Jimi Devine
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The Village Voice,
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Journalist - Transbay Challenge/Heat Quest Founder - Cannabis Buyers Club of Berkeley since 2009 - Drug Policy Reform/Cannabis since 2005. 💪🙏
Articles by Jimi Devine
Stoner Owner: Joe Jacovini
Joe Jacovini has been cultivating in southern Humboldt County for nearly three decades. The Philly native’s experiences along the way have pushed his farm, Vesuvio Gardens, into becoming a mainstay on shelves across Northern California. Before making it to Humboldt, Jacovini was running a 30-lighter in Philadelphia. Like many, that original big effort out East came after his time following the Grateful Dead on tour after graduating high school in 1989.
Budtender of the Month: Darryl Chimbel
For this edition of Budtender of the Month, we’re talking with Darryl Chimbel of 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center in Richmond. Chimbel has spent the past decade working across prominent Bay Area dispensaries before landing at the legendary shop, long considered one of the finest in the northern East Bay. Chimbel originally made the jump into the Cannabis industry in 2013. These days, he’s mainly a flower smoker, though he says he’s also a fan of 1,000-milligram tinctures.
Twin
For years, the Preferred Gardens team has been crushing throughout California and recently began making waves on the East Coast. Founder David Polley has spent the last few years breeding new heaters, and the results emerging now are nothing short of spectacular. The next in-house strain to hit the California market is Twin. With its all-star lineage, expect it to fly out of the gate.
Budtender of the Month: Adam ill
For this Budtender of The Month, we chose a longtime budtender and one of the most popular hosts in the Cannabis space, the one and only Adam ill. While many of us are more familiar with seeing Adam host some of the biggest events in Cannabis, he actually got his start as a budtender back in 2009 after he left radio. A childhood friend knew he was already selling weed, and he jumped in the mix when California was still doing deli style.
Full Mullet
Full Mullet from Fully Melted is an excellent representation of high-powered fuel terpenes in rosin, which is something the marketplace is seriously lacking. While candy terps blew up for a reason, Full Mullet’s impact on your taste buds is at a different level. A lot of terpene profiles similar to Full Mullet simply aren’t considered commercially viable. Usually, when you see a jar that smells this deliciously gassy, it’s in somebody’s head stash.
High Times Strains Of The Month: October 2025
The Strains of the Month for October features a plethora of heaters we’re sure our readers will enjoy. This lineup showcases some of the latest and greatest strains to hit the recreational market this fall. There are also a few award winners who have taken top honors at contests all over the country. This lineup is indoor-heavy (before we dive into all the amazing new flavors the harvest will have to offer once everything gets all dried and cured up this month).
Croptober 2025: California Farmers Prep for the Biggest Harvest of the Year
We reached out to Northern California cultivators as they prepped for one of their busiest months of the year in October and the massive 2025 fall harvest. As October begins, farmers are already deep in the home stretch. They’ve been checking resin quality, monitoring the weather, watching for pests, and hoping none of those factors ruin a season’s worth of effort. According to many, California’s cooler-than-average summer has proven great for preserving terpenes.
High Times Strains Of The Month: August 2025
We have a lineup of absolute hitters to help you celebrate August in our High Times Strains of the Month. Whether you’re looking for fuel, candy, or Z, this group of strains is sure to have something in your wheelhouse. This list is a celebration of great genetics grown well and we hope you’ll have a chance to get your hands on some of these offerings.
Who is the cannabis breeder Barney's Farm?
Barney's Farm is an internationally known, Europe-based cannabis breeding brand that's been around for decades. Looking to grow Barney's Farm seeds or learn more about their strains? Read on. Who is Barney's Farm owner Derry Brett? Derry Brett, the Irish-born visionary behind Barney's Farm, has transformed the cannabis landscape with his innovative breeding that led to award-winning strains.
NY Advocates Rally After Governor Ignores Recommendations from State’s Own Experts
Advocates held a rally on Tuesday, following last week’s revelations by The City’s Rosalind Adams showing the plan to finance New York’s cannabis industry moved forward despite the major concerns of numerous people involved in the process of implementing the state’s recreational cannabis program. The Juneteenth Eve rally included elected officials, social justice advocates, and people impacted personally by New York’s longtime war on cannabis.
NY Advocates Rally After Governor Ignores Recommendations from State’s Own Experts
Advocates held a rally on Tuesday, following last week’s revelations by The City’s Rosalind Adams showing the plan to finance New York’s cannabis industry moved forward despite the major concerns of numerous people involved in the process of implementing the state’s recreational cannabis program. The Juneteenth Eve rally included elected officials, social justice advocates, and people impacted personally by New York’s longtime war on cannabis.
The DNA of Dank
Most of the time, when we hear someone talk about cannabis genetics, the first thing that comes to mind is a pack of seeds. But it goes a lot deeper than that, and as cannabis continues to get more and more normalized across America, scientists are beginning to dive even further into the genetic traits that make the heat the heat. We sat down with LeafWorks to hear the latest in cannabis genomics and how they’re using science to create value for the industry.
Living Off the Land
The tale of Canna Country Farms is one of a multigenerational survivor from Humboldt County, California. Ted Blair, Canna Country’s owner and an award-winning third-generation cannabis farmer, considers the operation a model full-sun garden representing the best “the hill” has to offer. The farm’s geographical location helps, as being in the right location in The Emerald Triangle is critical to growing the best fire possible. Canna Country sits not too far outside Garberville, California.
Is Hop Latent Viroid Everywhere?
Hop latent viroid (HLVd) is one of the most devastating things ever to hit cannabis, with researchers estimating it could be costing the industry up to $4 billion per year in financial loss. But are the streets safer than the recreational mega-farms that were decimated in the transition to legalization? We reached out to some hitters from both sides of the fence to see if HLVd has had the same impact on the underground cannabis market that it’s had on the recreational market.
Fresh Nugs of Bel Air
The stars aligned for Xzibit as he celebrated the soft opening of Xzibit’s West Coast Cannabis in Bel Air. Let’s just start with, thank God. There is an argument to be made this will end up being one of the most valuable retail sites in Los Angeles and the world when using the zip code standard. That means the higher the median income in a zip code, the more disposable income they have to spend on cannabis for recreational purposes.
Smoke and Bridges: The Evolution of Rolling with Marcos "CGO" Surita | GreenState
In this episode of Smoke & Bridges, Jimi Devine sits down with famed roller Marcos “CGO” Surita. The Sacramento star and founder of CGO Lifestyle (short for Connoisseur Grade Only) shines a light on the rise of the roller, his foray into events, and the evolution of the hash hole market. Expert rollers like CGO earn top dollar for their creations, and contests celebrating the art of the roll are seeing game-changers like Surita at the top of the class.
Bruno Worldwide | High Times
Over the last few years, the world of professional joint rollers has exploded with Bruno Van Holland right amongst the front of the pack. Best known as simply Bruno, Van Holland’s attempt to elevate the live rolling experience with his always dapper haircut, tuxedo vest, and giant smile has endeared him to the cannabis world. And I mean that in the most literal sense as I’ve personally accompanied him to the Canary Islands and Denmark, not to mention all of our domestic adventures.
Luke Scarmazzo is Finally Selling Cannabis Again - LA Weekly
For many years Luke Scarmazzo represented the worst of what could happen when you dedicated your life to cannabis and rapped about the feds a pinch, but these days things are looking up. Scarmazzo is a couple of months into his latest cannabis adventure, Prophet Brands. On top of that, he just released his book, High Price. He wrote the book in solitary confinement while waiting out his punishment for testing positive for THC while incarcerated.
California’s Dopeness Transcends The Lines of The Ruling Class, Failed Domestic Policy
As the Eastern Hemisphere gathers in Spain to celebrate the continuing global process on the heels of Germany’s move to legalize cannabis, U.S. federal policy is giving these fresh markets a chance to carve out a chunk of the market long-term. There is a major debate to be had around the idea that these markets are just local incubators for the distribution mechanisms that will eventually distribute California-grown cannabis.
Pot Taxes Dipped a Pinch at the End of 2023
The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) reported cannabis tax revenue for the fourth quarter of 2023 hit $268.3 Million. The numbers are as of Feb. 16 and based off $1,251,330,833 in taxable sales. The number includes $156.5 million generated from the excise tax and the other $111.8 million collected from cannabis businesses was a result of the sales tax. Final adjustments will come with the numbers from the first quarter of the year.
Smoke & Bridges: The Art of Cannabis Breeding with Michael of Symbiotic Genetics | GreenState
In episode 8 of Smoke & Bridges, Jimi Devine sits down with Michael from Symbiotic Genetics AKA The Village. Michael shares his journey from crashing in a Sacramento grow warehouse to running one of the most popular breeding outfits in Northern California. With a particular interest in varieties that appease the hash-making crowd and a passion for quality, the grower and breeder has collected multiple awards and accolades over the years—and they’re not done yet.
THC scores coming back down to reality in California in 2024
California's millions of weed smokers should see test scores come down a noticeable amount this year. But fear not-the weed remains as strong as ever. State officials have begun reigning in the pernicious practice of "THC score inflation" in 2024 all across the state. In January, the Department of Cannabis Control started enforcing new rules that make all labs test the same way. So no more suspect "40% THC" scores on flowers, and that's a good thing.
Germany Votes to Legalize Personal Use of Cannabis and Social Clubs
Germany voted today to legalize the personal use and cultivation of cannabis. The law passed by parliament will permit individuals to cultivate up to three plants for personal use and possess up to 25 grams. The law will also allow for the formation of non-commercial cultivation clubs to cultivate and possess cannabis on behalf of their membership. The personal use aspects of the law will go into effect on April 1st. The forthcoming social clubs will be recognized officially on July 1st.
THC Design’s Marlon Coburn Talks Celebrating Representation - LA Weekly
THC Design’s CEO Marlon Coburn reminds us there are various paths for communities of color on their way to the top of the cannabis industry. When it comes to Black History Month and cannabis, much of the time the spotlight deservingly finds its way to Social Equity operators who beat the odds to make it. Coburn is an excellent example of another way people from the communities impacted the hardest by enforcement can take the reins of the industry itself.
420 Unity Day Planned Ahead of Holiday in Washington DC
As cannabis continues to gain further normalization, The Last Prisoner Project (LPP) and its allies announced they will take over Washington D.C. for 420 Unity Day, in what is expected to be one of the largest mobilizations of cannabis advocates ever, on April 18. A wide coalition of cannabis advocates, industry and grassroots organizations are expected to be in Washington D.C. for a 420 Unity Day of Action.
CDTFA to Collect Tax Debts Selling Bongs
The California Department of Taxes and Fee Administration (CDTFA) is partnering with the California Highway Patrol for an auction featuring property seized during the state’s expanding cannabis enforcement efforts, including bongs. The auction will take place in Los Angeles on February 16 in the CHP parking lot at 777 W. Washington Blvd. The CDTFA noted the items were seized as a result of serving search warrants meant to collect taxes owed by 10 different cannabis businesses.
Travis Barker Enters Cannabis Industry with Barker Canna Co.
After a wild few years in celebrity pot, Travis Barker kicks off the 2024 entries by hitting like a meteor named Barker Cannabis Co. The space has seen its ups and downs. Not all the celebs who dabbled in cannabis are still among us. They all can’t be B-Real or Gwyneth Paltrow. But Barker’s name value with people who smoke pot and his arrival after the worst the industry had to offer may be a ticket to success for him.
The Emerald Cup Announces 2024 Judges
The Emerald Cup has announced the judges who will crown the 20th edition of California’s famed cannabis contest born deep in the redwoods of Mendocino County two decades ago. As always, the list contains an array of some of the true behind-the-scenes experts in California cannabis, and some of the more public ones, too, but they’re definitely not influencers. About 100 people made the cut this year. The awards will be given out in Oakland on May 4 and May 5.
The LA Cannabis Breeder Picks for Spring 2024
Los Angeles is one of the true global epicenters of cannabis breeders, along with places like Amsterdam and Norcal; the genetics that take off locally go on to set global standards. We asked a few of the guys helping make that happen what they’re excited to share with the world this spring. We imagine these picks will help fill some trophy shelves in the years to come. With the amount of genetics these guys are playing around with, it’s always worth looking into what the breeders are hyped on.
Kalya and Uncle's Farm Create First Legal Piattella Drop in American Original
Few things have ever hit the recreational hash market as hard as the piattella collaboration about to drop from its godfathers at Uncle’s Farm and Kalya Extracts Uncle’s Farm is the internationally recognized originator of the piattella format of curing hash, Kalya is the multiple-time Emerald Cup champ, and when their powers are combined, the resulting hype levels are downright nauseating. But we get it, we have stomachaches, too. We were first exposed to piattella at Spannabis 2022.
Rescheduling Cannabis Goes Beyond Industry Benefits - LA Weekly Original
Dating back to last summer, the rescheduling vibes had been in the air. But Matt Zorn getting his hands on the Department of Health and Human Services’ recommendation letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration put the hype levels into overdrive. First and foremost, this isn’t some kind of finish line for anything. The real endgame that comes out of this is cannabis being that much easier to research and then push off the controlled substances list period.
Smoke & Bridges: The Legacy of The Emerald Cup with Victoria Shea | GreenState
In Smoke & Bridges episode 7, Jimi Devine sits down with Emerald Cup competition director Victoria Shea. The pair wax poetic about how far the storied cannabis contest has come, the roller coaster of compliance, and what’s on deck for the Cup’s upcoming 20th anniversary celebration. As a long time judge himself, Jimi and Victoria reminisce about Cups past and look forward to the future. Victoria Shea has led the contest portion of The Emerald Cup for eight years.
Cultivating Community
In the two years since opening Gorilla Rx and the four years prior spent fighting for the right to do just that, Kika Keith became a force in Los Angeles cannabis. But the idea wasn’t on a whim. The serial entrepreneur told High Times she first got the idea to open the South-Central Los Angeles dispensary in 2007. She was attempting to get her non-infused beverage line Gorilla Life into dispensaries when one of the owners recommended adding some decarboxylated hash.
AG Bonta Supports Cannabis Rescheduling
California Attorney General Rob Bonta came out in support of the Department of Health and Human Services’ call on the Drug Enforcement Administration to move cannabis to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. Bonta joined a chorus of 12 other Attorney Generals from around the nation late last week. The baker’s dozen sent a letter to the feds supporting the current efforts to reschedule and recognize both the medical and research value cannabis offers.
Focus V’s Aeris is its Most Portable Offering Yet
After years with a seat at the table when it comes to the biggest names in digital dabs thanks to the cult following of the Carta and the tank atomizer it brought to the market at a time of need, Focus V’s new Aeris makes dabbing on the go even easier. The portable smart vaporizer was released last week in limited quantities available online at FocusV.com. Focus V hopes the new Aeris will mimic its sister vaporizer the Carta on the impact it’s had on the marketplace over the last seven years.
America hits 2.3 Million Cannabis Expungements
According to America’s oldest cannabis reform organization, the nation has now reached 2.3 million expungements. The National Organization for The Reform of Marijuana Laws said that number came from the available information since states started taking action in 2018. California has proven to be one of the most active states with an estimated 200,000 convictions cleared. Another new law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to provide relief to 34,000 more people.
No Link Found Between Marijuana Legalization and Psychosis Cases Spiking
The idea of mass hysteria from modern superweed cracking people’s fragile minds is often peddled against ideas of personal freedom, medical use, or just the safety of regulated markets when it comes to marijuana legalization. But did that happen anywhere? Well, not in Ontario. Mental health episodes being triggered by cannabis are certainly a thing that should never be pushed under the rug, but you also should take a deep breath before stressing too hard.
Many New Cannabis Laws Take Effect This Week
An array of new cannabis laws went into effect around the county on New Year’s Day. California Closest to home here in California, the largest changes are the protections for off-the-clock cannabis use going into effect. Signed by the governor last year, Assembly Bill 2188 prohibits employers from discriminating against anyone for non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites in their urine, hair, or bodily fluids.
Cannabis Enforcement: How Will The Murder of an Oakland Police Officer Change It?
The California cannabis industry is still in shock from the death of an Oakland Police officer last Friday. Officer Tuan Le was part of an overnight operation targeting the frequent break-ins facing Oakland on a nightly basis, many of them targeting the cannabis industry. The task force was responding to the second break-in of the night at the same distributor. That was three hours after they had cleared it following the initial robbery.
Best Strains of the Year
As the year comes to an end, we’re looking back at the strains we believe made the biggest mark on cannabis in 2023. Every year the battle to make this list gets more cutthroat. Why? It’s simply a numbers game. From closet pollen chuckers to the most advanced breeding rooms, more people than ever are producing new cannabis cultivars. Most of them trace back to the same lineages.
The Cannabis Industry Deserves Real Protection in 2024.
In addition to all the challenges of just being an operator in the cannabis industry with its regulatory hurdles and heavy tax burden, dispensaries, grows and distributors are getting their doors kicked in weekly. This week saw robberies in Brooklyn, Sacramento, Oklahoma City, and just outside of Boston. Those are just the ones that got some coverage. Plenty of people keep it low-key when they are victims to not alert the next would-be assailants to their security issues.
LA Weekly's 2023 Cannabis Superlatives - LA Weekly
Here is a bunch of the weed stuff we loved, and some we didn’t, in 2023 broken down into a fun list of Cannabis Superlatives. Headie Boy Accessory of the Year: Puffco XL Chamber Few things hit as hard this year as Puffco’s new XL chambers for its Peak vaporizer. The amount of terps one can shovel into that thing brought people much joy in 2023. I mostly use my standard 3D chamber, but there is no denying how fun a half-gram dab before some pizza is.
New Survey: 1 in 3 Think Pot the Superior Holiday Present to Booze
According to a new survey by Oak PR, Americans are all in on cannabis Christmas festivities as it continues to be more and more normalized. The survey was conducted on 951 Americans over the age of 21. A little under the 1000 benchmark you’d like to see with these kinds of surveys and headlines but it’s pretty close. The Survey was conducted by Wired Research on behalf of Oak PR.
The Cannabis Industry Saw Some Relief in 2023
It’s a lot easier for the cannabis industry to look back on 2023 than it had been the past few years prior. It almost seemed like after that week in March 2020 when the industry sold the most pot ever, we entered a bit of a rut. The license struggles of various hitters and the price crash leading to a lot of small farms going under were two major parts of that sad reality. But for those who made it to 2023, there was more hope and positives to take away from the year.
Pasadena Again Fails to Apply for $3 Million California Social Equity Grant
This entry is part 1 of 1 in the series Chronic Issues Pasadena Again Fails to Apply for $3 Million California Social Equity Grant Last Thursday was a sunny December day in Pasadena. People were out holiday shopping and most were looking forward to some warm SoCal weekend weather. Yep, Thursday was a generally upbeat day around the city.
Dry Farming in Humboldt
Dry farms are rare in California, but the results people like Chrystal Ortiz of High Water Farm are able to pull off without watering their cannabis plants all summer are pretty amazing. Sure it takes a Goldilocks type of microclimate in the middle of Humboldt County just off the Eel River—the same neighborhood that hosts all the state’s dry cannabis farmers—but what those farmers are able to do is pretty impressive. It is certainly a leap of faith to start.
The Holiday Cannabis Accessory Guide
The Christmas season has arrived and just like every year, we have the perfect cannabis accessories to please the cannabis enthusiast in your life. It was a great year for cannabis accessories. That was whether you were talking about all the cool new stuff or standard bearers getting upgrades. There were plenty of both. So that means we’re able to go all over the place with this list to cover a variety of products. And for all the good out there, there is a bunch of garbage.
Terp Basel Brings California to Miami
Many of the biggest names in California cannabis converged on Terp Basel this past weekend and hit Miami Beach for the art show that inspired the name. Terp Basel was bigger than ever this year. The event took over a North Miami skatepark for four nights. The different themed evenings feature charity fundraisers, fashion shows and various wellness activities to wrap the weekend up on Sunday. One thing all those nights had in common was some of the best cannabis in town.
The Weirdos' Essential Cannabis Industry Bullshitter Guide
Every December I like to take stock of the cannabis experts that have moved on because they didn’t have a clue what they were talking about. And it’s important to remember people are bullshitting at every level of the industry, from the budtender telling you those mids are first to the CEO who is also trying to convince you those mids are fire, or even scarier, a promise you’ll get to keep a piece of your company. Most cannabis industry dirtbags fall between those two spots on the totem pole.
MJBizCon Back in Full Swing for 2023
Backed by expanding international markets and a new official smoking section, MJBizCon seemingly returned to its pre-pandemic glory in 2023. Make no mistake about it, the cannabis world was in Las Vegas last week. According to MJBizCon, 30,000 cannabis professionals from all over the globe descended on Sin City to see the industry’s latest and greatest. They weren’t disappointed.
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