By OG Strain

You know what I’m sick and tired of?

I’m sick and tired of people who wake up every single day just looking for somebody to tear down.

You know the type.

Every Facebook comment they leave is negative. Every post they make is hateful. Every interaction they have feels miserable. They scroll social media like it’s their full-time job to drain the energy out of everybody around them.

And honestly?

What kind of life is that?

I see these people everywhere online now. Somebody posts their artwork — they insult it. Somebody starts a business — they mock it. Somebody shares their happiness — they try to ruin it. Somebody speaks from the heart — they laugh at them.

It’s like some people genuinely cannot stand seeing positivity, growth, peace, success, love, or happiness in another human being.

That mindset is poison.

And what’s crazy is once you begin changing your life spiritually, once you begin walking with God, once you begin trying to live with love in your heart, you start noticing this darkness everywhere. It becomes impossible not to see it.

You begin asking yourself different questions in life.

“How can I help people today?”
“How can I make somebody’s day better?”
“How can I let God’s love work through me?”
“How can I bring peace instead of chaos?”

That’s where your mind starts going when your soul begins healing.

And when you reach that point, negative people become exhausting to be around because you realize they aren’t just “being funny” or “telling it like it is.” No — many of them are deeply miserable people trying to spread their misery to everybody else.

Energy vampires.

They walk into every room trying to suck the life out of it.

But here’s the beautiful part:

They cannot destroy people who truly carry love in their hearts.

They cannot destroy people protected by faith.

They cannot destroy people who genuinely want good for others.

People who walk with God don’t get angry over petty nonsense. They get angry when innocent people are being attacked. They get angry when bullies try humiliating good-hearted people. They get angry when cruelty becomes normalized.

That anger comes from defending what is right.

And I’m going to say something a lot of people probably need to hear:

If you spend your entire life spreading negativity, hurting people, insulting strangers, mocking dreams, attacking people online, and making everybody around you feel worse… what exactly is your legacy going to be?

Seriously.

Especially if you’re older.

You mean to tell me you’ve lived over fifty years on this Earth and still haven’t learned kindness?

Still haven’t learned empathy?

Still haven’t learned humility?

Still haven’t learned that life is short?

Whether you believe in God or not, why would you want your name attached to negativity forever?

Why would you want people remembering you as the person who constantly tore others down instead of lifting them up?

I don’t understand it.

And yes, this message is especially important for Christians because Jesus made it very clear how we are supposed to treat people. Scripture teaches us that what we do for others, we do for Him.

That matters.

But even if you are not religious, the message still applies.

Why hurt people when you could help them?

Why spread hate when you could spread encouragement?

Why become a storm in everybody’s life when you could become light?

That choice belongs to every single one of us every day we wake up.

One of the things that originally drew me into the cannabis community was the love I saw within it. I saw people supporting each other creatively. I saw friendships forming. I saw people helping each other heal. I saw music, art, laughter, conversations, and positive energy.

But at the same time, I also saw the darker side.

Jealousy.

Ego.

Cruelty.

Division.

People tearing each other down over nonsense instead of building together.

And that’s dangerous because this industry has the potential to become something bigger than cannabis itself. It can become an example of community, peace, creativity, healing, and humanity if we allow it to.

We should be showing the world what unity looks like.

We should be making friendships instead of enemies.

We should be supporting each other instead of competing with bitterness.

We should be creating positive spaces where people feel welcomed instead of attacked.

The world already has enough hatred in it.

It already has enough division.

It already has enough miserable people trying to infect everybody else with their misery.

So maybe — just maybe — the cannabis community can choose to become something different.

A place where love outweighs ego.

A place where kindness outweighs cruelty.

A place where helping people matters more than humiliating them.

Because at the end of the day, nobody remembers the person who sat online hating on everybody.

People remember the ones who helped them through dark times.

People remember the ones who inspired them.

People remember the ones who showed love when the world felt cold.

So if this article somehow reaches one of those people who spends every day spreading negativity online, I genuinely hope you hear me:

Change before it’s too late.

Start your mornings with gratitude.

Appreciate what God has given you.

Appreciate your parents, your family, your home, your life, your opportunities, your blessings.

Then try giving some positivity back to the world.

Because humanity needs more healers.

Not more hateful commenters.

• OG Strain

By OG Strain for Plugs Pages Magazine

There’s a strange disease spreading through the 518 this spring.

No, not pollen allergies.
Not seasonal depression.
Not even that mysterious condition where your dealer suddenly “fell asleep” right after you sent the money.

I’m talking about Lame-itis.

And Schenectady might officially be patient zero.

Now don’t get me wrong — there’s still some solid people holding it down for the cannabis community. The Growers Gathering by Damn Sam was a good time. Crisxotics always got motion. The Canna Mafia got events popping almost every weekend. There’s raffles, prizes, smoke sessions, music, networking, and enough weed floating around to make Willie Nelson forget where he parked his horse.

But here’s the problem nobody wants to say out loud:

Half the people showing up aren’t there to vibe.
They’re there to vend.

Everybody got a table. Everybody got a QR code. Everybody got business cards. Everybody selling something. Which is cool — that’s part of the culture too. Hustling is respected.

But where are the people just showing up to support?

Where are the people who come out with no agenda besides hanging out, smoking, laughing, and showing love to the community?

Because lately it feels like if you ain’t selling eighths, T-shirts, mushrooms, exotic soda, glass pieces, moon rocks, moon dust, moon shoes, or moon-flavored oxygen… people act like there’s no reason to leave the house.

And honestly? That sucks.

Memorial Day really drove it home for me.

I literally invited people over to review weed with me. That was the entire mission. No cover charge. No catch. No pyramid scheme. No “opportunity.” Just come smoke free weed and talk about strains.

You didn’t even need to bring weed.
You barely needed to bring pants.

Just lungs.

That was it.

I had strains lined up like a cannabis buffet. Different flavors, different highs, enough variety to make Snoop Dogg tear up emotionally. I put the invite out publicly. Open door. Pull up.

And somehow…
nothing.

A couple people tried to come through and had stuff happen last minute, so respect to them at least. But overall? It felt impossible just to get people together to smoke free weed.

FREE.

WEED.

Do you understand how insane that sentence sounds in 2026?

At this point, if you can’t get people to come smoke free weed, either the economy is broken or everybody secretly became Amish.

That’s when it hit me:

Schenectady doesn’t just need more events.

Schenectady needs a real cannabis lounge.

Not a smoke shop with LED lights and one folding chair in the corner.
Not some place pretending to be “420 friendly” because they sell incense and a Bob Marley flag.

I mean a REAL canna lounge.

A place built specifically for the cannabis community to gather, chill, smoke, laugh, network, trade buds, review strains, freestyle, play games, watch movies, and exist together without everybody trying to sell each other something every five seconds.

Picture this:

You walk in and instantly get hit with that warm cloud of loud. The lighting is dim with black lights glowing purple and green. Old-school stoner rock mixes with underground hip hop in the background. There’s lava lamps bubbling in corners like tiny psychedelic volcanoes.

Couches everywhere.

Not cheap waiting-room couches either. I’m talking dangerously comfortable couches. The kind you sit in and immediately forget your social security number.

Coffee tables covered in glass art. Ashtrays on every table. Giant dab rigs bubbling like chemistry experiments. Hookahs. Gravity bongs. Rolling trays the size of cafeteria lunch trays.

One room got old-school video games.
Another room got movies playing on projector walls.
Another room is just bean bags and vibes.

Maybe there’s a “Flavor Chamber” where people sample different terpene profiles like wine tasting for stoners.

“Ah yes… this one has notes of citrus, diesel, bad decisions, and unpaid parking tickets.”

Maybe there’s a “Moon Room” — some wild sealed chamber where people step inside while smoke fills the whole thing like a Cheech & Chong spaceship. Ten minutes later you walk out speaking fluent reggae and trying to high-five furniture.

Maybe local growers host taste-test nights.

Maybe local artists perform live.

Maybe there’s comedy nights where half the comedians forget their jokes halfway through and everybody laughs harder because of it.

Maybe there’s membership cards.

Maybe there’s lockers for your glass pieces.

Maybe there’s a giant terpene menu on the wall like a restaurant.

“Tonight’s specials include:
Garlic Funk, Banana Melt, and a strain called Divorce Papers that’ll have you reorganizing your entire life at 2 AM.”

And most importantly:

NO ALCOHOL.

None.

This ain’t a bar fight environment.
This ain’t people screaming over tequila shots and punching vending machines.

This is a cannabis sanctuary.

A chill zone.

A place people actually WANT to be.

Because the truth is, the cannabis community in the 518 has something special already. The people are here. The growers are here. The talent is here. The passion is here.

What’s missing is a home base.

A place where community matters more than transactions.

A place where people can build real friendships instead of just exchanging Instagram handles and disappearing into the smoke like a side quest NPC.

And whoever creates this first in Schenectady?

They’re going to print money.

Because people are starving for connection right now. Everybody’s isolated. Everybody’s trapped online. Everybody’s liking posts instead of living life.

The first person who creates a real, comfortable, creative, safe cannabis lounge in Schenectady is going to accidentally build the hottest spot in the entire 518.

And honestly?

I’ll probably be there so often they’re gonna start charging me rent.

If you build it, we will blaze it!

By OG Strain for The Plug’s Pages Magazine

There are cannabis events… and then there are Damn Sam events.
And if you’ve ever attended a Grower’s Gathering hosted by Rob Robinson and Emily Harper — better known throughout the canna community as Damn Sam — then you already know you’re not just showing up for weed.

You’re showing up for a full-blown cannabis carnival where somebody’s grandma is buying clones, a guy dressed like Ozzy Osbourne is screaming into a microphone, somebody else is carrying a deer skull through the parking lot like it’s perfectly normal, and at least fourteen dogs are emotionally supporting everyone simultaneously.

This year’s Grower’s Gathering in Palenville, New York was another unforgettable celebration of cannabis culture, community, and controlled chaos in the best possible way.
Held at the beautiful The Griffin House, the event brought together over 50 vendors from all over the region, offering everything from premium flower and hash to genetics, clones, body care products, art, apparel, oddities, and enough cannabis deals to make your wallet nervous before you even parked the car.

And despite windy, overcast weather that looked like Mother Nature herself forgot her lighter, the turnout was massive.

Families came out. Friends came out. Growers came out. Smokers came out.
Even the dogs came out.
Seriously — there were dogs everywhere. Big dogs, little dogs, fluffy dogs, old dogs, dogs that looked like they definitely knew where the hash table was located. If you love cannabis and dogs, this event basically felt like heaven with food trucks.

Vendor Heaven for Cannabis Lovers
One of the highlights of Grower’s Gathering is always the incredible vendor lineup, and this year absolutely delivered.
If you were hunting for quality flower, Higher Beings powered by Hudson Valley Green had people stopping in their tracks with premium buds and good vibes. And of course, the legendary Kevin Graham dropped what may have been the quote of the entire event:
“Every day is a good day OG — every day we wake up breathing is a great day.”
Honestly? That man deserves to have that printed on a rolling tray immediately.
Meanwhile, if genetics are your thing and you enjoy talking terpenes like stockbrokers talk Bitcoin, No Mountain Higher had killer genetics that had growers hovering around the booth like moths around a porch light.
Need clones? No problem.
Smuggles 518 came prepared with clones and genetics for growers ready to kick off the 2026 season, while Haywood Buds also brought healthy clones that had growers acting like proud parents at a plant adoption center.
For people looking for wellness products, Stickman Body Care offered quality flower along with body care products that probably smell better than most people’s apartments.
Fashion lovers had plenty to spend money on too.
Hippiefunland brought colorful tie-dye shirts loud enough to be seen from space, while The Good Sheppards had hats and family silver that looked like something a stylish outlaw wizard would wear while trimming plants under moonlight.
And then came the ounce wars.

If you wanted dense budget-friendly flower, East Coast Remedies was moving $50 ounces that had people checking their pockets twice just to make sure reality hadn’t glitched.
Meanwhile, Shaka Joe’s — famously known as the Home of the Hundred Dollar Ounces — was doing exactly what they’re known for.
And for those wanting premium quality with delivery options nearly everywhere, Backwoods Beauties had $120 ounces and enough interest around the booth to make you think they were handing out winning lottery tickets.
Then, just when you thought the event couldn’t get any more interesting…
You turn a corner and suddenly somebody is selling skulls.
Because of course they are.
Central Oddities brought deer skulls, human skull replicas, furs, and enough strange collectibles to make the entire event feel like a cannabis festival collided head-first with a medieval curiosity shop.

And for hash lovers, Experienced Hashish was serving up quality hash that had seasoned smokers nodding in approval like judges on a cooking show.
Live Music, Great Food, and Ozzy Apparently Returned from the Dead
As if the cannabis itself wasn’t entertaining enough, attendees were also treated to live music and food throughout the day.
But one of the biggest crowd-grabbers was the Ozzy Osbourne cover band Garth.
And listen…

These guys didn’t just play Ozzy.
They looked and sounded so much like Ozzy that half the crowd probably checked the calendar to make sure it wasn’t 1983.
At one point, between the music, the smoke clouds, the barking dogs, and the smell of food in the air, the entire place felt less like an event and more like a cannabis-powered alternate universe where everybody somehow got along.
Which honestly says a lot.

Because unlike the typical drunken bar scene where somebody inevitably argues about nonsense and punches a jukebox, cannabis events like Grower’s Gathering have a completely different energy.
People were friendly.
People were helping each other.
People were laughing.
Growers were sharing advice.
Strangers were becoming friends over jars of flower and conversations about terpenes.
It was community in its purest form.

Damn Sam Does It Again
None of this happens without the hard work of the hosts.
Special thanks go out to Rob Robinson and Emily Harper for putting together another outstanding and memorable event and helping kick off the 2026 grow season the right way.
And major appreciation also goes to The Griffin House for allowing the community to gather there and create another unforgettable day for cannabis culture in New York.
Grower’s Gathering wasn’t just a cannabis event.
It was a reminder that the cannabis community is filled with good people, positive energy, creativity, laughter, support, music, food, friendship, and apparently an unlimited supply of dogs.

And honestly?
That’s exactly how it should be.

Much love,
OG Strain

Want to attend future Damn Sam events?

You can find upcoming events, details, and information at
Damn Sam Official Website⁠: www.damnsam.com

Watch the full event coverage from OG Strain
The full video premiere is available now on
Strain’s Strain Reviews (Talk Cannabis) on YouTube & the Channel⁠ link is below:

www.damnsam.com