The realest MF in the weed game and the world’s most authentic OG, ganjapreneur and rapper B-Real of the legendary Hip Hop group Cypress Hill is launching a triumvirate cannabis flower line in California, fresh off dropping a new album. His “flower to the people” lines of Loyal, Legacy, and Unapologetic come to the masses not a moment too soon.
As the arrivalists and MSO gangs who scorn cannabis culture are trying desperately to whitewash weed’s legacy origins and begin anew by attempting to fool the populace with low-quality mids, California-based cannabis dispensary chain Dr. Greenthumb’s will rectify that offense by debuting a three-fold line of quality cannabis flower on April Fool’s Day, that is no joke. The brand is livicated to honoring, respecting, and promoting legacy farmers with the dankest genetics.
Evolving from what was once considered taboo by the establishment, B-Real has turned the tables. Establishing Dr. Greenthumb’s as a brand in 1998, its namesake dispensaries and cannabis flower line eventually followed to provide Cypress Hill fans and cannabis enthusiasts a glimpse into the world and culture of cannabis representation’s GOAT.
Like everything King Midas touched that turned to gold, Cypress Hill’s new album, produced entirely by Black Milk, Back in Black, dropped on March 18. It is no surprise that the hotly-anticipated album debuted as the #1 on HipHop album on iTunes and is currently holding steady at #3, just after Phife Dawg’s (RIP) Posthumous album Forever.
“Since day one, I repped for legalization, showed the nation how to roll a blunt and put it in the rotation,” B raps on Back In Black track, Takeover.
Naturally, one of the most trusted figures in cannabis sat down with one of the most trusted voices in cannabis journalism to shed some light on the process of creating the cannabis line and his new album.
MARY: Is the title of your latest album, Back In Black, a nod to AC/DC?
B-Real: Yes, it’s two things. It has a double meaning. It’s a nod to AC/DC because I grew up listening to rock, metal, and stuff. And Back in Black was, you know, was a big album for me. Me and my cousin used to rock it all the time. The other part is that this album’s production was done by a producer named Black Milk. So it’s Cypress Hill Back in Black, you know, it’s a nod to Black Milk, back with another album w/ the Black Milk sound.
MARY: Will there be a Back In Black Tour supporting the album?
B-Real: We always run a tour cycle, so we have a tour w/ Slipknot in May, some sporadic dates, and eventually back out to Europe when everything is settled and bands can tour properly there. And, of course, the annual Halloween show.
MARY: Is Excalibur (the five-foot bong) coming out of retirement for the Back In Black tour?
B-Real: Haha. I don’t know if he’s coming out of retirement. He might make a couple of appearances. We might make a new one.
MARY: I like to see Sen Dog belly up with his custom Vans in the air.
B-Real: Oh yeah. I hear that. Everybody loves that!
MARY: What do you say to the ageist critics who claim that Hip Hop is a young person’s game?
B-Real: I think many people would think, Oh, Cypress Hill, you guys been around for a long time; you sold 20 million records. You guys are just this, that, and the other, that shouldn’t be a problem, but the music climate is much different now, you know, especially with Hip Hop. It’s a young man’s game because the industry made it this way, but that’s not true. It’s just what they say. And the standard related to how they put out artists on major labels, and stuff like that. And I think we disproved the theory that it’s just a young man’s game by putting out an album 30 years later on our 30th anniversary – Well, not on the date of but like in the year of our anniversary– and charting it at number one for the few days and still holding strong in the top five, days later. So, anyone who says “this is a young man’s game,” the genre we call Hip Hop, is full of s***, and they don’t know what the f*** they’re talking about!
We’re launching project after project, including a documentary on Showtime. It’s an honor and a privilege 30 years later that people are excited about our album.
“Have you seen the news? They legalized in California? But the feds still tryna put the pressure on ya…”
According to a press release, B-Real created Dr. Greenthumb’s flower line with “the intent to deliver high-quality cannabis flower to all Californians.”
Initially, Dr. Greenthumb’s flower will be available exclusively at Dr. Greenthumb’s seven dispensaries in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Cathedral City, San Diego, Sylmar, Lincoln Heights, with wider dispensary distribution scheduled for May, including Cookies.
Additionally, Dr. Greenthumb’s will open its latest dispensary location near LAX airport on April 16. B Real launched the first Dr. Greenthumb’s dispensary location in August 2018 in Sylmar, California.
According to the president of Dr. Greenthumb’s, Edwin Fowler, expansion plans are already in the works as Dr. Greenthumb’s flower brand potentially launches in Colorado, Michigan, and Florida this year.
Loyal, Legacy, Unapologetic
Dr. Greenthumb’s flower divides into three distinct categories: Loyal, Legacy, and Unapologetic. Loyal signifies B-Real’s commitment to quality cannabis while being mindful of the price point. Legacy pays homage to the farms that have maintained their decades-long quality and authenticity. Unapologetic speaks to the customer who wants the best cannabis, regardless of budget (think baller).
The flower is sourced from small-batch California cannabis farms vetted for their history, authenticity, and connection to genuine cannabis culture. Unlike other cannabis brands that do not disclose the origin of their flower, Dr. Greenthumb’s showcases each source farm. Continuing the brand’s mission of full transparency, B-Real, his Head of Cultivation, Master Cultivator Kenji Fujishima, and B-Real’s team and family members will travel to each of the selected and approved cannabis farms to evaluate its flower.
The selection process begins with the vetting and approval of each cannabis farm, focusing on inclusion and diversity. Next, B-Real and his team will assess each batch of flower and grade them as follows: Each contender must make it past the garbage can test; i.e., If B-Real refuses to smoke it on tour, it goes right in the garbage bin. Otherwise, the high-quality contenders making it past this test sort into one, two, or three thumbs up, according to B-Real’s personal preferences.
“Kenji will make the first visit to weed out the best bud. I trust his eyes, and I trust his nose,” says B. “Based on his recommendations, I’ll check them out too.”
Each batch will be exclusive to Dr. Greenthumb’s brand. The packaging color will indicate the strain’s grade and price point. The farms will remain eligible and part of the supply chain as long as they meet the criteria above.
Dr. Greenthumb’s will document the selection process and share it with their customers via a QR code on each product’s packaging. Customers will be able to see the stories of the farms, empowering them to make real-time buying decisions about which farms they choose to support. Empowering local farmers, even going so far as to try to organize them into a collective, is necessary in the crushing times of the California cannabis industry and is indicative of Dr. Greenthumb’s ongoing commitment to connecting with its loyal customers.
“I have a twofold mission with Dr. Greenthumb’s flower,” said B-Real. “I want to honor the legacy of cannabis by ensuring the original cultivators have a place in the industry and provide accessible, quality cannabis for everyone’s budget. Things are changing so fast in the industry, and the mom-and-pop legacy growers are losing their voices to the big corporations. I want to do my part to help the growers who love and respect the plant.”
With the onslaught of Big Cannabis shutting down mom-and-pop farms throughout the state, many industry insiders fear for the future of craft cannabis. As a known cannabis advocate, B Real is creating Dr. Greenthumb’s flower line to preserve California’s best legacy growers, easing some of the tensions brought on by cannabro conglomerates and increasing state taxes.
“My hope with Dr. Greenthumb’s flower is to create a brand that resonates with the people. I have spent over three decades fighting for the plant itself. When I gave my support to Last Prisoner Project, I knew the next decade would include a fight for the people behind the plant, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do with Dr. Greenthumb’s flower line,” said B Real.
A price point for every consumer
“We have our premium brand Insane, for like the connoisseurs, and it’s a bit pricey and whatnot; but it’s indoor grown, and you know there’s a standard to that. We know that we have consumers and fans who don’t necessarily hit that price bracket. So, we wanted to something on the shelves for them that was just as fire,” says B. “We felt like, you know, launching this affordable brand would be great for the fans, and that we would do it under the Dr. Greenthumb’s brand as opposed to Insane to differentiate.”
“This was something that we thought about creating a long time ago when we started the brand. But we felt we had to start the premium line before beginning the more affordable line. I gotta tell you, the affordable line is so damn good!
Battle Royale: Outdoor vs. Indoor
“There’s a fine line with cannabis consumers when it comes to outdoor vs. indoor drone weed, right? Maybe five, ten years ago, anyone who smoked indoor weed would not smoke outdoor weed. They looked at it like it was inferior, and, on the flip side, the outdoor consumers didn’t want any indoor stuff. There was always this sort of competitive thing that happened between indoor and outdoor. They’re two completely different monsters that do the same thing, right? But, truthfully, I used to be one of those people who would only smoke indoor. I always had respect for outdoor, but not in terms of what I would smoke, right? So, I started being more open-minded after a couple of outdoor farmers gave me some flower that came from their harvest. And I thought, man, ‘this right here tastes as good as any outdoor that I’ve ever had.’ These guys got it dialed in!” says B.
“Yeah we blowin’ some smoke and let’s open ya mind…”
Finding the farmers who have the love and passion for creating something incredible is the driving force behind the new flower line trifecta.
“A couple of these outdoor farmers made me a believer. So when I thought about creating a more affordable brand, I didn’t want to give people something affordable, but doesn’t hit. You know what I mean? It has to hit just as well as is the premium. That was a big deal to us. Fortunately, Kenji was able to find some good light deprivation that are producing great herb. We’re excited to highlight some of these farms. It’s exciting because I don’t think those producers get enough props. The new flower lines are a great collaboration to let people know that there are great indoor farmers like Kenji and Dr. Greenthumb Farms, the Jungle Boys, and Cookies, but there are also great outdoor farms that we’re collaborating with and will highlight.”
Dr. Greenthumb’s flower line should retail for $20-$25 for Loyal,
$30-$35 for Legacy, and $40-$45 for Unapologetic (MSRP) for 3.5 grams depending on the flower category. In April, the bud will be available at all Dr. Greenthumb’s dispensaries, with wider dispensary distribution scheduled for May.
While Steve DeAngelo infamously said at an event in New York that “legacy farmers deserve a seat at the table,” arguably, it should be the legacy farmers’ table.
B-Real’s latest launch aims to ensure that the backbone of the cannabis industry, indoor and outdoor legacy farmers, will always have a seat at the table. Forever we grind until the end of time.
All images courtesy Pedro Garcia
