A Real Story · Told By Someone Who Was There

The OG Kush
Story

From Florida origins to the LA underground to the world.

In 60 Seconds

How OG Kush Became the
#1 Strain of All Time.

The genetics that became OG Kush came out of Florida in the early 1990s, grown simply as Kush. In 1996, Matt Berger carried cuttings west to Los Angeles - just as California passed Proposition 215 and the medical era began. One surviving Kush cutting reached Josh D and his crew, and Josh cultivated, cloned, refined and began distributing the plant that would become synonymous with Southern California cannabis.

What followed was a cultural earthquake. From apartment grows on Tujunga Ave to the legendary Bakman House in Studio City, the Original OG Kush spread through LA's underground and remade the city. Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley, and beyond - OG became the gold standard.

By 2014, High Times officially named OG Kush the #1 Greatest Strain of All Time. Three decades after Josh first put it on the LA map, the genetics - and the story - continue.

OG Kush growing in Silverlake, Los Angeles, 1996
Silverlake, CA - 1996. Where the LA chapter began. Josh D personal archive.
The Timeline

30 Years In Years

1996

OG Arrives in LA

Matt Berger carries the surviving Kush cuttings from Florida to Los Angeles, where they land with Josh and his crew. One cutting survives. California passes Prop 215 the same year.

1997

San Francisco Cup Win

Josh's "Kush" entry wins a private cannabis cup in San Francisco - the earliest documented win.

1999-02

The Houses Era

The Original OG cut documented at Tujunga Ave (SFV), Woodrow Wilson Dr (Hollywood Hills), and the Bakman House (Studio City).

2014

#1 Greatest Strain of All Time

High Times Magazine officially awards OG Kush the title.

2015-19

Cannabis Cup Domination

Multiple wins at Highlife Cup (Netherlands), Santa Cruz Cup, and Emerald Cup.

2026

30 Years of OG Kush

30-year anniversary. The Smooch Collection drops. Documentary releases in production.

Room of OG Kush in Studio City, 2000, grown under six 1,000W fixtures
“Room of OG Kush yielding 12 pounds off of 6 × 1,000W fixtures. This weed sold for $8,000 per pound. Studio City, CA - 2000.” Josh's annotation. Josh D personal archive.
Deep Dives

Chapter Pages