Since Cash Only launched on 4/20, we’ve featured interviews with all sorts of interesting folks, from prominent sex workers and visual artists, to musicians and entrepreneurs. We’ve also made it an active goal to spotlight cannabis journalists and get some insight into their own personal smoking preferences.
After all, weed journalists are often tasked with covering brands and product trends due to the demands of the for-profit media industrial complex, which means things like gift guides and advertorial reviews aren’t exactly authentic recommendations that represent a given writer’s own taste.
No shade, of course; I’ve written plenty of advertorial content myself over the years. But Cash Only strives to be a pot publication panacea, where subjects can freely talk about how weed fits into their own lives without pressure to appease editors and advertisers.
And, unsurprisingly, weed journalists really know about the plant and have very specific taste about what type of cannabis and 420 products are standouts in an oversaturated market. So for today’s article, we wanted to round up the thoughts of marijuana media maestros we’ve featured in the past to answer the question: What type of weed do pot journalists like best?
Below, 11 different journalists weigh in on their favorite strains and what makes them special. While everyone had a unique response, we noticed that these folks consistently prefer craft cannabis (particularly sun grown, outdoor flower), are skeptical of strain names and the indica/sativa binary, and rarely opt for pre-rolls. Pot purists, but not sativa snobs!
Continue reading to get their unfiltered recs, and a big thanks to all these talented writers — we’ve got a lot of love and admiration for you!
David Bienenstock
Full Interview Here
My stock answer is that my favorite kind of weed is whatever you’d like to share. The woo-woo answer is that the best weed in the world is the weed that you grow yourself, which is true. Not just for emotional reasons, but because you can give your own plants such individual care and handle the buds like delicate little diamonds while trimming and curing them and they don’t have to get stuffed into a turkey bag and mailed cross country.
Also, Chemdog.
Lindsey Carmela Bartlett
Full Interview Here
Such a hard choice. I love an OG strain lately because the taste is so nostalgic and so pungent. ‘92 OG from Atrium Cannabis is really good. I also love to smoke Mom’s Weed and Whitethorn Rose from Huckleberry Hill Farms; they are both sun-grown and extremely special. I love rolling joints and blunts, over glass. I am a blunt girl. I prefer a one-handed smoke — a clean getaway.
Mira Gonzalez
Full Interview Here
Honestly, one of the first things I learned when I started working in the weed space is that strains are mostly fake and so is the divide between indica and sativa lol.
For example, my first job involving weed was as a budtender for a weed dispensary in Los Angeles when I was 19. When we got new weed, me, the one other employee, and the owner would smoke a blunt together. Then, the three of us would collectively decide if the weed would be labeled as indica or sativa, and what that strain would be called. (Anything we gave the name “Girl Scout Cookies” or “Blue Dream” would sell extremely fast)
All of that is just to say, I don’t really have a favorite strain. I find it’s more reliable to choose my weed based on scent, THC content, and vibes.
My favorite way to get stoned kinda changes depending on my mood. I go through phases, but lately I’ve been dabbing a lot.
When it comes to flower, though, my favorite way to smoke will always be blunts. Dutches are my preferred brand, but tbh I’m not picky. I’ll never be too proud to smoke a Swisher if that’s what’s available.
Madison Margolin
Full Interview Here
Anything with high CBD, ideally a hybrid and not sativa-dominant, though I do like Blue Dream. I prefer a tobacco-dominant spliff (occasionally, I like when that tobacco is menthol).
I’m always impressed by the Humboldt growers, folks like Huckleberry Hill Farms, Moonmade Farms, Briceland Forest Farms, etc. I’m not that much of a “stoner” where I’m particular about what I’m smoking, as long as it’s not a super heavy sativa. That gets me anxious at worst, and too alert at best, though I’m open to changing that narrative. As long as it’s a good enough spliff, the flower doesn’t matter too much to me because the tobacco is cutting it. I’m not a consumer nerd, but rather a casual smoker.
That said, I prefer to support the small outdoor growers in The Emerald Triangle, the mom and pops. Even if the weed is “better” or stronger from an indoor grow op, I still prefer outdoor weed. I like the lifestyle of outdoor farming and what it entails, especially the sungrown, eco-friendly, sustainable and regenerative aspects. I like people who put care into every single plant, energetically, holistically, etc. That’s preferred over the impersonal, mass produced indoor weed you can find elsewhere.
Jackie Bryant
Full Interview Here
This is probably going to make me sound like a weed starfucker (whatever that is) but I swear it’s genuine: right now I’m smoking on 6ixth Sense by California grower Fig Farms, which took 11th place in the indoor category at this year’s Emerald Cup (the same grower also won the same category). It’s just really gorgeous, super stoney body high weed and really pretty, too, with deep greens, purples and, I swear, some blues. I’ve been smoking a lot of uplifting strains lately high in lemon terps (which I love), some more “sativa”-like cultivars, and this has been a nice antidote… It’s hot tub weed.
I also love Mom’s Weed from Huckleberry Hill Farms, which is a legacy farm in Southern Humboldt County that I’ve written about a lot, and the growers from which I consider friends. It’s the genetic sister to another proprietary strain from the farm, called Whitethorn Rose, which is deep purple and incredibly fruity. Mom’s Weed has more balanced terps and only hints of deep purple, but it’s incredibly fragrant and a really zippy, high-THC high. It’s very special weed. Both phenos have a 45-year-old Paradise Punch genetic line in there and were cultivated originally by the current grower’s mom.
Omg I just realized how…California I sound. I swear, I’m actually from Long Island lol!
Seth Ferranti
Full Interview Here
I don’t always smoke weed (as in lighting up a joint), but when I do, I smoke weed from Humboldt County in specific. Pretty much everything I consume, from rosin to flower, is from that part of the Emerald Triangle. Farms like Huckleberry Hill, Ridgeline, Hogwash, Canna Country, and Amaranth are my favorites. And when I’m on a dab run, I only fuck with Errl Hill and Heritage Hash Co. I like White Thorn Rose from Huckleberry Hill Farms, #26 from Canna Country, and Runtz from Ridgeline. These are all Emerald Cup winners.
Jon Cappetta
Full Interview Here
This is a loaded question. I think the only definitive answer I can give you is that I like to smoke joints. I still use the same papers I started rolling with nearly two decades ago, Big Bambus, and a doob will always be my preferred method of consumption. I don’t like having to constantly repack, or relight, things. Now in terms of favorite strains, I’ve been on a hunt the past few months for more of what I call “daytime smoke” — what the market would typically refer to as “sativas,” even though we know that’s fucking dumb. Current favs are probably Zkittlez and Cereal Milk, which I feel dates me.
It’s probably easier and more helpful to the end user to name specific cultivators who I heavily fuck with, so I’ll say anything that comes from Fig Farms, Alien Labs, Cannabiotix, Doja Pak, or 710 Labs is a winner in my book.
Trey Smith
Full Interview Here
I stopped kind of paying attention to strains, especially because in New York where weed’s not regulated yet you’ve got people selling you, say, Sour Diesel, and it’s different depending on where you get it. If I’m at a dispensary out of town, I’m usually looking for some kind of haze, like something sativa-heavy.
Box Brown
Full Interview Here
Pretty much been on a diet of solventless hash rosin for a while now. Although, occasionally I’ll smoke flower, too. But, I just prefer dabs and I think it’s honestly better for my asthma to vape. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still cough my ass off after a big dab, but smoking makes the coughing last longer for me. I like gassy strains, but have been getting into banana terps, too. Never turn down cherry or grape terps, either. Grape Pie and Cherry Pie are both just classic strains I never turn down. But I recently grabbed Helios’ Honey Bananas and it rocked my world.
Do you have any favorite makers of solventless hash rosin or other concentrates? Anyone you want to shout out?
Oh lots of small processors, but def my friend @the_highlander_cannabis and Helios and Hidden Forest hash. All of these are Maine processors. Love when I can get my hands on their stuff. It’s a rare treat.
Zach Harris
Full Interview Here
Lately, I’ve been smoking a lot of sun-grown First Class Funk and Horchata my family grew in NorCal and then some indoor London Pound Cake. I try to switch up flavors pretty frequently, but I’m typically into the more funky, gassy, savory strains.
Consumption-wise, I’m usually smoking a bong or dab rig at home and then personal-sized joints whenever I’m outside. We’re still in a pandemic, so I’m not passing my joints to anyone, but I’ll usually have enough on hand to give you your own persy joint if I like you. Sometimes, I smoke joints at home instead of the bong. I’ve also been rolling a lot of hash holes lately, which is just a joint with a rope of rosin in the middle — very heady and popular these days. They’re great for when I’m really trying to smack myself in the face. In general, I like to roll joints.
Noah Rubin
Full Interview Here
My old friend Luca at Biscotti just hit me with his line of flower, and it’s pretty fire. Even though Biscotti really made a name for themselves with premium hash, they’re definitely coming correct with this new product. I smoked the Sugar Biscuits strain the other night in a big fat joint then crushed some Thai food at Ruen Pair in LA. I gotta say it was an amazing combo.
Also, just for the record, even though I’m the guy that just wrote a book about joints, I am a big fan of bongs in general, as well. I always keep my handy bong, Mr. Pink, on deck when I need a late night rip.
Follow Cash Only:
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
Newsletter
