By OG Strain

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Hey Canna family—it’s OG Strain here.

Let me keep it real with you right from the jump… if you’re reading this, it’s because I can’t post it where most of you are used to seeing me: Facebook.

Yeah. Again.

At this point, getting restricted on Facebook as a cannabis content creator feels less like a violation and more like a weekly subscription service—except nobody signed up for it, and the customer service is about as responsive as a brick wall with Wi-Fi.

But this article isn’t just about me being locked out. This is bigger than that. This is about all of us—the entire cannabis community—and the position we keep putting ourselves in by relying on platforms that clearly don’t support us.

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The Reality We Keep Ignoring

Let’s call it what it is.

Facebook does not support cannabis culture.
And it definitely doesn’t prioritize free expression when it comes to our community.

Between automated moderation systems flagging harmless content and bad actors reporting posts, creators like myself are constantly walking a tightrope. One wrong move—or one strategically offended person—and boom… you’re locked out of your own platform.

And here’s the wild part: sometimes it’s not even strangers.

Sometimes it’s people who follow you… engage with you… laugh with you… and then report you.

Yeah. That part.

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When Support Turns Two-Faced

Recently, I found myself restricted because someone who had been actively engaging with my content suddenly decided to take offense—over a simple tag.

Not a callout.
Not disrespect.
A tag.

Instead of reaching out like a normal human being—“Hey man, can you remove that?”—they went straight to reporting. Not just the post… the account. The whole thing.

Now I’m dealing with the fallout.

And while I’m choosing not to name names (because I don’t operate at that level), the situation highlights something important:

There are people who will privately support cannabis culture—but publicly run from it.

And worse… some will protect their image at the expense of your livelihood.

That’s not community. That’s cowardice.

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The Bigger Problem: Platform Dependence

Here’s where I need you to really lock in.

As long as we keep building everything on Facebook, we are putting our voices, our businesses, and our movement in the hands of a system that can shut us down at any moment.

That’s not strategy—that’s vulnerability.

Think about it like this:

If your entire grow was in one tent… and that tent had a habit of randomly catching fire…
Would you keep putting all your plants in there?

Exactly.

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It’s Time to Diversify—And Migrate

This is why I’m urging all of you—creators, supporters, smokers, growers, enthusiasts—to start branching out.

I’ve recently stepped onto a new platform: X (formerly Twitter).

And from what I’ve seen and been told, it’s far more open to cannabis content and free expression.

Now listen—I’m not saying it’s perfect.

But what I am saying is this:

We need options.

We need spaces where we can speak, share, educate, and build—without constantly worrying about being silenced.

Because let’s be honest…

You can’t grow a movement if every post feels like you’re sneaking snacks into a movie theater.

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OG Strain Isn’t Going Anywhere

Let me make one thing crystal clear:

I’m not stopping.

Not because of a report.
Not because of a restriction.
Not because of any platform.

I will continue:
    •    Writing for The Plugs Pages Magazine
    •    Creating content on my YouTube channel “Strain’s Strain Reviews (Talk Cannabis)”
    •    Expanding onto new platforms like X
    •    Advocating for this plant and this culture every single day

Facebook might slow me down…

…but it will never shut me up.

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A Message to the Real Ones

If you truly support:
    •    Cannabis culture
    •    Free expression
    •    Independent creators

Then now is the time to act.

Follow me on other platforms.
Stay connected beyond Facebook.
Build accounts elsewhere before you need them.

Because trust me…

The way things are going, it’s not if Facebook comes for you…

…it’s when.

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Final Hit (You Knew This Was Coming)

Look, I love this community.

But we gotta stop acting like Facebook is the plug… when they’ve been cutting our supply this whole time.

It’s like going back to the same dealer who keeps shorting your eighth and saying,
“Maybe this time he’ll respect me.”

Nah.

We deserve better platforms.
We deserve real support.
And we deserve to speak freely about a plant that’s changing lives every day.

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Stand Together or Stay Stuck

Together, we stand. Divided, we fall.

So let’s stand smart.
Let’s stand prepared.
And most importantly…

Let’s stand somewhere they can’t keep muting us.

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– OG Strain
Canna Advocate | Strain Reviewer | Voice of the Northeast

(Follow links and platform info below to stay connected beyond Facebook.)

https://twitter.com/ogstraincontent?s=11

https://youtube.com/@ogstraintheoriginalog?si=N0pJfCOcydE2d1l9

By OG Strain

Let me ask you something…

How is it that we’re living in a time where cannabis is legal, dispensaries are everywhere, and even grandma is placing orders from a kiosk at the senior center…

…but people are STILL hiding the fact that they smoke?

No seriously.

We got legalization.
We got education.
We got research showing cannabis helps with pain, anxiety, sleep, and a laundry list of other issues.

We even got seniors out here like,
“Yeah, I’ll take an eighth of that Blue Dream and maybe a brownie for bingo night.”

But somehow…

We STILL got people in positions of power acting like if the public finds out they smoke weed, their whole career is gonna evaporate into thin air like a cheap pre-roll.

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The Fake-Out Culture

Let’s talk about it.

Politicians.
Lawyers.
Judges.
Doctors.
School board members.

You’re telling me NONE of them smoke?

Come on.

That’s like saying nobody in the music industry parties.

We all know what’s really going on.

What’s wild is watching politicians try to expose each other like it’s some kind of scandal.

“Oh yeah? Well THAT candidate smokes marijuana!”

Meanwhile the person saying it probably just hit a vape pen in their car five minutes before the debate.

That’s not politics…

That’s high school with suits.

And honestly?

Who cares if they smoke?

If two candidates are exactly the same — same policies, same experience, same everything…

…but one of them smokes weed?

I’m picking the one who smokes.

Why?

Because they feel HUMAN.

They feel REAL.

They feel like someone who understands life beyond a script and a podium.

The one hiding it?

That’s the one I don’t trust.

Because if you’re willing to lie about something that small…

what else are you lying about?

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The Real Problem Isn’t Cannabis… It’s the Stigma

Here’s the truth:

People aren’t afraid of cannabis.

They’re afraid of what OTHER PEOPLE think about cannabis.

That’s the issue.

We didn’t fully legalize weed…

We halfway legalized it socially.

Legally? You’re good.
Socially? Eh… depends who’s watching.

And that’s where the problem lives.

Because now you’ve got fully functional, successful adults…

hiding a plant like it’s a criminal secret.

That’s crazy.

No amount of money is worth being fake.

I’d rather be broke and real than rich and pretending I’m somebody I’m not.

And if you’re in a position where you feel like you HAVE to hide who you are?

That’s not success…

That’s a performance.

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The Double Standard That Makes ZERO Sense

Now let’s really get into it…

Because this is where things go from ridiculous to straight-up unfair.

Explain this to me:

A truck driver…

can go home on the weekend…

drink a 30-pack of beer, finish off a bottle of liquor, wake up Monday morning…

go to work completely sober…

and nobody says a word.

Totally fine.

Completely acceptable.

Now take that SAME person…

Same job. Same responsibilities.

But instead of drinking…

they smoke a joint on Saturday.

Not even a lot — just enough to relax.

They go back to work Monday…

100% sober…

not impaired AT ALL…

…and they get hit with a drug test.

Now suddenly?

They’re fired.

Career over.

Life flipped upside down.

Same person. Same sobriety. Same performance.

Different substance.

Make that make sense.

I’ll wait.

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“But How Do We Know If They Were High?”

That’s the argument, right?

“Well what if they were high on the job?”

Okay.

Fair question.

But here’s the problem:

Current testing doesn’t tell you that.

It tells you IF someone used cannabis…

not WHEN they used it.

So someone could’ve smoked three days ago…

and still test positive.

Meanwhile, someone could drink heavily the night before…

and pass with flying colors the next day.

So what are we really testing?

Impairment?

Or just past behavior?

Because those are NOT the same thing.

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We Have the Technology… So Act Like It

We live in a world with AI.

We got smartphones more powerful than computers from 20 years ago.

We’ve launched satellites into space.

But we can’t figure out a way to measure real-time cannabis impairment?

That’s hard to believe.

The solution isn’t to punish innocent people just because we don’t have perfect testing yet.

The solution is to CREATE better testing.

Figure out how to measure:
    •    When someone last consumed
    •    Whether they’re actually impaired
    •    And if they’re safe to perform their job

Because right now?

We’re ruining people’s lives over outdated methods that don’t tell the full story.

And that’s not justice…

That’s laziness.

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Let’s Call It What It Is

This isn’t about safety.

This isn’t about responsibility.

This is about stigma that hasn’t fully died yet.

And until it does…

people will keep hiding.

People will keep losing opportunities.

And people will keep being judged for something that, at this point, should be completely normal.

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Final Hit

Let qualified people do their jobs.

Let adults live their lives.

And if someone chooses cannabis over alcohol on their day off?

Good for them.

As long as they show up sober, responsible, and ready to work…

that should be the ONLY thing that matters.

Because at the end of the day…

We’re not supposed to be judging people based on what they do on their couch on a Saturday night.

We’re supposed to be judging them on how they show up on Monday morning.

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And if we can’t figure that out by now…

Maybe we’re the ones that need to do some growing. 🌱

By OG Strain — Cannabis Reviewer, Community Advocate, and Self-Proclaimed Doctor of “Where You Should Buy Your Weed”

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Let me paint you a picture.

You open up social media, scroll for about 12 seconds, and boom—you’re smack in the middle of a full-blown cannabis civil war.

On one side? The dispensary loyalists. Lab coats in spirit, receipts in hand, yelling:
“It’s regulated! It’s tested! It’s the only safe way!”

On the other side? The pop-up event crowd. Street scholars with sharp noses and sharper opinions saying:
“Man, that’s overpriced corporate weed. Come get the real fire.”

Then you got the growers chiming in like proud parents at a science fair:
“Why go anywhere else? Come straight to the source.”

And somewhere in the background… your boy OG Strain… just trying to smoke something good without needing a referee and a whistle.

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Breaking News: You’re All Right (Relax, It’s Not That Deep)

Here’s the truth nobody wants to admit because it’s not dramatic enough for the internet:

Every single one of you is right.
Yeah—I said it.

And I know that’s not the answer people want. People don’t go online looking for peace—they go online looking for blood. But I’m not here to argue. I’m here to educate, entertain, and keep you from smoking something that was sprayed in a warehouse next to a box of knockoff sneakers.

See, from day one, I made a decision:
If I’m gonna be a cannabis reviewer out of New York, I’m not picking sides.

I review:
    •    Dispensary products
    •    Pop-up vendor finds
    •    Street pickups
    •    Direct-from-the-farm flower

Why? Because I shop everywhere. And more importantly… so do you.

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The Golden Rule: TRUST YOUR SOURCE (Tattoo This Somewhere)

I don’t care if you’re shopping at a high-end dispensary with marble floors and a security guard that looks like he benches Buicks… or a pop-up event in a parking lot with a DJ and a guy selling edibles out of a Pokémon lunchbox…

The number one rule is the same:
👉 TRUST. YOUR. SOURCE.

Because let’s not act brand new—there is still some sketchy, chemical-sprayed nonsense floating around out here.

And no, it doesn’t come with a warning label that says:
“⚠️ May taste like Pine-Sol and regret.”

So whether you’re:
    •    At a dispensary
    •    At a pop-up
    •    Buying from a plug
    •    Or shaking hands with a farmer

If you don’t trust where it came from… don’t light it.

Simple.

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Dispensaries: Safe, Professional… and Sometimes Clueless

Let’s talk dispensaries.

I like dispensaries. I really do.
They’re clean, they’re consistent, they’re convenient.

You can walk in at 2PM on a Tuesday or 9PM on a Sunday and grab a vape like you’re picking up toothpaste. That’s beautiful.

But let me say this respectfully…

Some of these budtenders couldn’t tell you the difference between a terpene and a turtleneck.

I’m not saying all—but enough.

You ask:
“Hey, I’ve got insomnia. What do you recommend?”

And they hit you with:
“Uh… this one’s popular.”

Popular?! So is fast food—that don’t mean it’s good for you.

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My Proposal: Cannabis Doctors (No White Coat Required)

Here’s how dispensaries level up:

Hire actual cannabis experts.

I’m talking about people who can:
    •    Break down terpenes like a sommelier breaks down wine
    •    Recommend five strains for sleep before you finish saying “insomnia”
    •    Explain effects, genetics, and profiles like it’s second nature

Give people education with their purchase.
Now that price tag starts making more sense.

Because let’s be honest…

If money wasn’t an issue?
If everybody was a billionaire?

Most of y’all would be in a dispensary right now acting like it’s Apple on iPhone drop day.

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Pop-Up Events: Treasure Hunt or Trap? (Depends on You)

Now let’s talk pop-ups.

This is where things get interesting.

Because pop-ups are like:
    •    Half cannabis convention
    •    Half mystery box challenge

You might find:
    •    Some of the best flower you’ve ever smoked in your life
    •    OR something that makes you question your entire existence

And here’s the truth:

Both exist in the same room.

There are vendors at pop-ups with:
    •    Direct relationships with growers
    •    Clean, legit, fire product

And then there are others with:
    •    “Trust me bro” energy
    •    And packs that look like they were assembled during a thunderstorm in a basement

So what do you need?

👉 A trained eye.
👉 Community knowledge.
👉 And a little common sense.

Pop-ups aren’t unsafe…
They just require participation.

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The Plug: High Risk, High Trust

Let’s talk about the classic… the plug.

We all know one.

The plug is either:
    •    A legend
OR
    •    A learning experience

There is no in-between.

If your plug:
    •    Grows their own
    •    Knows the grower directly
    •    Can confidently tell you where it came from

You’re good.

If your plug texts like this:
“Got some 🔥🔥🔥 trust me”

…you might be gambling with your lungs.

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The Farmer: The Purest Form of the Game

Now THIS… is my favorite when it’s accessible.

Going directly to a grower or farm?

That’s:
    •    Fresh
    •    Less handled
    •    Usually the best deal (especially for bulk)

But let’s be real—it’s not always practical.

If it costs you:
    •    $40 in gas
    •    2 hours of your life
    •    And a road trip playlist

…you might be better off hitting a dispensary unless you’re buying in bulk.

Still, if you can build that connection?

That’s gold.

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So… Where Should You Buy Your Weed?

Here’s the answer you’ve been waiting for:

Wherever works best for YOU.

Because each option serves a purpose:
    •    Dispensaries → Safety, convenience, variety
    •    Pop-ups → Deals, rare finds, culture
    •    Farmers → Freshness, connection, bulk value
    •    Plugs → Convenience (if trusted), accessibility

This isn’t a competition.

It’s an ecosystem.

And that’s just the truth!

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Final Thought: Stop Fighting, Start Looking Out

What we SHOULD be doing as a community is not arguing…

It’s protecting each other.

If you find:
    •    Bad product
    •    Unsafe product
    •    Something suspicious

Speak on it.

If you find:
    •    Fire product
    •    A trustworthy source

Share that too.

But don’t lie.
Don’t sabotage.
Don’t spread nonsense just to win an argument.

Because this isn’t sneakers…
This is something people are putting into their bodies.

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OG Strain’s Closing Prescription 🩺🔥

As your unofficial Doctor of Cannabis Shopping Sciences, I prescribe the following:
    •    Trust your source
    •    Educate yourself
    •    Try different lanes
    •    Support good people
    •    And for the love of everything holy…

Stop arguing like your weed comes with a championship belt.

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I’m OG Strain.
I shop everywhere… so you don’t have to guess.

Stay safe. Stay lifted. And stay informed.