Verified, Vindicated, and Very Much Still Smoking: An OG Strain Update on Meta, Meet-Ups, and the Empire State Cannabis Cup**

By OG Strain
The Plug’s Pages Magazine

If you’ve been wondering why my voice suddenly went quiet on Facebook for a few days — relax. I didn’t get canceled, shadow-banned, or sentenced to life in Facebook jail without parole. What I did do was take the grown-up route and get my account verified so I could actually speak to a human at Meta and find out what the hell was going on.

That little blue checkmark next to my name? ✔️
That’s not ego — that’s customer service access.

Part One: The Facebook “Restriction” That Wasn’t

After speaking directly with Meta, here’s the official word:
I did not violate Facebook policy.
I did not break community standards.
And there was no actual restriction placed on my account at all.

If I had done something wrong, Meta explained, I would’ve received clear details — what rule was broken and how long the restriction would last. None of that existed. Instead, Facebook needed to verify that I’m not a bot.

Apparently, Meta is buried under a mountain of fake accounts right now, and their system flagged mine for additional verification. I showed the Meta representative the message I was receiving, and she confirmed it’s a backlog issue — not a punishment. While the process is supposed to take up to 24 hours, it’s been closer to four or five days because, well… Meta.

The important takeaway: no violations, no penalties — just patience.

Community Over Everything 🫶

While my account was temporarily sidelined, something important happened — the community stepped up.

Several people volunteered to publish Plug’s Pages Magazine articles daily in The Plug’s Pages Facebook public group, making sure the content never stopped and the platform kept moving forward.

Huge appreciation to Melissa Dopp, Jason Longhi, Tokalotapot Seeds, Stephanie Lane, Jason Wright, and everyone else who posted or offered to help during that time.

That’s what real community looks like — and it doesn’t go unnoticed.

⸻

Part Two: The Cannabis Cup Pregame — January 30

For those attending the Empire State Cannabis Cup, there’s an optional pregame gathering happening the night before, January 30, in the same building as the Cup itself:

📍 The Clocktower
37 Prospect Street, Amsterdam, NY
🕓 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Hosted by John Apple, Flanagan edibles, Jolly Appleseed, and Chronical Gardens, this is an open invitation for friendly, civilized, non-violent people who want to meet others attending the Cup in a relaxed, smoke-friendly environment. It’s a chance to pregame, pass some flower, and put faces to names before the main event.

If you’re looking to ease into the weekend and connect with people ahead of time, this is a solid opportunity.

⸻

Part Three: The Empire State Cannabis Cup — January 31

Now for the main event — January 31.

The Empire State Cannabis Cup kicks off at 12:00 PM and runs until about 6:00 PM, though if the vibes are right, things may stretch a little longer.

What’s on deck:
🌿 Vendors
🎶 Live music
😎 A crowd full of genuinely good people
🏆 Serious competition

Around 3:30–4:00 PM, the rolling contest is expected to begin, followed by edibles from 4:20 to 5:00 PM, with official Cannabis Cup winner announcements at 5:00 PM.

I’ll be there covering the event for my YouTube channel, Strain’s Strain Reviews (Talk Cannabis), capturing interviews and moments throughout the day so people who couldn’t attend can still experience it. If time allows, I’m hoping to speak with the official winners, along with judges, organizers, performers, vendors, and attendees.

If you had anything to do with this event — or even if you’re just part of the crowd — feel free to come say what’s up. You never know who might end up in the final video once everything’s edited and uploaded.

⸻

Final Word

Tech hiccups aside, the culture keeps moving forward, the community keeps showing up, and the Empire State Cannabis Cup is shaping up to be a strong weekend for New York cannabis.

Whether you’re pre-gaming, competing, vending, performing, or just soaking it all in, January 31 is the day.

I’ll see you at the Cup. 🌿🔥

— OG Strain
The Plug’s Pages Magazine