In True OGs, veteran cannabis journalist David Bienenstock tracks down legendary old-school growers and breeders of the outlaw era as they transition from life underground to being part of the new legal cannabis economy.

In the premiere episode of True OGs, we journey to Huckleberry Hill Farms in Humboldt County, California, to visit a multi-generation cannabis farm that’s been in John Casali’s family since 1965.

“Growing cannabis was a way of life for us,” he explains. “My daily chores as a kid were watering the vegetable garden, but also helping to take care of the cannabis. I learned everything from my mom.”

Although his mother passed away while he was in prison—serving nearly a decade on a first-time, non-violent cannabis cultivation charge—John honors her memory to this day by continuing to grow Huckleberries, an heirloom strain she created by crossbreeding two classic Humboldt varietals.

3 part series

David Bienenstock Veteran cannabis journalist David Bienenstock is the author of "How to Smoke Pot (Properly): A Highbrow Guide to Getting High" (2016 - Penguin/Random House), and the co-host and co-creator of the podcast "Great Moments in Weed History with Abdullah and Bean." Follow him on Twitter @pot_handbook. View David Bienenstock's articles