Open up a bag in most markets around the US in 2024 and you’re bound to find sweet, gassy, candy-nose strains that match the flavors and appearance trending in the community since the mid 2010’s. The Gelatos, Cookies, GG4, and many other strains we’ve come to know and love, all found their roots years ago while smoking on the classics. Before the candy era, Green Weed was the jam. Rewind 20 years and the strain that made us scratch our heads and smile upon exhale was always and forever will be, Kush. Whenever the terms “OG”, “Kush” or “OG Kush” are used in the cannabis world, it almost always implies a super high quality flower with strong lineage and flavor. A critical component of the Kush explosion that yielded(heh) over 70+ varieties of Kush. At the time of writing this, over 24,000 songs have used the word Kush in the lyrics and with a genetic birthday of 96′ – OG Kush is 28 years old today. But where did it come from? Who can we thank for OG Kush and Bubba Kush? Meet Josh D.

” Original Kush, best known as OG Kush, is the don dada of cannabis. It’s the #1 most popular strain on Weedmaps, the reigning Strain Madness champion, and the true backbone of West Coast cannabis culture today.”

– Weedmaps, “OG Kush changed weed culture. These 7 strains continue its legacy.

Let’s go back to 96′

The 90’s was a bustling time for cultivators, breeders and community members as it was the first time that folks could really come out of the shadows and become active members of their patient community by using Prop 215 in CA which enabled patient care cultivation. Pair this monumental legislation along with a social buzz at the time around innovation and continuous improvement while writers at High Times, and other notable figures of the time like Jorge Cervantes and Ed Rosenthal sought out the best cultivation equipment and styles for all to see and explore. The indoor cultivation scene was just taking off with new lighting options, hydro systems, and nutrients that allowed cultivators to dial in more than ever before. Josh D saw this early on and took the lead, then never looked back.

Who is Josh D?

So who is Josh D, and how exactly did he create OG Kush? Well, Josh was living in Hollywood, CA in 96′ and in search of a roommate for an apartment in the valley (near the Hollywood sign). Josh had a green thumb and a passion for cultivation and after mastering the legacy side of the biz – went on to become a tastemaker. At the very same time, Matt “Bubba” Berger was cultivating some Kush in Gainesville, FL which he had acquired in a trip to Amsterdam. The cuts that were circulating in Florida at that time were often called Kryptonite, or Krippy. Josh had been holding onto seeds and had some rare ones from Marc Emery out of Canada that he was waiting to pop. So once Josh and Matt hooked up, it was a matter of time until the cultivated something special together.

Matt “Bubba” and his friend decided to move out to California in search of something new and once they connected with Josh – they knew they had just found the perfect roommate. From then on, Josh began cultivating alongside Matt and eventually pheno hunted what we know as OG Kush and Bubba Kush, legendary strains that have transformed cannabis culture to mainstream coolness in a way that very few strains have been able to do. They did this together in a 10-lighter that later became the template for many other OG cultivators down the line. The small operation exploded as the popularity of OG kush took off exponentially. And if you were a homie in the valley trying to get started with a 4-lighter and a dream, chances are you knew Josh, too.

We had a chance to hang with Josh and wife Erika at our HQ in Wynwood and also at our cultivation facility in Homestead and we couldn’t have had a better time. Josh is a real one and can spit stories about celebrities refusing to perform unless they got their OG to smoke, setting up stealth 4 lighters for people who were trying to come up, and watching the transformation of growing in stealth to the modern era of posting stories on the gram.

Growing Methodology

Indoor growing? That was wasn’t really a thing in LA (SF Valley, Hollywood) in the mid 90’s until Josh began experimenting. Making friends and having fun doing what he loves was important, but nothing else was more influential in the strains massive draw and success than the style in which Josh cultivated. Josh grew indoor, hydro in rockwool blocks. At a time when indoor cultivation and hydro was just taking off in CA, Josh looked to the dutch flood and drain systems as inspiration for his early setups. He felt the soil and big buckets were messy and inefficient. He worked to develop and tweak his setup until he finalized his special nutrient recipe, HPS light canopy PPF, and other environmental factors that allowed him to consistently produce OG Kush in a way that commanded an absolute premium. This was at a time when units moved for 5 points or more, the demand was surreal. But Josh has always been a growers, grower. He crafted a way to make the historically difficult to grow and low-yielding Kush into a pheno that produces big, aromatic, flavorful buds. Josh is growmie, and someone who has responsibly kept the rare and fantastic lineage of OG Kush alive, often gifting cuts to friends and brands for the sake of keeping it going.

What are we most excited about with this launch?

At The Flowery we pride ourselves in forming meaningful connections with influential and transformative players in the industry and we could not be more excited or honored to partner with Josh D to bring OGKS (OG Kush Story) flower to Florida. We’ll be launching this on Sunday 03/03 with the first batch and will be offered exclusively in 14g – a half oz of flavorful top colas.

We hope you enjoy the flower, the story, and our real talk video!