In recently speaking with someone dear to me about love, we pretty much came to the conclusion that — at it’s base — the foundation of true love is the presence of absolute trust. Trust is good. Absolutely.
The following is a list of the regulated cannabis farms and processors in Washington state (as of approximately January of this year) who chose in 2020 to use labs whose reported results I tend to prefer and, by extension, to trust.
That trust is not absolute, so I won’t admit to loving any of the labs out there, but there are a handful that I prefer. I prefer that they be involved in testing any cannabis products I might consider purchasing in a heavily taxed regulated environment. I will also not admit to loving any of the farms or processors that are listed here today. Their choice of lab(s) simply tends to follow a pattern that matches MY preferences. The wholesalers not listed here, not so much. No-one has paid me a single penny for any of this work. It has been a labor of passion and, I honestly believe, fulfills a very real unmet need in this marketplace.
The labs that I prefer which were active in 2020 include: Medicine Creek Analytics (Fife), Confidence Analytics (Redmond), Capitol Analysis (Olympia), Analytical 360 (Yakima), G.O.A.T. Labs (Vancouver), Trace Analytics (Spokane, but recently deceased, thanks to LCB vindictiveness and over-reach), True Northwest (Olympia), Dragon Analytical (Tumwater), and Pacific Botanicals (Seattle). The other labs active during 2020 are ones which I do not prefer.
“So”, the sceptical consumer may ask themself— “who the F*** is Jim MacRae and why is he sharing what he does and does not prefer with respect to laboratory utilization in regulated cannabis businesses with me today?”
To answer such sceptical questions, just know that I’m a guy (married, boomer, largely grey, and very experienced in the use of data to gain insights) sharing a simple list that goes a good way toward reflecting some of the lessons I have learned through almost 6 years of fairly regular effort examining the data reported by laboratories and licensed businesses in Washington’s regulated cannabis market. I won’t bother explaining all the methods I’ve used here, but please know that the degree of trust that I have in the labelling (and potential safety) of products tested by different labs is informed by quite a bit of work, much of which was published between late 2015 and mid 2017 here on HI-Blog.
If you want to read one article to get the gist of how I came to realize that not all labs seemed to be reporting equally, look at the video embedded in the post from Jan., 2016 titled:
If a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words, then a Video Must be Worth a Billion.
If you take the 2-3 minutes necessary to get the gist of what the chart is showing, I think you’ll agree that some apparently non-random stuff was going on back in the day when we had good data with which to check to see what kind of stuff was going on (or not).
In coming up with “Jimmy’s Preferred List of Suppliers“, I have used the baseline information I derived and acquired during the BIOTRACK years, when data flowed freely (and largely accurately) out of the LCB’s traceability system. I have modified my lab categorizations slightly in subsequent years (most significantly changing my categorization of CONFIDENCE ANALYTICS to one of being a lab that I not only now prefer, but also one whose efforts toward making the industry better I very much appreciate). In cases where labs are new and/or have very scant data available, I erred on the side of including them in the “trusted labs” group for the purposes of developing this list. I have minor concerns with some of the data coming from two of these labs but it is not sufficient to alter my preference for their work.
The net result is that it is always possible that some farms are included whose lab-informed labels are not worthy of the preference I currently afford them. On the other hand, it is almost definitely the case that there are farms whose product labels ARE worthy of my trust that are not included on this list. I wish them well. I also wish they used labs that I prefer.
I have made approximately zero dollars doing this work (my estimate is, actually, that publishing this will have a negative impact on my future earnings, given that 2/3 of my potential wholesale customers ARE NOT ON THESE LISTS). I have done it because I am curious and I like to be an informed consumer as I consider the possibility of buying a Federally illegal substance from a state-sanctioned source.
I have also done this work because I live in a state where the only legal way to acquire and use cannabis — short of self-reporting to the DEA one’s drug use through the DOH-maintained Patient Registry — is through regulated retail access points. That product is taxed very heavily, and it is supposed to be SAFE and it is supposed to have labels that ACCURATELY REFLECT WHAT IS IN THE PACKAGE.
It is my opinion that, with Jimmy’s Preferred List of Suppliers, you now have a tool that can help you to benefit from those two promises that the regulated system is, overall, doing a terrible job of delivering upon (again — that is my opinion).
Do what you want. Only druggies do drugs and even if they are druggies, minor children should not consume cannabis (unless it is for medical reasons). However, try to be mindful in both what you consume and in which businesses you support with your purchases.
I have heard numerous people, including numerous licensees, complain about the “spiral to the bottom” that is happening in Washington’s poorly regulated cannabis market. As the regulators are seemingly both incompetent and hostile to cannabis (the drug, it’s users and those licensees having the temerity to wish to profit from drug pushing), I am not expecting that the market will get much help from them in the near future. If, however, better-informed consumers started making more mindful choices when they make purchases, the spiral downward can be slowed, it can be stopped, and it can be turned around.
We are living with a regulated market in which entire classes of product (strains) are dying off as largely naive consumers (I don’t necessarily mean YOU, dear reader) are caught up in chasing the high cannabinoid numbers being offered by so many. In the meantime, gross levels of over-production coupled with a demonstrably inadequate number of retail access points have resulted in a set of financial pressures that is on the verge of driving quite a few of the suppliers in this market out of business.
If you, as a consumer, value CRAFT CANNABIS (however you define it), and desire a world where you can have reasonable confidence in both the safety of the product you are purchasing and the veracity of the label that adorns it’s package, consider buying product from the farms on either of these two lists. If you do, that will tend to support the labs that I prefer. That begins a virtuous cycle that has the potential to turn this market around.
If not, then enjoy what you are buying and, by all means, enjoy your naivete.
I hope you find these lists helpful.
The first list is a follow-up to the list of 46 farms I published in my “S.H.I.T.B.A.G.S” post last month which listed a number of wholesalers who had done a reasonable amount of business with PRAXIS labs before they were shut down by the LCB last December for, among other things, “consumer deception”. When I published that list of farms, I meant it to be a caution for consumers regarding potential issues with the veracity of their labels — given that some of those products were likely to have been been tested by PRAXIS.
Some of the farmers in question reached out to me and expressed their concern that the acronym I used to describe product where Some Have Intense THC Because Agency Governance Sucks (“S.H.I.T.B.A.G.S.”) might be taken by casual readers to imply bad things about them as businesses and/or farmers and/or people. That was not my intent and I believe that would be clear to anyone that actually read the post. If there was criticism within my post, it was of the Agency (the LCB) whose governance sucks so much that behavior like that which PRAXIS is alleged to have engaged in can not only happen but can also flourish.
In my opinion, the type of behavior for which PRAXIS was sanctioned is on it’s way to becoming the norm in Washington’s regulated cannabis industry. In many ways, the market is currently a very large (multi-billion dollar) ongoing consumer fraud.
To address the concerns of those farmers, I promised that I’d take a look and see how their apparently PRAXIS-liking selves chose to get their testing done after PRAXIS was shuttered. I have done that work and, based on the labs they chose to do their testing with in the two months since PRAXIS’ suspension, I would like to call out the following 26 members of the PRAXIS 46 list that have subsequently switched their testing to labs that I prefer. They made those choices with no prompting from me. The S.H.I.T.B.A.G.S. post was not published until the end of the data window I used to evaluate their choice (which was through Feb 11 of this year). The remaining 20 members of the PRAXIS 46 list either did no testing during the most recent two months or chose other labs that I do not prefer.
The following 26 ex-users of PRAXIS have all recently chosen labs whose results I trust. Hence, the concerns that I raised about the labelling of their products no longer apply (unless a retailer is still carrying product tested by PRAXIS, which last tested products on Dec 10, 2020).
As a consumer, you should ALWAYS ask to see the proper CoA (Certificate of Analysis or Assessment) corresponding to the product being purchased when purchasing regulated product at retail. If the store can’t produce the CoA, you would be well advised to shop elsewhere (again, in my opinion). Enough evangelizing. To the first list. These are listed alphabetically, and I’ve included the primary County in which I believe their business is located.
Non-S.H.I.T.B.A.G.S.
| COMPANY NAME ATOMIC BUDZ | COUNTY PIERCE |
| BELLA JANE’S | THURSTON |
| CAPITAL CITY CANNABIS COMPANY | THURSTON |
| CORDUS | BENTON |
| DA VINCI | SNOHOMISH |
| DISCOVERY GARDEN | JEFFERSON |
| EVERGREEN HERBAL | KING |
| EVERGROW NORTHWEST | THURSTON |
| FOOTPRINT BIOSCIENCES | THURSTON |
| GR2, LLC | SNOHOMISH |
| HAPPY HILL FARMS | STEVENS |
| HEAVENLY BUDS | COWLITZ |
| JUICER EXTRACTIONS | MASON |
| LANDRACE | THURSTON |
| LEGAL BEVERAGES | COWLITZ |
| MAYFLOWER PARTNERS | MASON |
| ONYX AGRONOMICS, INC. | MASON |
| OPTIMIZED PROPOGATION LIMITED LIABILITY COMPA | SKAGIT |
| OPTIMUM EXTRACTS | KING |
| PHAT N STICKY | SPOKANE |
| RAVEN | THURSTON |
| SPARK INDUSTRIES | THURSTON |
| SVIN GARDEN | SNOHOMISH |
| THE GREEN VAULT | LEWIS |
| VIVA CANNABIS | CHELAN |
| ZOOBEES DOOBEES | SPOKANE |
The following is based mainly on a detailed inspection of lab utilization by all wholesalers during the period Jan 1, 2020 through Dec. 10, 2020 — the date PRAXIS was shut down). I basically categorized labs into those I prefer and those I do not and looked at how the lab choices of all 735 businesses that did testing during that period overlapped my preferences. When a business name shows up more than once, that business is either a producer/processor in which each license is actively testing or it is a business that has not changed it’s name but has changed either it’s location or ownership at some time in the past couple of years or so (yielding multiple license numbers for a single business). That does not mean that the business is doubly preferred by yours truly.
If I were out in the stores shopping, I’d be using this list to filter which products I would consider purchasing. I would be doing that because I am a person that cares not only about what I put into my body but also about the accuracy of the label that describes what is in the package. If I truly want 35% THC bud, then the first thing I’d do is see if anyone on this list is reporting 35% results. I’d still be sceptical with numbers that high, but I’d be much more trusting if such a number came from any of these 257 suppliers (or any of the 26 on the list above) than if it were to come from any of the 452-odd other suppliers that choose to use labs that are not ones I prefer.
“Jimmy” is not always right, but he does believe you will find value if you give more of your business to businesses that are on this list. Jimmy will be privately sharing this list with a number of his friends and with some healthcare practitioners on the medical side of the industry. Please feel free to share it as widely as you see fit. I have included buttons for sharing to Facebook, Twitter and Reddit at the bottom of this post. If you find value in the list, I hope you share it with your friends. I have no idea if the buttons work, as I’m both WordPress- and social media-challenged. Let me know if you try to use the buttons and they do not work as expected.
I hope this list helps you. In more ways than one.
Jimmy’s Preferred List of Suppliers
| COMPANY NAME 47EB LLC | COUNTY MASON |
| 509 DA KINE | DOUGLAS |
| ABSOLUTE OILS | KING |
| ABSOLUTE OILS | KING |
| ADAPTIVE NANO INFUSIONS | KING |
| AGRO COUTURE | PIERCE |
| AHUI | PIERCE |
| AIS | CLARK |
| AJBLOOM, LLC | KING |
| ALASKAN GREEN ACRES | GRAYS HARBOR |
| ALIS GROUP | KING |
| AMERICAN BAKED CO | KING |
| AMERIKAN WEED | KING |
| ANDLES INC | KING |
| ARTISAN PLANT WORKS LLC | KING |
| ATOMIC GREEN | THURSTON |
| AVITAS | SNOHOMISH |
| AVITAS | SNOHOMISH |
| BACON’S BUDS | SKAMANIA |
| BAD ASS HERBS | DOUGLAS |
| BAR 37 RANCHES INC | GRANT |
| BELLA JANE’S LLC | THURSTON |
| BELLADONNA | SPOKANE |
| BLACKSMITH FARMS | MASON |
| BLC | PIERCE |
| BLUE ROOTS CANNABIS | SPOKANE |
| BLUE SKY GROWERS | DOUGLAS |
| BLUEDREAM | PIERCE |
| BMT INDUSTRIES | STEVENS |
| BONDI FARMS | COWLITZ |
| BOTANICA SEATTLE | KING |
| BUBBIE’S TREATS LLC | WHATCOM |
| BUDDHA FARMS INC. | SNOHOMISH |
| BULLDOG WEED | SPOKANE |
| C BLOCK GROUP | SPOKANE |
| CANNA PROCESSING | PACIFIC |
| CANNABIS KING, LLC | PIERCE |
| CANNABIS NORTHWEST C-M, INC | THURSTON |
| CANNAGOLD USA LLC | PACIFIC |
| CANNA-MED | OKANOGAN |
| CANNASOL FARMS | OKANOGAN |
| CAPITAL GREEN | OKANOGAN |
| CASCADE GNOME | KING |
| CASCADE GROWERS | OKANOGAN |
| CASCADE MOUNTAIN CANNABIS | COWLITZ |
| CASCADIA CANNABIS COMPANY | SNOHOMISH |
| CEDAR CREEK CANNABIS | CLARK |
| CENTRAL FARMS LLC | KITTITAS |
| CERES | KING |
| CHESHIRE CREEK | DOUGLAS |
| CHINOOK GROWERS | OKANOGAN |
| CLANDESTINE CONSULTING | WHATCOM |
| CLEMANS MOUNTAIN CANNABIS | YAKIMA |
| CLOUD 9 FARMS | COWLITZ |
| CLOUD 9 GOOD BUDZ | WHITMAN |
| COBALT CANNABIS CO | COLUMBIA |
| COLUMBIA RIVER CANNABIS | COWLITZ |
| COMMON ROOTS CANNABIS LLC | SNOHOMISH |
| CONSCIOUS CANNABIS | SPOKANE |
| CONSCIOUS CANNABIS | SPOKANE |
| CONTENDER GARDENS | SPOKANE |
| CRAFT ELIXIRS | KING |
| CRESCENT VALLEY FARMS | OKANOGAN |
| CUBIX | KING |
| DANK INC. | CLALLAM |
| DARING FARMS | STEVENS |
| DARLING GROWERS | WHATCOM |
| DAYANDNIGHT | SNOHOMISH |
| DEEP FLOWER | ISLAND |
| DESERT VALLEY GROWERS | YAKIMA |
| DLH RANCH | STEVENS |
| DOCTOR AND CROOK | WHATCOM |
| DOGTOWN PIONEERS | STEVENS |
| DOSE OIL | KING |
| DREAMIN GREEN FARMS | OKANOGAN |
| E&M PARTNERS | SNOHOMISH |
| ECC | WHATCOM |
| EDGEMONT GROUP LLC | DOUGLAS |
| EMERALD CITY GROWERS | COWLITZ |
| EMERALD CITY ORGANICS | PIERCE |
| EMERALD MOUNTAIN | THURSTON |
| EMERALD PEAKS | KING |
| EMERALD TWIST | KLICKITAT |
| EVER GREEN RENEWABLE RESOURCES | CLARK |
| EVERGREEN FOREST | OKANOGAN |
| EVERGREEN PRODUCTION | CHELAN |
| EVERGREEN PRODUCTION | PACIFIC |
| EXOTIC FARMS | STEVENS |
| FAIRWINDS MANUFACTURING | CLARK |
| FIRE BROS | KING |
| FIRE FOUR LLC | SPOKANE |
| FIRE HOUSE PRODUCTIONS | SPOKANE |
| FIVE LEAVES | BENTON |
| FORBIDDEN FARMS | PIERCE |
| FOREVER GREEN | PIERCE |
| FORTY TO FIVE FARMS | SPOKANE |
| FRACTAL INFUSED | KING |
| FRESH KIND FARMS | COWLITZ |
| FRESH PRODUCTIONS | OKANOGAN |
| FRUITY PINES FARMS | THURSTON |
| FULL THROTTLE FARMS | OKANOGAN |
| GABRIEL | KING |
| GLACIER PEAKS PRODUCTION LLC | GRANT |
| GOLDEN ACE HARVEST LLC | SKAGIT |
| GOOD TO GROW | GRAYS HARBOR |
| GRASSROOTS BAKE SHOPPE | KING |
| GREEN ADVENTURES | COWLITZ |
| GREEN AND GOLD BRANDS | PIERCE |
| GREEN BROTHERS FARMS | THURSTON |
| GREEN BROTHERS FARMS | THURSTON |
| GREEN GOLD TRUST | ADAMS |
| GREEN HARVEST CANNABIS COMPANY | GRAYS HARBOR |
| GREEN HAVEN LLC | SNOHOMISH |
| GREEN RESEARCH NETWORK, LLC | BENTON |
| GREEN ROSE GARDENS | OKANOGAN |
| GREENRUSH | SNOHOMISH |
| GROW BROS | KITTITAS |
| HEYLO | KING |
| HIGH AND DANDY | SKAGIT |
| HIGH STATE FARMS | COWLITZ |
| HIGH SUPPLY | THURSTON |
| HIGH SUPPLY LLC | THURSTON |
| HILLTOP GROWERS | YAKIMA |
| HITZ CANNABIS | THURSTON |
| HJG LLC | ISLAND |
| HOMETOWN HERBS | THURSTON |
| HONEY CREEK ENTERPRISES | KING |
| HURRICANE CANNABIS, LLC | CLALLAM |
| HYDRO EMPIRE | PIERCE |
| INDOOR ORGANICS | KITTITAS |
| INLAND DESERT CONCENTRATES | BENTON |
| ITS A PLANTS LIFE | SNOHOMISH |
| JACK’S CURE | DOUGLAS |
| JMR SUN FARMS II | SPOKANE |
| JMS. CONSULTANTS | PIERCE |
| JUST CHILLIN LLC | YAKIMA |
| JV RANCH | KLICKITAT |
| KEEP IT GREEN PRODUCTIONS | OKANOGAN |
| KLARITIE FARMS | STEVENS |
| KLARITIE FARMS INC | COWLITZ |
| KNIGHTS HEMPLAR | GRAYS HARBOR |
| KRATOS 509, LLC | YAKIMA |
| KUSH GARDEN | SNOHOMISH |
| KUSH MOUNTAIN GARDENS | KING |
| LAURITZEN MANUFACTURING | SNOHOMISH |
| LEGENDARY LABORATORIES, LLC | SPOKANE |
| LESTER FARMS | PACIFIC |
| LIFE ROOTS | KING |
| LILAC LABS | SPOKANE |
| LOVE FAMILY FARMS | STEVENS |
| MAJOR LEAGUE MARIJUANA | YAKIMA |
| MAJOR LEAGUE MARIJUANA | YAKIMA |
| MANNA PRODUCTION | CHELAN |
| MARYHILL SUNSHINE | KLICKITAT |
| METHOW GROWERS | OKANOGAN |
| METHOW HORTICULTURE | OKANOGAN |
| MFUSED | KING |
| MILLENNIUM MARIJUANA | PACIFIC |
| MINGLEWOOD BRANDS | PIERCE |
| MJ BOTANICALS | LINCOLN |
| MORELLI ENTERPRISES | OKANOGAN |
| MOTHER EARTH FARMS | CLALLAM |
| MOUNTAIN HI | SNOHOMISH |
| MOUNTAIN HIGH ORGANICS | STEVENS |
| MT. BAKER GARDENS | WHATCOM |
| MY WEED BUNNY | THURSTON |
| NALLEY VALLEY PARTNERS LLC | PIERCE |
| NASTY JACK’S CANDY COMPANY | SNOHOMISH |
| NCW LLC | OKANOGAN |
| NEW JACK KUSH, LLC | KING |
| NEW LEAF ENTERPRISES | KING |
| NINJA GARDENS | BENTON |
| NIRVANA GARDENS | GRAYS HARBOR |
| NO MIDS | KING |
| NOBLE FARMS | PIERCE |
| NORTHWEST INDUSTRIES | LINCOLN |
| O YEAH LLC | PACIFIC |
| OBERFELDER HOLDINGS | CHELAN |
| OGZ FIRE WEED | MASON |
| OGZ FIREWEED LLC | MASON |
| OLYMPIC GROWERS | LINCOLN |
| OM SHIV | SPOKANE |
| ORIGINAL INNOVATIONS, LLC | PIERCE |
| P AND R PROCESSING | SNOHOMISH |
| PACIFIC COAST FARMS | PIERCE |
| PDB CREATIVE VENTURES | OKANOGAN |
| PEACE VALLEY FARMS, LLC | OKANOGAN |
| PEAK SUPPLY | SPOKANE |
| PHDC2 | PIERCE |
| PREMIER CANNABIS | SPOKANE |
| PRIME CHOICE CANNA LLC | KING |
| PRINCE FARMS | CLALLAM |
| PUFFIN FARM | KITTITAS |
| PUFFIN FARM | KING |
| QUALITY BRAND | GRANT |
| QUALITY PACIFIC GROWERS | PACIFIC |
| R&R LOGISTICS | ADAMS |
| RAM FAMILY ENTERPRISES LLC | SNOHOMISH |
| RECREATIONAL SECURITY SERVICES UNLIMITED | KING |
| RJL | KLICKITAT |
| RMNP | BENTON |
| ROYAL GARDENS | DOUGLAS |
| ROYAL TREE GARDENS | PIERCE |
| RUSTY NAIL GROWERS | BENTON |
| SALISH SEA INDUSTRIES L.L.C. | PIERCE |
| SAVAGE HOUSE POTZZARIA | STEVENS |
| SEATTLE’S PRIVATE RESERVE | SNOHOMISH |
| SECRET GARDENS OF WASHINGTON | KITSAP |
| SGB | KING |
| SIDEWAYS GREEN LLC | STEVENS |
| SILICA PHOENIX | THURSTON |
| SILICA PHOENIX | THURSTON |
| SINSEMILLA | SNOHOMISH |
| SKAGIT ORGANICS | SKAGIT |
| SKORD | CLARK |
| SKY HIGH GARDENS | KING |
| SNOWCREST | CLARK |
| SOUND CANNABIS | GRAYS HARBOR |
| SOUTH BAY MASTER GROWERS | GRAYS HARBOR |
| SOUTH COLBY INVESTORS | MASON |
| SPADYBUD | COWLITZ |
| STUDHORSE MTN EXTRACTS | OKANOGAN |
| SUBX | WHATCOM |
| SUNBLOOM | KING |
| SUNNYDAYZCANNABIS | SNOHOMISH |
| SUNSHINE FARMING | CLARK |
| SUPERDAVE GENETICS, TERP GAWD | WHATCOM |
| SWEET DREAM GARDENS LLC | BENTON |
| TAHOMA GROWERS | KLICKITAT |
| THC EXPRESS | KITSAP |
| THE CALYX COMPANY | KLICKITAT |
| THE DAB LAB | PIERCE |
| THE GREENBLUFF GARDENER | SPOKANE |
| THE LAZY BEE GARDENS | OKANOGAN |
| THE ORGANIC WEEDMAN | KITSAP |
| THREE RIVERS CANNABIS LLC | BENTON |
| TJ’S ORGANICS | COWLITZ |
| TOP SHELF | SNOHOMISH |
| TRAIL BLAZIN PRODUCTIONS | WHATCOM |
| TRIGONAL INDUSTRIES | PIERCE |
| TUCKER RANCH | GRAYS HARBOR |
| TWO BROTHERS | SNOHOMISH |
| TWO HEADS CO. | PACIFIC |
| UMHIGH | KING |
| UNAFLORA | KING |
| VERDELUX CHOCOLATES | WHATCOM |
| W.O.W. INDUSTRIES | STEVENS |
| WA WEED | GRANT |
| WASHINGTON GREEN | SNOHOMISH |
| WASHINGTON GROW SOLUTIONS | SNOHOMISH |
| WASHINGTON PACKAGING AND PROCESSING | SPOKANE |
| WASHINGTON STATE SWEET LEAF GARDENS | THURSTON |
| WAWD LLC | SNOHOMISH |
| WEED SNOBS | SNOHOMISH |
| WHOLE CANNABIS | GRAYS HARBOR |
| XTRACTED LABS | KING |
| YAVA | KING |
I would like to thank David Busby and the team at OpenTHC for helping to make the lab data available to anyone that wishes to dive into it. One link that will allow interested parties to look at some of the data (without having to wrestle with the LCB public records files — which are not easy to access) is: Data :: OpenTHC If you look into it and find anything that you think relates to the issues I’ve raised above, please let me know (the best way is to leave a comment on this blog that has your e-mail in it).
Those of you that have followed me for awhile are likely aware that I am anti-censorship and have a very high bar when it comes to moderating reader comments on HI-Blog.
I generally block pure ad hominem attacks on my self and/or on specific businesses within the industry. That’s about the only blocking that I do.
The following comment from Steve Walser (of Buddy Boy Farms) came in shortly after the publication of Fidelis Cannabis and I have been torn as to what I should do with it.
While clearly an ad hominem attack that seems to miss the consumer protection aspects of the “Fidelis” series, Mr Walser clearly put some effort and passion into his comment. He also was able to create a couple of on-the-fly acronyms that imply that creating 41+% THC cannabis flower is not his only alleged skill.
I still intend to re-visit the following comment from Steve in an upcoming post on “Those that Doth Complain Too Much”. Until I get around to that, I have decided to share his comment with you all in it’s entirety and unedited..
In many ways, I think Steve’s words speak for themselves — and reveal a side of the man behind the Buddy Boy Brand that potential consumers might find to be of interest.
Dear readers of HI-Blog: Coming direct to you from Ford, WA — from the quill of Steve Walser of Buddy Boy Farms — a cutting critique of the FIdelis Series of posts. A tour de force of logic and integrity, and evidence that being around bud labelled at over 40% THC content may not be supportive of one’s mental health.
Ah zero comments! What a surprise. Must be a reflection of your massive audience. I wouldn’t normally bother to engage with someone like you who trolls and infests the internet but your clever little acronym caught my attention. I’ve always thought of you as just a dilettante and a bit of a blowhard with your puffed up credentialism and silly analysis but I realize now it goes deeper than this as you are just A.ssuming S.omething S.tupid H.owever O.bviuos L.ogic E.vokes or A.S.S.H.O.L.E. for short.
Being A.S.S.H.O.L.E leads you to jump to conclusions about things you are ignorant of, choose not to consider alternative and more logical conclusions and, not being a very nice person, to intentionally smear those working to build a better industry and provide for our families. One could conclude you had some childish pique you felt towards one of the companies or people you smear for some minor slight to your overactive ego but that might be assigning to much to your poor B.iological R.egion A.llegedly I.nclosing N.othing so I’ll go with the simple explanation that you just love to read your own crap and don’t care how foolish it looks. Yep, I think that might be it and why you are A.S.S.H.O.L.E.
Now with many people I actually respect being labeled a shitbag might bother me but with you I consider it a badge of honor! Heck we might have to establish the Jim McCrae SHITBAG award to reward those who, each year, do the best job of puncturing supercilious A.S.S.H.O.L.E. (s)!
If you were actually interested in creating cogent commentary you might just have asked a few of us shitbags why we used this fully licensed testing lab and you might have found out that many of us depend upon the WSLCB to determine who should be licensed and who should not. Silly thought, I know, but then I’d guess I speak for many when I say I don’t have the expertise to judge the scientific credibility of a lab. I judge whether they are reliable, priced right, offer pickup, have quick turn around and offer reasonable results. Unlike some A.S.S.H.O.L.E I don’t have time to dig into the arcana of the results analysis to see if there is some hidden pattern buried there. No, I pretty much just figure if the WSLCB licenses them and they meet all my other requirements they are good to go. I also tend to be a creature of habit and when I find a vendor that meets my requirements I tend to stick with them. Now all that would, to a normal person who wasn’t A.S.S.H.O.L.E like you be a reasonable explanation for why one might use this licensed lab but, apparently, logic doesn’t often enter your B.R.A.I.N.
I don’t know who any of you people are but I’m a casual consumer of cannabis in Seattle and I came across this blog after reading the recent 538 article. Steve, your tantrum has made me commit the name Buddy Boy to memory as something I should never buy. You’re better off defending your products instead of attacking people, but it sounds like you may be incapable of defending your products.
I think Steve has such a harsh response because one might interpret the results of Jim to imply that Steve’s business is unethical. But I think the answer to whether growers who chose ‘friendly labs’ are unethical can be seen in Steve’s answer. Essentially, many people just assume the system works, and good regulations are in place, and as long as they play by the rules, all is good. They may not know why one lab gives higher potency than another. For all they know, the ‘friendly lab’ is more accurate than the others. In any case, it makes sense for their business to chose the friendly lab, and it is fully within the rules of the game to do so.
So I would not necessarily make a claim that growers who tend to frequent labs with questionable practices are unethical. They may be just ignorant.
The data is there, and when analyzed for patterns, the problem is clear. The fact that this problem puts customers at risk is not necessarily obvious to the players in the game, and is likely also not easy to accept. I doubt any have intentionally put customers’ health at risk. The problem is a side-effect of a system that is not yet fine-tuned.
Nonetheless, Steve, personal insults aren’t cool.
Excellent article…thank you
I appreciate that, Mary Ann, and truly hope that you find value in using it.
Jim – I just recently started leaning into cannabis to treat my son’s autism symptoms. My ND has directed me to your blog as a resource and I am blown away with this information that I absolutely am grateful for. Thank you for putting this work together. I feel highly informed in making the right decisions purchasing my cannabis.
I appreciate your kind words, Christine and truly hope that you are able to find something that will be helpful to your son.
While the regulatory framework has been a difficult one for those on the provider side that view and utilize cannabis as medicine, such people are still out there and a reasonable number of the operators seem to realize that putting patient (customer) needs first is one of the surest paths to success.
May you, your son, and the provider(s) you choose all find success going forward.
If my work helps you find that success, that is a good thing.
Again, I appreciate your kind words. Good luck.