Countless guests who come on our show ask about the landscape of the South American 🍃industry and market, but seldom do we have international interviewees who can actually talk about it firsthand. Not to mention, make a whole documentary on the topic and compare it to the state of 🍃culture and legislation across the world.

Blackleaf is joined in the FSOTD studio by Luis Navarro and Pedro, the driving forces behind Ver de Perto, an upcoming documentary focusing on the state of 🍃legislation across Brazil and South America, highlighting the deep historical connection Brazilians have to the plant and the need for change, featuring interviews from across the world. In another podcast first—this is a collaborative episode—with pieces of the interview you’re viewing eventually ending up in the guests’ upcoming documentary, Ver de Perto.

Luis and Pedro dive deep into countless burning questions Blackleaf rails off, such as what it’s like picking up herb on the street across Brazil, the legal implications of sparking up, importing, and exporting herb around South America, why “pressed weed” is still a common occurrence if you’re a lower-income citizen trying to pick up. We also get into Luis’ Afro-Brazilian roots and how seeds were originally smuggled into Brazil, and how he fell into the leading role in a Brazilian TV series titled “Joint Venture,” which changed his entire perspective on Mary Jane.

Luis Navarro played Biriba, a former drug dealer navigating the (fictional) newly legalized industry in São Paulo on the Brazilian series Joint Venture (originally titled Pico da Neblina), which premiered in August 2019 on HBO Brazil. In the series, Navarro actively adapts to the shifting legal landscape by leveraging his street‑smart background to launch a legitimate 🍃 business. His current focus for the near future is the completion of this documentary, along with a few small stage performances in Brazil.

Pedro is one of the most well-traveled international guests we’ve had on in a minute with deep cultivation experience, and he drops some seriously bold claims throughout the pod, as well. Things like the entire European industry (in terms of cultivation, quality, hash production, etc) are currently being led by Italians and ex-pat Brazilians. We also discuss Mary Jane Berlin 2025 and how the European market has made a major shift to Germany. Throughout the pod, Luis and Pedro also discuss how the documentary came about and the community effort that’s been driving it forward.

This has to be one of the most interesting episodes we’ve ever had in terms of guests’ knowledge and experiences in life with the plant outside the US. These guys are still living in a country of pure prohibition, but with innovators and disrupters actively pushing the traditional market forward. Learn how Luis has become one of the biggest faces of the movement in Brazil for legalization, as well as the immense knowledge and experience growing industrial hemp and herb across South America and Europe that Pedro drops throughout by tuning in for the entire pod.

And of course, be on the lookout for their groundbreaking documentary, Ver De Perto, by following their IG page, @verdeperto.doc!

Subscribe to our channel and the FSOTD.com site to keep up with other key players and enjoy conversations with trailblazers from the culture you can’t find anywhere else.

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We’ve pulled back the curtain before on some of the insane lore of California’s industry, but never with multiple guests who lived the legacy alongside more recent players that are taking over while paying proper respect to the OGs. This is an extremely rare discussion between big dogs with endless skin in the game and countless adversities faced that drive their success today.

Blackleaf is joined back at the FSOTD studio by JD from Trinity Association/Domain Miel, Dustin (once again) from Watson Supply, along with none other than Sha Bud of 707 Seedbank and his partner on Automatic Genetics to discuss the game, talking genetics, pheno hunts, and selections for massive monocrops at length, Autos vs F1s and how to create S5s, as well as the best places to set up shop internationally right now, diving deep into the infrastructure of Colombia, Brazil, and the bubbling hash community in Costa Rica. We seldom get guests in the studio with as much international experience as the 707 Grows team, so you know we had to go global with some of the discussions.

707 Seedbank is a 🍃breeding company founded and led by Sha Bud, who launched it after discovering his passion for growing herb at the age of 14. The brand focuses on producing premium, heirloom-quality hybrids that blend old-school pedigree with new genetics stably and consistently. Sha Bud won multiple awards in the mid‑2000s and distributes breeder‑direct seeds that users often describe as mouth‑watering and reliably uniform. He actively preserves and refines his legacy strains like SFV OG and Kush Cleaner to maintain their quality and integrity. With his partner, he’s also started Automatic Genetics, where they focus on streamlining exotic flavors into fast-growing autoflowers.

One of the biggest conversations throughout this episode is genetics. Not only in terms of hulking out varieties by producing giant tetraploid plants, the difference between diploid and polyploid genetics, and most importantly, autoflowers. The 707 Grows team delves extensively into the history of why autoflower varieties came about, how they’re even made, and why they’re desirable for big operations that need tons of raw material for distillate or live resin.

JD operates Trinity Association and Domain Miel. Trinity is a boutique 🍃cultivation brand founded around 2009, known for its commitment to organic and synganic (mindful) growing practices under mixed-light and greenhouse conditions. They focus on testing rare phenotypes and sharing breeder insights. In this episode, you’ll hear JD exercise a wealth of expertise in genetics, clone management, and super aggressive pheno hunting, we’re talking 500+ plants!

JD’s other operation, Domain Miel, operates as a premium, quality-first herb and hash brand with a presence in Oregon, California, and New York. They cultivate exclusive, in-house selected genetics and offer nursery and clone services rooted in organic, soil-grown techniques with over 15 years of owner-operator experience. Notably, Domain Miel has bred strains like "DubPlatez" and "Zalani," showcasing their focus on high THC hybrids. One of the highlights of this episode is JD’s Blue Lobster work, which you’ll see showcased throughout.

Finally, Dustin from Watson Supply is a guest we’ve had on before, and if you remember correctly, he’s not afraid to let loose his candor. Dustin founded Watson Supply to spotlight premium, small-batch herb grown in Northern California. He built a close-knit collective that focuses on rare genetics and flavor-driven phenotypes. Their standout strain, Cold Heat, quickly gained attention for its potent terpene profile and reliable performance.

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If you’ve been hearing about the industry buzz in Michigan, you heard right. With the lowest tax rates (we’ve ever heard of), deli-style shops, and the nearly unbelievable unlimited purchasing power, cities like Detroit are seated to become more recognizable meccas for the plant within the U.S., especially for product categories like rosin, which Michigan is gaining increasing notoriety for.

Blackleaf is live in Detroit, moments before judging the Bring Your Best Bag 2025 competition, sitting down in the middle of the show with several bubbling brand owners in the scene to discuss the state of the industry, what strains and flavors consumers are reaching for these days, some of the biggest hurdles moving from the traditional market into recreational, hardest lessons scaling from basement traps into legit facilities, and so much more.

The guests in order are: Chocolate and Mike from Hytek/The Refinery, John, Aaron, and Rob from Eastside Alchemy, Joey from Yeti Stash, Chris from Tip Top Crop, Aaron from Premier Farms, Chris from Ghostbudsters Farm, and Brandon from Voyage Bloom.

Some of the hot takes from this pod include the recent customer preference for quality indoor smalls over top-shelf outdoor, how to continue navigating the “Candy Wave,” deciding what strains from your grow should be washed into rosin, what strains should be vaped versus dabbed, and why growing OG cuts like Headband aren’t for the faint of heart, but worth preserving in any legal market if not for Michigan’s deep connection to iconic varieties like Motorbreath.

For those that have been curious about what the top players in the Michigan 🍃 industry have been going through, celebrating, cultivating, and looking forward to in terms of hype new strains, you can’t miss a single interview from this historic competition in the Motor City.

Subscribe to our channel and the FSOTD.com site to keep up with other key players and enjoy conversations with trailblazers from the culture you can’t find anywhere else.1

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