Missouri, and in 1993, when I was a senior in high school, my father caught me trying to grow a Cannabis plant in the drop ceiling of our basement. I told him, “But Dad, you can’t say it’s bad for me — I’m on the honor roll.” He replied that he was upset that it’s illegal and that I attempted to do this in his house. But he never told me to stop doing it, and here I am 33 years later still doing the damn thing.

ORANGE CREAM POP

OG TANG

EXPERIMENTAL ROWS

WHAT ARE YOUR PREFERRED LIGHT SOURCES AND SOIL COMPOSITION?

YAKIMA VIBES

The ideal light source for Cannabis cultivation is a combined mix of natural sunlight and supplementary artificial lighting. We call this mixed light. We are primarily a sun-grown farm but have a portion of our canopy allocated to mixed-light application, which we sell in our TOPS flower brand. At High Five, we use a custom grow medium composed primarily of peat, organic dry fertilizer amendments and biostimulants. The other primary input that we use is a 100% carbon-based and salt-free nutrient line called Rooted Leaf. They are a local Washington state company, and I highly recommend their products if a cultivator is looking to increase their overall flavor and terpene levels in their Cannabis flower.

ARE THERE ANY NEW STRAINS OR PRODUCTS YOU’D LIKE TO LET LEAF READERS KNOW ABOUT? Every season,

we are testing out new strains, moving on from older flavors that no longer serve us and entering into production with new successful cultivars that we prototyped the season prior. This year, I would recommend trying out the Pure Michigan, Orange Cream Pop and Zooyaki strains.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FUTURE GOALS FOR HIGH FIVE FARMS?

Our vision for the future is to continue expanding our ability DESTINY JONES to produce exceptional, sustainably grown Cannabis at an affordable price for consumers who appreciate the quality of premium sungrown flower. We’re investing in additional light-deprivation and mixed-light infrastructure to further elevate the quality, consistency and volume of our harvests. With the recent approval of our federal application to manufacture and distribute Schedule III Cannabis, we’re also excited to explore opportunities beyond Washington state and bring our products to new markets nationwide.

HIGHFIVEFARMS.COM @HIGHFIVEFARMS

High Five Farms can be found in most retail Cannabis stores in our state. Ask your budtender next time you are in, and give this brand a try — you’ll definitely enjoy it. From the flowers to the rosin, this farm has brought us nothing but smiles and giggles.

JUAN ALTAMIRANO

STORY by REX HILSINGER @BOROPHOTO for NORTHWEST LEAF @NWLEAF| PHOTOS by HIGH FIVE FARMS See more photos at LeafMagazines.com

THE harvest ISSUE

EAGLE TREES FARM Excellent outdoor Cannabis often shares one trait: resiliency. This year, Eagle Trees Farm centered its closed-loop genetics program on a plant that embodies just that. Siblings Jesse Straight, COO, and Kenny Ingebrigtson, lead grower, started the regenerative farm more than a decade ago.

nov. 2026

KENNY & JESSE

Originally bred by Green Source Gardens, Banana Cherry Lion embodies a gassy earth aroma, much like OG Kush strains, alongside sharp fruit notes. The crosses reached 9 feet tall and blushed in purple and blue hues, while the nugs took on a green frosty hue with red hairs. Eagle Trees sells THC flower, mixed-ratio CBD and CBG flower, joints, temple balls, Moroccan-style hash, RSO and rosin. Last year, its first edible hit the menu: Raw Honey Rosin. Some of the batches are made by Eagle Trees’ bees, while others are crafted by local beekeeper Casita in the Backwoods. After lowering prices last year, the beloved brand sold every gram, but it may not be enough to keep them on shelves. “It wasn't good for our bottom line to lower our prices, but it was survival, and that's what it takes in this industry,” Straight said.

PINK BIKE

PHOTO BY DELIA BRANDS

leafmagazines.com

“KENNY’S ALWAYS BEEN a ganja farmer; that’s his archetype,” Straight shared with the Leaf. “And when Washington legalized Cannabis, I believe it was like 2012, we talked about potentially opening something, and then we figured out how to do it.” Eleven years later, the team runs sun-grown flower and lightdep greenhouses while maintaining companion plants among the Cannabis and marveling at the little frogs, owls and creatures around the flower patch. This year, harvest weather was impeccable. Sunbeam-filled harvest days were well-earned after another closed-loop season, meaning that no plant inputs came from off-farm. Operating on a closed loop reduces plastic and landfill-bound waste, lowers power needs and brings many crucial growth variables — like fertilizer, well water and seeds — in-house. “The breeding is a big part of the closed loop that's kind of understated,” Ingebrigtson said. “The genetics program is how you can really be closed loop. Making our own seeds, we don't need to run lights all winter, and we can pop the seeds in the natural light and not have to heat them, not have to use extra energy.” Each year, Ingebrigtson focuses on one plant for seed production. Last year was all about Sour Apple Sherb, and this is the year of Banana Cherry Lion — a plant selected for its strength in adversity. In the last few years, Eagle Trees had to pivot through challenges and look deeper at the closed loop. Now, the farm is celebrating an excellent harvest season, thanks in part to Banana Cherry Lion proving powerful over those couple of seasons. Not only that, the uplifting strain grows dense, mold-resistant nugs, DURBAN AND has bag appeal, is PINK ZINNIAS flavorful and tests well.

HARVEST TEAM

EAGLE TREES SELLS THC FLOWER, MIXED-RATIO CBD AND CBG FLOWER, JOINTS, TEMPLE BALLS, MOROCCAN-STYLE HASH, RSO, ROSIN AND RAW HONEY ROSIN. “All the costs are going up for the business and for our life, and actually our prices have gone down, so it's really just not sustainable at all.” The low cost per gram is a statewide issue for Cannabis companies, and for Eagle Trees, it is compounded by a Liquor and Cannabis Board reinterpretation of canopy size. Effective the date of issuance, all walkways and areas between and around plants are part of the canopy. The new interpretation pushes the formerly LCB-approved farm into noncompliance. Unable to both shrink and stay in business, the siblings sit in the unknown. As the breeding program celebrates a year of resiliency, both farmers shared that this could be the end. Amid the unknown of what may come, the founders platformed Banana Cherry Lion, the plant that survived. Whether manifesting for the next planting season or simply celebrating another year, for now, the focus is on the harvest. HARVESTING HONEY

BANANA CHERRY LION

DRYING RACKS

EAGLETREES.COM @EAGLETREESFARM

STORY by CARA WIETSTOCK @CARA_JUANA for NORTHWEST LEAF @NWLEAF| PHOTOS by BRENDA PHILLIPS/EAGLE TREES FARM Honey Product photo by Yvonne Vaughn | See more photos at LeafMagazines.com

THE harvest ISSUE

leafmagazines.com

Rising high among rocky ridges and subalpine trees are a dozen greenhouses packed full of beautiful green and purple Cannabis cuts, oozing with terpenes and flowering perpetually in all four seasons by capturing the light, heat and cold of each season to produce stunning sun-grown flower and single-source rosin.

BUDDY BOY FARM nov. 2026

GROWING YEAR-ROUND CANNABIS IS HARD WORK, especially in the Spokane region, where 100-degree summers fade into feet of snow and freezing temperatures all winter. With four real seasons, there’s a flow to the flower, and the team at Buddy Boy Farm works hard to go with the seasonal shifts, not to fight nature’s changes. “There’s different challenges for each season with the greenhouses, but coming into winter weather makes things smoother. Summer is hotter, so it’s definitely easier in winter. But I wouldn’t say it’s easy, so here’s the secret: Fall and spring are the best,” Suzy Michie, clone manager, said passionately. “The cool fall weather, a little frost and terps popping, this is the best time of year for our 4,500 plants.” With 12 greenhouses running in flower, the farm is in constant motion, with the harvest season hitting every week instead of once a year like on full-term outdoor farms. With over 30 cuts in flower, most selected for high resin yields to wash into hash rosin, all of the plants are popping with terps on a sunny but chilly fall afternoon.

“My favorite strain is Moroccan Peaches; the peach, when you exhale, it’s so nice. The flavor is amazing, and the high is really natural, not zinging, but happily stoned,” Michie said. “Right now, we have 1,500 clones going, in a perpetual harvest, so the work never stops. It’s a lot of work, but seeing how the girls turn out and seeing the plant turn into medicine is amazing. I do believe this is medicine, and we grow clean, really good girls.” Buddy Boy has been growing since 2014, when the farm first hit the market with full-term sun-grown. Over time, the greenhouses and lab were built, and the last few years have seen the farm focus on craft-at-scale flower that washes into top-shelf, affordable rosin. Going from soil to oil carries huge advantages, and with the farm harvesting weekly, there’s always fresh-frozen material in the freezer waiting to be washed.

“We’re looking for strains that wash well, high-resin producers. We brought in Don Rotino, our new head grower, because he’s the terpene master, really knows how to bring out the terps at the end,” DJ, owner/grower, said proudly. “The climate here is great, and I love growing Cannabis for hash. We can freeze it, hang it and process it, so we are always moving! We have Ice Queen, Buddy Boy and Buddy Boy Select, with new rosin vapes and brands coming in the new year, including a relaunch of our flavored rosin Yum Yum brand.” On a chilly fall afternoon, the air temperature was in the low 40s, but the greenhouses are mid-70s with perfect humidity, even with the doors open. Stepping inside feels like a transformation from a cold afternoon to a tropical jungle that’s bursting with every terpene and Cannabis flavor under the sun. “We’re all friends and family oriented here, the team is full of really kind people, and I’m excited to produce the highest quality flower for the rosin market, and pushing forward the genetics to find the gems that like this mixed-light, indoor-outdoor path,” Rotino said. “The industry has changed so much over the years, and I think people need to stay focused on that this is medicine, and I hope that when people smoke Buddy Boy, they are feeling better. It’s good for general wellness, mental health, weed is so important and helpful these days.” // STORY CONTINUES NEXT PAGE

STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX @NWLEAF | PHOTOS by MORETA FIONA @MFJANE See more photos at LeafMagazines.com

BUDDY BOY FARM

THE harvest ISSUE

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

leafmagazines.com

40 Inside the greenhouses, the plants are uniform, frosty and thriving in a clean environment. The labor of love to grow the best is certainly driving the 42 team members at Buddy Boy, where everyone is pulling together from start to finish to grow the best buds possible. “I’m all about aesthetics; when the garden looks like this, I get off on it,” Rotino said with a chuckle. “It’s a spiritual plant, there’s an energy exchange between growing and smoking it, and I think it can benefit everybody. Cannabis keeps the stress away!” The passion for the plant as a medicine and safer recreational substance is evident in the team, as are the stoner owner vibes from the top down. DJ began growing in the hills of Spokane in the early medical days, and he still uses Cannabis to slow down and enjoy the moment. While he’s more of a joint man — and Buddy Boy does produce amazing flower and infused joints — the heart of the operation is the rosin lab, where 7,000-8,000 grams go out the door every single week. “We’re totally in our groove right now,” DJ explained proudly. “We harvest weekly, have hit our right scale, and now, we get to focus on blowing this up. As an avid outdoorsman who also owns a tree farm for timber, DJ is an owner who is in tune with

nov. 2026

nature. From managing timber to keep it pristine as a steward of the land to his partner, who owns organic alfalfa and blueberry fields, Buddy Boy is a company where the lifestyle and living all come from the land. Even the water that feeds the plants comes from a natural spring, unfiltered, and in the rosin lab, where it’s treated with reverse osmosis and filtered before washing the hash. From the sun to the water to the changing of seasons, the farm exists with the environment and is even at its mercy. Looking above the farm to a nearby ridge, the fireline from two years before is evident, when the farm was nearly lost to flames. With a true farmer’s acceptance of the earth and situation, there’s never a doubt or dull moment running a weed farm, and it’s clearly the love of the game and garden that keeps DJ and the team pushing. “It’s really nice stepping into a greenhouse during the winter, when it’s warm and lush, to get your terpenes and vitamin D,” DJ said passionately. “The base of everything good starts with loving it, and I still love growing weed. I thrive in this environment, just like the plants.” BUDDYBOYFARM.COM

“THE COOL FALL WEATHER, A LITTLE FROST AND TERPS POPPING, THIS IS THE BEST TIME OF YEAR FOR OUR 4,500 PLANTS.”

FALL COLORS

STORY by WES ABNEY @BEARDEDLORAX @NWLEAF | PHOTOS by MORETA FIONA @MFJANE See more photos at LeafMagazines.com

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OCTOBER 24, 2026 | MOB STUDIOS | SEATTLE

Halloweird 2026 Double double, toil and

trouble; big joints burn and dab rigs bubble — all in celebration of All Hallows’ Eve. Northwest Leaf’s party for all things ghoulish and ghastly, or in this case, heady and hashy, returned for its third consecutive year, the biggest entry yet for the bewitching jubilee. Everyone is entitled to one good Halloween sesh, and Halloweird has become the place for NW stoners

to revel. Hosted at the hauntingly familiar MOB Studios, Halloweird 2026 brought another year of frightful excitement with a few tricks

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and a cauldron-load of treats.

nov. 2026

S pe cia l thanks to o ur spooky sp onsors

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PHOTOS by BONNIE BROOKS @THECANNAVVITCH for NORTHWEST LEAF @NWLEAF See more photos at LeafMagazines.com

cooking with Cannabis

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MAC TO THE FUTURE Serves 1 1/2 cup elbow macaroni 2 slices bacon, chopped, with 1 teaspoon reserved for topping 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon flour 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon canna-butter 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Salt and black pepper, to taste 1 scallion, trimmed and thinly sliced

Extra shredded cheddar and Parmesan cheese, for topping Pinch smoked paprika, optional 1. Cook the macaroni until tender. Drain. 2. Add butter to the skillet, then whisk in flour. Slowly whisk in milk, and cook until slightly thickened. 3. Lower the heat. Stir in the cheddar, Parmesan, canna-butter and Dijon. 4. Stir in the macaroni, most of the bacon and scallion. Season with salt and pepper. 5. Top with reserved bacon and smoked paprika, if desired.

Time to gather with friends, share gratitude and love thy neighbor. This Thanksgiving spread takes a unique turn: butternut squash soup, creamy mac and cheese with bacon and Cannabis and an apple tart perfect for a weekend breakfast at my place. Infused with Prodigy #10 from Pruf Cultivar, it brings bright flavor and an adventurous edge. With THC often testing around 30%, this is for experienced adults. Enjoy responsibly: Start low, go slow and never drive or operate heavy machinery.

nov. 2026

laurie@laurieandmaryjane.com

RECIPES by LAURIE WOLF @LAURIEANDMARYJANE | PHOTOS by BRUCE WOLF @BRUCE_WOLF MORE RECIPES NEXT PAGE >>

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cooking with Cannabis

C O NTI NUED FR O M P RE VI O U S PA GE

APPLE OF MY HIGH Serves 8 1 prepared pie crust 5 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced Juice of 1/2 lemon 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg Pinch of salt 2 teaspoons melted canna-butter 1 tablespoon flour 1 egg, beaten Coarse sugar, optional 1. Heat the oven to 340 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. Toss the apples with lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, canna-butter and flour. 3. Roll the pie crust into a 12-inch circle on the baking sheet. Arrange the apples in the center, leaving a 2-inch border. 4. Fold the edges over the apples, pleating as needed. Brush the crust with egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. 5. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. 6. Cool for 30 minutes, then cut into 8 equal slices.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

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Serves 6 2 tablespoons canna-butter 2 tablespoons regular butter 2/3 cup chopped yellow onion 1/2 cup carrot, peeled and chopped 1 large butternut squash, peeled and seeded 5 cups low-sodium chicken stock Salt and pepper to taste 10 smoked almonds, coarsely chopped Chunks of avocado tossed with a squeeze of lemon 1. Place the butters in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and carrot, and saute for 9-11 minutes. 2. Add the squash and stock, and simmer until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. 3. Place all the ingredients — except the almonds and avocado — in a blender, and puree until smooth. 4. Pour the soup into a bowl, and top with the almonds and avocado.

nov. 2026

RECIPES by LAURIE WOLF @LAURIEANDMARYJANE | PHOTOS by BRUCE WOLF @BRUCE_WOLF #DontFearTheEdible #BeKind #EatYourCannabis | Laurie@Laurieandmaryjane.com

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glass art spotlight

DAVID EXELBY

XLB GLASS David Exelby is one of the most down-toearth people you’ll ever meet. Funny thing is, when he’s not on the torch, his job takes him way off the ground. Come along and learn more about this professional arborist, also known as XLB Glass.

52 WHEN DID YOU GET STARTED ON THE TORCH? The first time I started working on the torch, I was 21 years old. At the time, I was staying in a 1968 Gillig Brothers school bus. There was a lampworking studio on the other side of the driveway. I was still working full time for a glass artist in Mukilteo making garden art. I would come home from the hot studio and get on the torch and work until I couldn’t see straight. I did this for about one year before I switched to working on the torch full time.

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WHAT AND WHO INSPIRED YOU? I would say the what of my inspiration would be nature. I have always been inspired by the colors of shapes found naturally in our environment. As far as who has been an inspiration to me, I would have to say it would be my friend Sam Alderson. WE KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT OF DEDICATION TO YOUR FAMILY AND HOME LIFE; TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT. Yes, family is very important to me. My wife and I have five children total. We just welcomed our newest addition this September. Heidi did work on the torch with me during the first year I had my business running. She was a huge help in getting my product on the shelves and social marketing for me. In the early years, when I was still peddling, my oldest son would often ask if he could carry my case filled with pendants and nonfunctional glass. It was a way for him to feel involved in the family business.

nov. 2026

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WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO TORCH SETUP? Right now, my go-to torch is a GTT Phantom two-stage with a foot pedal. I also run a Smith mini torch, and I believe it is a Hornet Tip on that guy. I am ready for an upgrade to something with a little more firepower, maybe a GTT Mirage. WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND YOUR PIECES OR CONTACT YOU FOR CUSTOM/MEMORIAL ARTWORK? I have an Instagram and a Facebook. That is the best way for people to reach out to commission any custom work. @XLBGLASS FB.COM/XLBGLASS

COURTESY

YOUR FUNCTIONAL WORK SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE MEMORIAL PIECES YOU’VE BEEN WORKING ON? As much as I love and enjoy making functional glass art, I found a much deeper satisfaction in providing memorial pieces for people who have lost loved ones. When I was 18, my older brother passed away unexpectedly. I held onto his ashes for quite a few years before I felt confident enough to try. I still remember the emotional charge and electricity running through my body the first time I worked with ashes.

“As much as I love and enjoy making functional glass art, I found a much deeper satisfaction in providing memorial pieces for people who have lost loved ones.” -David Exelby

STORY & PHOTOS by REX HILSINGER @BOROPHOTO for LEAF NATION

elevate your fate

HARVESTING REVOLUTION THE RISE OF THE PEOPLE’S MOVEMENT

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Can you feel it: the tremor beneath the headlines, the fierce insistence that a better world is possible? As we witness the People’s Movement rise across borders, I ask the question: What are you doing with this moment of awakening? AS A RISING INDIGENOUS SOUL, my first instinct in times of great change is to look toward the heavens for reflection. As we welcomed 2026, astrologers anticipated February’s Aries, Saturn-Neptune conjunction as a threshold between dissolving structures and new beginnings. This echoes a larger astral movement underway: the passage from the Age of Pisces into the Age of Aquarius, a shift some astrologers associate with moving beyond rigid hierarchies and institutionalized separation and toward collective connection, humanitarianism and equality.

nov. 2026

I receive that symbolism as a call to action. What might humanity become if we measured abundance by the lives we nourish, the waters we protect and the dignity we defend? Here on our beautiful Grandmother Earth, answering that question requires our hands and feet collectively in motion. This harvest season, the most powerful thing we cultivate may be courage. In the U.S., the “No Kings” movement has carried that courage into streets, parks and town squares.

Organizers reported more than 8 million participants in the March 28 mobilization; solidarity demonstrations reached Europe. ACLED independently recorded more than 2,400 U.S. demonstrations and found over 99% to be peaceful. Their message is unmistakable; Americans resisting Donald Trump will not quietly accept what they see as tyranny and oligarchic rule. Democracy cannot belong to whichever billionaire can afford the loudest microphone. California’s Bay Area filled with protesters challenging immigration crackdowns and presidential power. Thousands marched through Seattle, temporarily closing city streets, while Portland’s waterfront swelled with demonstrators, with organizers estimating tens of thousands. Our neighbors are channeling outrage into passionate, peaceful action to defend one another and the U.S. Constitution. That demand for accountability also reaches local governance. On June 9, the Seattle City Council unanimously approved an emergency moratorium on Our shared applications for new humanity calls large data centers. us to defend Seattle Times journalist the dignity of Victor Menaldo argues the pause risks families whose sacrificing economic lives, homelands benefits. However, the and futures hang council’s concerns in the balance. about electricity Compassion must demand, water use and become action. neighborhood impacts deserve public scrutiny. For those of us who believe that “water is life,” this debate reaches beyond technology: Who benefits from development, who shoulders its burdens and how do we protect the generations still coming?

Across the great ocean, In an Oct. 26 report HOW TO USE France is experiencing its for The Eagle, Safia YOUR POWER own upheaval. According Malhotra described 1. Vote locally and nationally. to an article published Oct. hundreds marching outResearch candidates, and protect 24, 2026, on investing.com, side the U.S. Capitol on access to the ballot. Volunteer authorities counted 410,000 Oct. 10, with keffiyehs for door-to-door voter education demonstrators nationwide; draped over shoulders movements. the people’s unions claimed and Palestinian flags 2. Back Indigenous leadership. more. Students, workers and raised, “demanding Support Native sovereignty, yellow vest activists have freedom for Palestinians treaty enforcement and land challenged inequality, living and an end to U.S. back movements. costs and deteriorating public military aid to Israel.” 3. Organize peacefully. services. Student pressure The Palestinian Youth Join community groups, helped secure government Movement joined a public hearings and sustained commitments on school Global Day of Action campaigns. investment and admissions that Malhotra reported 4. Practice reciprocity. Support reform. encompassed more mutual aid, food gardens and Young people helped force than 250 protests habitat restoration. open doors; accountable across over 60 coungovernance must follow. tries. 5. Demand accountability. This statement rings true as “We’re here to Press officials on human rights, Serbia shows the world what demand an end to the environmental protections and equitable humanitarian reform. sustained organizing can genocide,” Anti-War achieve. Student-backed Committee DMV memcandidates defeated Aleksandar Vucic’s ber Katie Sayur told The Eagle. governing alliance in October after an anOur shared humanity calls us to ti-corruption movement was sparked. This defend the dignity of families whose was an echo from the Nepali March 2026 lives, homelands and futures hang in elections following the 2025 youth upristhe balance. Compassion must become ing, delivering a landslide to the Rastriya action. Swatantra Party. And so it is, OGs, as our cosmos In Brazil this past October, voters recontinues to shift into an era of deep elected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, awakening and community resurrection, renewing hope for environmental and we are witnessing movements carried Indigenous activists, who have long been forward by the people, for the people. standing in protection of the great Amazon. They are collective, distinct, unfinished Associated Press journalist Gabriela Sá Pesand fully alive. These movements share soa reports Brazil’s Climate Observatory, a neither one ideology nor one finish line. nonprofit network containing 172 organizaFrom ballots to riverbanks, people are tions, hailed Lula’s reelection. cultivating accountability. “The goal of ending deforestation across As a Native woman and Cannabis Brazil’s biomes must be pursued relentlessstoryteller, I see harvest as reciprocity: ly,” the group said. tending what sustains us and leaving Indigenous defenders know vigilance nourishment for those still coming. Here cannot end at the ballot box. are a few ways that you can take an For Palestine, solidarity is a refusal to let active stance and rise with the harvest of human suffering become background noise. revolution — power to the people!

STORY by ANGELA-JORDAN AGUILAR @AJ.OG @ELEVATE_YOUR_FATE Photos by Akash Pamarthy @akashpamarthyphoto

cannthropology leafmagazines.com

PRESENTS

B reeding S uccess Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Barney’s is not only one of the most renowned coffeeshops in Amsterdam, it’s also one of the world’s most award-winning seed companies — all thanks to the vision, dedication and hustle of its legendary owner, Derry Brett. IN THE GENES Born on May 25, 1959, in a small Gaelic-speaking town in western Ireland, Brett seemed almost destined to become a master breeder. Raised on a farm by a botanist mother and a father who grafted fruit trees, Brett was first exposed to Cannabis around age 11, when some of his dad’s younger brothers — who had traveled the infamous Hippie Hash Trail during the 1960s — came to visit. “They would come back from trips to India, live at my dad’s farm, and grow marijuana seeds they brought back,” Brett explained. “And of course, I was a very impressionable young boy, so I got kind of hooked up in all of that.” Brett helped his uncles tend their plants, but never considered smoking any of the weed they grew at that age. It wasn’t until he was 16, during an encounter on the way to the local village, that he decided to give marijuana a try. “One day I was walking into town … and a police car was passing by. The trunk was open, and sticking out were these huge marijuana bushes that they’d cut down. And because my uncles were known for growing weed, and I had a reputation as a bit of a rebel, they thought it was mine,” he recalled. “That was when I started smoking weed.” Derry and his pals had befriended a gravedigger who lived on the grounds of the local church and liked to blaze. It was with him that he first got high. “We’d hang out there on the graveyard smoking weed at night when we shouldn’t be,” Brett snickered. “That was my first experience of that.”

NOV. 2026

Barney’s owner Derry Brett at the Barney’s Farm shop in Amsterdam in 2009.

India to crossbreed and catalog. From 19831989, Brett spent between 50%-80% of each year in Asia. But by the end of that stretch, he realized he needed to begin “extracting” himself from that lifestyle. “I was spending so much time there that I was alienating myself from Western society,” he explained. “Plus, all these huge expeditions, they were quite risky. I mean, we got shot at, arrested, you name it,” he added. “Looking back on it, it was pretty dangerous in so many ways.” And so, Brett ended his expeditions in the East and moved back to Holland full time to begin the next chapter in his Cannabis career. THE BIRTH OF BARNEY’S In the mid 1980s, Brett was swept up in an immigration raid along with a fellow Irishman named Nick Mathews. They spent two days in a cell together, then handcuffed to each other, boarded onto a plane and deported to Ireland — an experience that bonded them for life. In 1986, Mathews partnered with a friend named Paul Gould to take over an old Hells Angels bar called Gary’s Place on Haarlemmerstraat and turn it into a coffeeshop catering to non-Dutch speakers with warmer customer service, English newspapers and comfort foods

>> continued on next page

>> continued from previous page

“Brett created one of the most extensive and diverse Cannabis genetic libraries in the world,

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like English breakfast and Sunday roast dinners. They named the shop Barney’s Breakfast Bar, after the fat orange street cat they’d inherited with the place. Whenever Derry would return from one of his sojourns, he’d hang out there and supply them with hash and weed to sell. Soon, Brett’s buds made Barney’s a pot hot spot — drawing cultivators and connoisseurs from around the world to trade cuttings, seeds and stories. “Nick started getting a lot of attention, especially from American tourists who were blown away by the quality,” he recalled to Honeysuckle last year. “We started offering five or six strains, which was unheard of at the time.” Brett became so integral to Barney’s success that in 1992, when Mathews decided to sell the shop due to health issues, Brett impulsively bought it. BUILDING THE BRAND After purchasing Barney’s from his friend Nicky, Derry kept the name and the breakfast but changed the logo (to a smiling sun, allegedly based on his face) and started renovating the place. “When I took it over in ’92, it was a shack,” he remembered. “There were all kinds of grungy places, creaking floorboards, things falling apart, broken glass … but I knew when I took it over I was going to build something special.” Over the next few years, Brett continued to crossbreed and stabilize the strains he’d collected — creating one of the most extensive and diverse Cannabis genetic libraries in the world. He eventually used that library to establish his own seed company, Barney’s Farm. When the Dutch government began issuing licenses to shops to sell weed legally, Brett was among the first in line … but being one of the only outsiders applying for a license wasn’t easy. “I was an Irish guy, a foreigner, and the only other people who really owned coffeeshops were Dutch natives or Dutch Moroccans,” he said. “I got kind of dismissed for a while … until I started winning all the Cannabis Cups, then they had to pay attention.” CANNABIS CUP CHAMPIONS Though Derry had been a High Times fan for years, he was initially apprehensive about entering the Cannabis Cup.

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EXPANDING THE EMPIRE Thanks to the notoriety from its many Cannabis Cups, Barney’s became one of the city’s most successful coffeeshops. In 2003, Brett opened a second location two doors down called Barney’s Brasserie (later renamed Barney’s Farm). Next, in 2005, he opened Barney’s Lounge — a smaller location in a quieter section of the city (later closed in 2020). Then in 2007, he opened a nightclub-style restaurant right across from the original location called Barney’s Uptown, which became an instant hit with tourists and locals alike. In January 2009, Brett gutted the original location, rebuilt the infrastructure and redesigned the interior in the style of an apothecary. In 2011, Barney’s opened a breeding lab in San Sebastian, Spain. In 2012, they embarked on another two-year hunting expedition through Africa, Indonesia and Hawaii — expanding their seed bank to over 200 cultivars. In 2013, they leased 12 hectares of land in South Africa to test, hunt and stabilize their phenos. More recently, Barney’s has begun its invasion of the USA — opening a huge breeding facility in Salinas, California, in 2022, then a distribution center in nearby Watsonville last year.

In December 2024, Barney’s announced it would join forces with two other industry powerhouses: Sensi Seed Bank and I Love Growing Marijuana. That merger didn’t end up going through, but several other high-profile partnerships have, including seed collabs with Backpack Boyz and Doja Pak in 2024, and in 2025 with Dr. Greenthumb, owned by his old friend B-Real of Cypress Hill. “This is the most exciting project I’ve ever done with a celebrity,” Brett gushed to Honeysuckle. “B-Real isn’t a name we slapped on packaging. He’s in the room. He’s in the grow. He’s been in this longer than most licensed companies have existed.” After debuting their partnership at Mary Jane Berlin in June 2025, they’ve released three strain collabs: Insane OG, Cherry Bomb and LFG. Their fourth, El Miro, just hit the market last month. Derry & B-Real at the Barney’s booth at MJ

Berlin 2025. THEN AND NOW This year has been one of the biggest yet for Barney’s. Firts, in February, they opened another distribution hub — this time in Germany, to serve the European market. In April, Brett and his team traveled to New York to celebrate 4:20 on 4/20 with huge Barney’s billboards in Times Square. Then, at the 10th annual MJ Berlin event in June, they hosted a huge party to celebrate their milestone 40th anniversary. And so, what began as a young man’s pilgrimage of passion high in the Himalayas nearly half a century ago has today evolved into one of the most recognized, respected Cannabis brands on the planet. “I never thought at the beginning we would be here. It’s been 40 years on the front lines, manning the barricades. ... Even today, we’re still battling away. But yeah, we’ve achieved a hell of a lot,” Brett reflected. “I wanted something different in life — that was my ambition, and I’ve made my dreams come true.” Bobby Black is a former senior editor and 21-year veteran of High Times magazine, executive director of the World of Cannabis Museum Project, and host of the Cannthropology podcast. For more visit cannthropology.com.

STO RY & M AI N P HOTO b y B O B BY B LAC K @ CAN N T H RO PO LO G Y for LEA F NAT IO N

HISTORICAL PHOTOS COURTESY OF GREEN ACRES FOODS

Clockwise from left: Nicky Mathews in front of the original Barney’s in 1986; partner/cook Paul Gould next to the window cartoon based on him; the original Barney’s in full color.

“One of the reasons I didn’t join the (Cannabis Cup) in the first few years was, I was still in awe of High Times to a certain extent,” he confessed. “I thought, ‘I’m not ready. … If I’m going to do this, I don’t want to just be a oneshot wonder — I need to be prepared.’” When Brett finally entered in 1999, his zesty Sunburst strain won the People’s Cup (later renamed simply “The Cannabis Cup”). The following year, a Sunburst pheno dubbed Sweet Tooth took second place in the Overall Cup, then first place in 2001. Thus began one of the most epic winning streaks in Cannabis history: first place for Morning Glory in 2002, Amnesia Haze in 2004, Willie Nelson in 2005, G-13 Haze in 2007, Tangerine Dream in 2010 and Liberty Haze in 2011. And that’s not counting all of the second- and third-place medals and hash awards. Barney’s eventually amassed over 40 Cannabis Cups — more than any other coffeeshop (except perhaps their main rival, the Green House, who’ve also won over 40 awards).

COURTESY OF BARNEY’S

then used that library to establish his own seed company, Barney’s Farm.”

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studio sessions

PHILEMERSON Philemerson describes himself as a photographer, documentary filmmaker and creative director, but these descriptions barely seem to scratch the surface.

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H E E Y E b eh i n d st u n n i n g v i su a l s f or b rands like P r e f e r red Ga rd en s, F ra n ci s F ord C op p ola wine, E - 40 ’s sp i ri t l i n e a n d Derb y of Sa n F ranc isc o has been p u s h i ng p i x el s a n d h a u l i n g ca mera gear sinc e the ‘90s .

Growing up as a young skateboarder in the Bay Area, his brothers would bring around weed, and that’s how he discovered a passion for the plant. “I went from enjoying it to genuinely respecting it: the different strains, the craft, the business. I would go out to find and meet actual growers; they were rare gems to know back then,” Philemerson told the Leaf. His journey as an artist started during those days after he bought a camera and some equipment to film the crew’s skate videos. He said that period inspired a lot of the visual style that would carry into his future work. Around 2005, he said he noticed artists making “incredible composites of photos and graphics mashed together like movie poster art.” He continued, “I was hooked. That kicked off my photography era.” In 2010, he got his first Cannabis project after a friend won a High Times award and asked him to make an image showing something bigger than just weed sitting on a table. Already deep into album covers and dynamic compositions, he quickly accepted the job and got to work. This very first piece became a full-page spread in High Times magazine. “No pressure for your first Cannabis job,” he said with a grin. “That’s when I realized weed deserved the same artistry as big product launches and movie campaigns, and I’ve been chasing that goal ever since. Once you care how an image feels, you start caring about the culture around it.”

nov. 2026

“Once you care how an image feels, you start caring about the culture around it.”

PHOTO BY MSLEE

Now the art director for Preferred Gardens, Philemerson is helping the brand craft one of the most professional and premier portfolios in the industry, with a style that brings together his background in video, graphics and composition to encode a sense of grit and edge. “If there’s any energy happening in front of the camera,” he said, “I’ll push for more of it. Calm just seems boring.” Inside the studio, he said you’ll find movies and documentaries he’s seen a million times playing on a loop. “I already know how they end, but they keep the room alive,” he explained. More important to him, though, is the choice of music. “It pulls emotions out, and I put it to work,” he shared. “The right track at the right moment can flip the whole direction of a piece.” When working on a piece, he treats weed just like an editing tool. “A lot of my work is long studio sessions,” he revealed, "hours of tiny details, usually on a deadline of yesterday. Herb keeps me locked in on the task in front of me with my phone off. It’s the great escape, and that’s when the best work happens.”

PHILEMERSON

WAFFLEHOWSE.COM @PHILEMERSON

STORY by MATT JACKSON @ACTIONMATTJACKSON for LEAF NATION | ARTWORK by PHILEMERSON See more of their work at LeafMagazines.com

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