ALBUM:

Let It Be by The Beatles (1970)

PRODUCERS:

Glyn Johns, Alan Parsons, George Martin, and Phil Spector

GENRE:

Rock, folk, and blues

CANNABIS:

Ay Papi - Sapphire Thumbprint (limited batch aka “Rock Candy”)

CULTIVATED BY:

Ridgeline Farms x Huckleberry Hill Farms

EFFECTS:

Energetic euphoria that (likely) won’t overwhelm

AROMA:

Bright, citrus-y floral funkiness. I’m not being hyperbolic when I say this jar of Ay Papi is one of the rarest (and most coveted) concentrate products available in market today.

This is the cannabis equivalent of a holographic Charizard—or a Honus Wagner card, if you’d prefer. Sapphire popped up at a recent Hash Flight tasting event and, in a matter of minutes, was completely depleted.

Originally known as “Rock Candy,” the mad scientists over at Ay Papi created a limited drop of their award-winning cold cure (Ridgeline Rose) + solventless diamond core (Whitethorn Rose) + rosin terp juice + crushed diamonds—all packed inside of a single jar. It’s euphoric and uplifting while simultaneously relaxing and centering, which is exactly my tempo. Vaping it out of the sapphire insert of the Dr. Dabber delivers a blast of sweet, funky, floral flavor that I won’t soon forget. Yes, we’re officially in the timeline where it’s possible to smoke from a bowl cut from a single crystal of pure lab-grown sapphire. We may not have flying cars yet, but after a few tokes, you may feel like you’re soaring.

Now, Ridgeline and Whitethorn together...has there ever been a more dynamic duo?

Yes. Lennon/McCartney.

While the infamous butcher cover of The Beatles Yesterday and Today is probably the more appropriate pairing, I don’t own that rare grail. Instead, Let It Be scratches the itch. Sure, Phil Spector’s bloated “Wall of Sound” production can be...distracting, but this is the Fab Four’s final album! Heroin addiction, Yoko, and rooftop concerts aside...they were so damn sick of each other by this point that it’s remarkable that an album this cohesive came together. “Dig a Pony” legitimately rocks hard, as does “I’ve Got a Feeling.” “For You Blue” is more than a throwaway Harrison ditty about his wife Pattie Boyd; it’s a peek into where the band would still be at if they never took the drugs, never evolved far beyond the skiffle tunes they started out with.

Fire up a flag of Sapphire and throw on the rooftop video of “Get Back.” This is a victory cigar in a jar. The ultimate celebratory smoke to close out a long week (or storied career).

ALBUM:

Spaces by Nils Frahm (2013)

GENRE:

Mesmerizing avant-garde tones and loops

CANNABIS:

Ashram Kush

CULTIVATED BY:

Sunrise Mountain

EFFECTS:

Clear-headed total relaxation

AROMA:

Assorted teas and cheeses

I promise I’m not doing a Beatles edition of my column—but I get why you’d think that, given the band’s famed ashram trip to study with guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

No, today I want you to focus on your breathwork. Picture yourself sitting under a willow tree in lotus position while you spark up a fat doink of some of Humboldt’s finest outdoor. Be mindful. Don’t try to control your experience —just let the waves of indica tranquility wash over you.

I love Sunrise Mountain. When I needed a farm to supply flower for a pre-roll project, they were my first call. While they do produce a stellar Blueberry Muffin (4% terps!) and their Creme De Luna is a true show-stopper, it’s their Ashram Kush that never ceases to impress me. The head stays fully clear, even while your body melts into a puddle of pure zen bliss.

With a pairing that will shock absolutely no one, I’m going to recommend something heady and atmospheric that you can lose yourself in. I first heard about German composer Nils Frahm after he produced the soundtrack to Victoria, a 2015 heist film shot in one continuous 2+ hour take that should be in your queue (if it’s not already). His 2013 sound collage of an album, Spaces, is a masterpiece. He’s like a millennial Brian Eno—if he grew up mainlining Tchaikovsky and snuck into Berghain a lot.

This pairing is two masters of their craft, both specializing in blending classical techniques with modern equipment. Be sure to give them the attention and focus they deserve.

I’ll close out with my favorite Nils quote...hell, one of my favorite quotes (period):

“When people feel down and like it's all going to shit, at least we can give them some music and change their attitude so people don ́t think it ́s all shit... That ́s my religion.”

ALBUM:

Finally Rich by Chief Keef (2012)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:

Rovaun P. Manuel, Young Chop, & Larry Jackson

GENRE:

Drill, trap

CANNABIS:

Chrome Dome

CULTIVATED/PHENO HUNTED BY:

Maven Genetics

BRED BY:

Compound Genetics

EFFECTS:

Energy and creativity

AROMA:

Candy, pine, cleaning products

For the uninitiated, Maven is routinely heralded for producing some of the most gorgeous indoor flower on the planet. Everything they drop, especially their R&D pheno hunt projects, is exotic, connoisseur-grade bud that will impress even the most discerning critics. I had the good fortune to secure a few jars of their Chrome Dome (Lemonheadz x Eye Candy), a heavily citrus-leaning sativa-dominant cultivar that should clean up at any competition it showcases at.

While we rolled some of this up fora friend’s birthday party and it delivered a potent energy boost, Chrome Dome shines in most settings. I’ve found it to help immensely with inspiring creativity and making even the most mundane tasks significantly more bearable. Seriously, smoke some of this and water your plants. Clean out the garage. Vacuum. It simply makes life better—all while tasting like limoncello.

There is no way around it: I feel like a baller smoking this and Chief Keef’s debut, Finally Rich, delivers complementary effects. His certified platinum debut feels raw in 2025 and for good reason, as Keef was a mere 17 years old when this dropped—and there still seemed to exist plenty of threads connecting back to his days as a member of the Chicago South Side’s Black Disciples gang. A fellow Angeleno, these days he’s more known for his art collection, but give Sosa his due and throw on “I Don’t Like” to see if you do like.

ALBUM:

Surfing on Sine Waves by Polygon Window (1993)

PRODUCER:

Richard D. James (Aphex Twin)

GENRE:

Acid techno? Space beats for weirdos

CANNABIS:

Space Gem’s Flying Saucer (100mg)

EFFECTS:

Transcension

FLAVOR:

Sweet Pink Lemonade

If you ever meet the team from Space Gem, you’ll understand why I ride so hard for this brand. Humboldt-based founder Wendy Baker, a radiant ball of positivity who injects life into even the most dreary or dramatic of rooms in this industry, spun this up back in 2013 to bring a taste of clean high-quality, full flavor cannabis edibles to the rest of the state. Naturally, they’re as organic, sustainable, and vegan-friendly as anything else out there. Taste-wise expect tartness, like dipping a finger into some Country Time powder.

When you assemble a team obsessed with this plant, you tend to end up with products that just hit differently...and I can assure you, their Flying Saucer gummies wallop like a sledgehammer. They’re a hell of a lot of fun—and you’ll feel these effects in your third eye, with a pulsing of the brow chakra. Seeking a gummy for a show at The Sphere? Look no further.

Inside each pouch is a single 100mg gummy, crafted with premium solventless hash. Fear not! For you can break it down into 10mg slices, if you’re not quite ready to go full galactic.

There was simply no other artist in consideration for this pairing. It had to be Aphex Twin. This is his only release under the Polygon Window pseudonym and remains some of his best work. There is no wrong entry point into discovering his discography but this is a strong candidate for being the right one. It’s avant-garde weirdness but it’s accessible weirdness. The sonic equivalent of smoking weed for your first time and having your perceptions challenged. You’ll grow from this, even if it may initially scare or repulse you.

If I get abducted by aliens, best-case scenario is they’re willing to hand me the aux to throw on some Aphex, pop Flying Saucers, and hit a party in the Crab Nebula.

Jake Kuczeruk is a cannabis expert and writer for the Budist app. He’s worked with numerous brands, driven market expansion, and cultivated a deep product knowledge. He is passionate about old-school strains and landraces.