Farm to Rolling Paper: Organic Cannabis Pops Up in SF

Amongst fits of beautiful rarity – a sprawling multi-tiered San Francisco backyard and a fog-free summer evening – a bell rings and countless joints begin their circular swirls through the party. The sungrown Orange Turbo has a sweet scent and an uplifting citrus taste.

It’s the first of three selections at the Swami Select Salon, a pop-up event celebrating the future of sustainable cannabis in California. After three curated sungrown selections upon the ring of bell each half hour, the evening sinks into a free-for-all. At one point, while wedged between Swami and the Guru of Ganja Ed Rosenthal discussing everything from the cannabis growing experiments they are set to undertake this summer to the Zoroastrians and the worship of fire, Swami passes the DH Fire he has grown. The herb, an OG Kush and San Fernando Valley OG cross, tastes incredible and we’re smoking it with the grower himself. His partner Nikki Lastreto has instructed us to be mindful – to tune into our bodies and our senses, to find the organic, outdoor selection that feels best, “something good for you, good for us, good for the whole environment,” she says.

The event is the third of a series hosted by Flow Kana, a new company committed to bringing transparency into the cannabis purchasing space in order to bridge the gap between patient and farmer. Invited attendees have had their medical cannabis recommendation verified and have paid to be present. The salon, curated by Swami and Nikki, is held in the home of couple living in the impressive Edwardian and includes hors d’oeuvres as well as beer and wine from the cannabis region highlighted, Mendocino County.

“The best way to predict the future is to create it,” Flow Kana CEO Michael Steinmetz says to those gathered in the backyard. “I think very few events are happening like this in the world.”

Flow Kana is a San Francisco-based cannabis delivery service. When ordering through the company, the cannabis includes information about the farmers who grew the medicine. San Francisco resident Chris Biggs has been a member of the service for four months.

“I like to know where my medicine, my flower comes from and how it’s properly cured or grown,” he says while resting on a patio step. “Just like your food or anything else. You want to know what you’re eating, I want to know what I’m smoking.”

With the organic herb, “you can taste the time they’re putting into the flower,” he says.

As the party progresses, people continue to mingle, lining up to hear Frenchy Cannoli – the official hashishin of the House of Aficionado – wax poetic about his hash selections and sample his pressed ice water creations. Alongside him are Leo Stone and Ele Elston, the powerhouses behind the boutique seed company that has won accolades for its heirloom genetics.

“We have to support our community and support our small farmers,” Elston said to the crowd. “We believe in boutique cannabis and bringing it all to you.”