Community
Schenecta-BLAZE Needs a Real Canna Lounge
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!
Community
The OG Strain Effect: Coincidence… or Good Promo?
Every now and then, somebody asks me:
“OG, why do you spend so much time promoting these cannabis companies?”
Simple.
Because I love this industry.
I love seeing passionate people build something from nothing. I love finding the hidden gems. I love discovering the growers, dispensaries, and brands that are actually doing it right before everybody else catches on.
And if you’ve followed my work for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed a strange pattern.
The brands I put a spotlight on tend to blow up.
Now before anybody starts throwing tomatoes at me, let me be crystal clear:
I am not claiming I built these businesses.
I didn’t create their products.
I didn’t build their customer base from scratch.
I didn’t develop their genetics.
I didn’t create their business plans.
The people behind these brands did all of that themselves.
What I do is something much simpler.
I find greatness and I point at it.
Then I tell the community where to find it.
That’s it.
But apparently, that’s a pretty powerful thing.
Exhibit A: Electric City Cannabis Company
When I first started talking about Electric City Cannabis Company, they weren’t the biggest name in the 518.
They were newer.
Competition was everywhere.
Every dispensary was fighting for attention.
But I saw something.
They were doing things right.
Their customer service was on point.
Their product selection was solid.
Their passion was obvious.
So I started writing about them.
I started talking about them.
I started putting a spotlight on them.
Again, I didn’t create their success.
They earned every bit of it.
But today?
They’re opening a second location in Gloversville.
That’s not luck.
That’s the result of a quality business executing at a high level.
Did my promotion help?
I think it’d be pretty hard to argue that it didn’t.
I know for a fact people walked through their doors because they saw one of my videos or read one of my articles.
Some of those people became loyal customers.
How many?
Who knows.
But it happened.
And when quality meets visibility, good things tend to happen.
Exhibit B: Higher Beings Powered by Hudson Valley Green
Last year, I attended a cannabis cup in Palenville.
Over fifty vendors.
Over fifty.
You know what that means?
A lot of walking.
A lot of talking.
A lot of smelling jars and trying products.
Basically the Olympics for cannabis enthusiasts.
After searching through vendor after vendor, one company stood out above the rest.
Higher Beings powered by Hudson Valley Green.
The quality was undeniable.
The passion was undeniable.
The products spoke for themselves.
So I spent the next year doing what I do best.
I talked about them.
I promoted them.
I let the community know what I had found.
Did I create their products?
No.
Did I create their business?
Absolutely not.
But I’d be lying if I said the spotlight didn’t help.
When you’ve built a following that trusts your opinion, people listen.
Especially the people who have followed my work for years and have seen me call things correctly time and time again.
When I point people toward a company, they check it out.
They give it a chance.
And when the quality is really there, they come back.
I have no doubt that my articles, videos, and recommendations helped increase their visibility, grow their customer base, and bring new eyes to what they were already doing exceptionally well.
The reality is simple:
When you’re operating in an industry where social media platforms constantly limit cannabis content, every bit of exposure matters.
Every article matters.
Every video matters.
Every recommendation matters.
And every new customer matters.
The Newest Example: Gilly’s Greens
Now let’s talk about a company that’s still writing its success story.
Gilly’s Greens.
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve already seen me talking about them.
Why?
Because I see the same ingredients I’ve seen before.
Passion.
Consistency.
Quality.
Dedication.

The man behind the operation, John Gilboy, isn’t waiting for success to magically appear.
He’s putting in the work.
He’s building a reputation.
He’s producing quality products.
Those things have absolutely nothing to do with me.
He deserves the credit for every bit of that.
But now I’m putting a spotlight on what he’s doing.
And if history has taught me anything, people are going to pay attention.
Will Gilly’s Greens become one of the next major names people are talking about?
I think so.
Not because of me.
Because they’re doing it right.
But proper promotion combined with quality products is a dangerous combination—in the best possible way.
Coincidence? Maybe.
At this point, there are only two possible explanations.
Either:
I have an incredible ability to identify cannabis businesses that are destined for success before everybody else notices.
Or…
My promotion actually helps accelerate that success.
Honestly, it’s probably both.
The businesses are already putting in the work.
They’re already producing great products.
They’re already building something worth supporting.
I simply help more people discover them faster.
Why This Matters
The cannabis industry is more competitive than ever.
Everybody wants attention.
Everybody wants customers.
Everybody wants to become the next big name.
But here’s the truth.
The best products don’t always win.
The loudest products often do.
Visibility matters.
Brand recognition matters.
Community trust matters.
And that’s where I come in.
For years, I’ve built relationships throughout the cannabis community.
People know that when I recommend something, it’s because I’ve actually put it to the test.
I’m not interested in promoting garbage.
I’m not interested in hyping products that don’t deserve it.
My reputation is worth too much.
When I put a spotlight on a company, it’s because I genuinely believe they’re doing something special.
And the community has learned to trust that.
The Invitation
So if you’re a grower…
A dispensary owner…
A breeder…
A processor…
An event organizer…
Or a cannabis entrepreneur building something incredible…
Let’s talk.
If you’re doing things right, I want to know about it.
If you’re passionate about what you’re creating, I want to see it.
And if you’re looking for someone who’s willing to fight for your brand and help get your name in front of the community, then maybe it’s time we work together.
I invest my time into the people I believe in.
The question is:
Are you building something worth believing in?
Because if you are, OG Strain might just be your next spotlight.
And if history is any indication…
That spotlight tends to shine pretty bright.
- OG Strain
- Visit for more: https://suno.com/s/daJmGyEnt1xAe2pt
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Community
THE FACEBOOK SNITCH WHO THINKS HE’S SAVING THE INDUSTRY
Or: How to Spot Someone Losing an Imaginary War Against Successful People
By OG Strain
The New York cannabis industry is growing.
You can feel it.
You see it at events. You see it at vendor pop-ups. You see it when people who started with a folding table and a dream are suddenly building legitimate brands, creating jobs, launching products, and putting money back into their communities.
Despite the economy doing its best impression of a dumpster fire, there are people in this industry making things happen.
And do you know what most of those successful people have in common?
They’re helping each other.
They’re networking.
They’re supporting one another’s businesses.
They’re showing up.
They’re collaborating.
They’re sharing opportunities.
They’re building.
Then there’s the other guy.
You know the guy.
Every industry has one.
The human equivalent of a flat tire.
The person who walks into a room and somehow lowers the property value.
The individual whose entire personality consists of bitterness, jealousy, and a deep commitment to never taking responsibility for anything.
Nothing is ever their fault.
Their business failed? Someone sabotaged them.
Nobody wants to work with them? Politics.
Nobody answers their calls? Conspiracy.
Nobody buys their products? The industry is rigged.
Meanwhile, everyone else is looking around wondering if they’ve considered the possibility that they’re simply unpleasant to be around.
Now here’s where things get funny.
Because instead of improving themselves…
Instead of learning…
Instead of networking…
Instead of asking successful people how they achieved what they achieved…
They choose a different path.
They become Facebook Batman.
Not the cool Batman.
The weird Batman.
The Batman whose superpower is reporting posts from his mother’s basement.
While successful people are building brands, attending events, creating content, and making connections, this person is conducting covert operations against social media posts.
Click.
Report.
Click.
Report.
Click.
Report.
Imagine dedicating your life to becoming the hall monitor of the internet.
Imagine seeing someone succeed and thinking:
“Instead of improving my own situation, I’m going to spend the next three hours trying to get their post removed.”
That’s not strategy.
That’s not business.
That’s not activism.
That’s not entrepreneurship.
That’s professional-level loser behavior.
The truth is that successful people generally don’t spend much time obsessing over unsuccessful people.
They’re too busy.
They’re working.
They’re building.
They’re growing.
The people who spend all day staring at somebody else’s success are usually doing so because they don’t have enough of their own.
And that’s the real tragedy.
The New York cannabis community has never had more opportunities.
There are events happening every month.
There are brands looking for partnerships.
There are creators looking for collaborators.
There are businesses looking for good people.
But some individuals would rather spend their energy trying to tear down a ladder than climbing one.
That’s a losing strategy every single time.
The cannabis industry isn’t being built by the people who report posts.
It’s being built by the people who show up.
The people who work hard.
The people who support others.
The people who understand that another person’s success does not take success away from them.
Success is not a pie.
Your neighbor getting a bigger slice doesn’t make yours smaller.
The funny thing is that the people spending all day trying to stop others from winning rarely realize how obvious they are.
Everyone notices.
Everyone sees the negativity.
Everyone sees the jealousy.
Everyone sees the bitterness.
And while they’re busy trying to block someone else’s progress, the rest of the industry keeps moving forward without them.
So here’s a revolutionary idea.
If you’re spending your evenings reporting Facebook posts from people who have never harmed you, maybe close the laptop.
Go outside.
Meet people.
Learn something.
Build something.
Create something.
Contribute something.
Because at the end of the day, the people building businesses are going to keep building businesses.
The people creating opportunities are going to keep creating opportunities.
And the self-appointed internet police force is still going to be sitting there wondering why nobody invited them to the party.
The answer isn’t complicated.
People enjoy being around builders.
Nobody enjoys being around wrecking balls.
And that’s why one group keeps growing while the other keeps refreshing Facebook.
Community
IF YOUR WEED IS FIRE, WHY ARE YOU ACTING LIKE THE POLICE?
A Love Letter to the Facebook Narcs of the Cannabis Community
By OG Strain
There is something in the cannabis community that drives me absolutely insane.
And no, it isn’t overpriced eighths.
It isn’t people calling every strain “gas” when it smells like a wet hamster and a bag of lawn clippings.
It isn’t even the guy who shows up to every event wearing a giant gold cannabis leaf chain the size of a hubcap.
No.
The thing I’m sick of is the sneaky, grimy, backdoor nonsense that comes from people who can’t compete honestly.
You know exactly who I’m talking about.
The Facebook reporters.
The post flaggers.
The undercover hall monitors of the cannabis world.
The people who see somebody succeeding and immediately start clicking buttons like they’re trying to save the nation from a national emergency.
Imagine being in the cannabis community and spending your free time reporting cannabis posts.
Think about that for a second.
You’re standing in a room full of growers, hash makers, vendors, creators, event organizers, photographers, reviewers, breeders, and entrepreneurs…
…and somehow you’ve decided your contribution is becoming Deputy Facebook.
Congratulations.
What a legacy.
Here’s the reality nobody wants to say out loud:
If your product is truly amazing, you don’t need dirty tricks.
If your flower is loud, it’ll speak for itself.
If your rosin melts faces, people will find it.
If your prices are fair, your customers will come back.
If your business is solid, nobody can stop you.
But when somebody’s first strategy is trying to remove competitors instead of improving themselves, that’s usually a giant red flag.
It’s the business equivalent of losing a race and deciding to slash everybody else’s tires.
You still didn’t win.
You just looked ridiculous.
The funniest part?
These people actually think they’re accomplishing something.
They’re not.
Every successful person I’ve ever met in this community has one thing in common:
They’re too busy building.
They’re too busy creating.
Too busy growing.
Too busy networking.
Too busy working.
The people making real moves don’t have time to sit around filing imaginary reports like they’re working the night shift at the Internet Police Department.
Meanwhile, some miserable clown is sitting at home refreshing Facebook like:
“That post got 47 likes. Better report it.”
“My competitor got a new customer. Better report it.”
“Someone is having success. This cannot stand.”
Brother, go touch grass.
Actually, don’t.
You’ll probably report the grass.
And here’s the thing that really blows my mind.
I support everybody who’s doing things the right way.
I don’t care if you’re from my circle.
I don’t care if you’re from another circle.
I don’t care if you’ve got a giant personality.
I don’t care if you’re cocky.
I don’t care if you’ve got fans.
I don’t care if you’ve got haters.
If you’ve got a quality product and you’re treating people fairly, I’ll support it.
Period.
Because that’s what healthy communities do.
Healthy communities build each other up.
Weak communities spend all day trying to pull each other down.
The difference is enormous.
One creates growth.
The other creates drama.
And here’s a lesson I’ve learned after years of watching people in every industry imaginable:
People who are obsessed with tearing others down almost always end up trapped by the negativity they create.
While they’re busy watching everyone else, everyone else is busy moving forward.
While they’re plotting, others are producing.
While they’re reporting posts, others are building brands.
That’s why these tactics never work long-term.
Success isn’t something you can report away.
You can’t click a button and erase talent.
You can’t file a complaint and eliminate hard work.
You can’t flag somebody’s determination.
And you definitely can’t stop an entire community from recognizing quality when they see it.
The cannabis community has enough challenges already.
We don’t need people acting like undercover referees in a game nobody asked them to officiate.
We need better products.
Better events.
Better networking.
Better businesses.
Better opportunities.
We need people competing through excellence instead of pettiness.
So to all the Facebook narcs out there, I have one simple suggestion:
Put the energy you’re spending on reporting people into improving your own situation.
Develop a better product.
Learn a new skill.
Build a stronger brand.
Create something people actually want.
Because at the end of the day, the market decides who wins.
Not the report button.
And if your best weapon against the competition is a Facebook violation form…
You already lost.
OG Strain
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