What San Francisco journalist David Downs has been doing lately—October 2026 edition
‘Who do you write for these days?’ I often get asked. The answer: Who do you got? I have two boys and two mortgages in San Francisco. It’s publish or perish in these mean streets. I’m not complaining.
The not-short answer: I have a monthly flower column for High Times called Terp Sherpa; a monthly genetics column for Leaf Magazine called Fire Follower. I write for Cannabis Business Times, Cannabis Now, GreenState, Embarc, and more.
I also self-publish my weekly genetics newsletter Fire Follower—direct via email for Fire Follower PRO subscribers, with a free excerpt on Substack.
Aaand I’m in my Bill Graham era, leading David Downs Presents events through an annual cycle of gatherings that follows the rhythms of the growing season, with foci on flowers, clones, hash, and seeds.
First, off coming up, RSVP to: Oct. 22 speaking at the San Francisco Rotary Club: ‘David will address the cannabis industry outlook, taxes, and how legalization looks eight years since adult use of cannabis became legal on January 1, 2018. He will also discuss how the cannabis market is divided between fully legal and unregulated cultivation and sales.’
And RSVP to: Terpnami 2026 Dec. 5-6. Preview article: Terp Alert! Third-Annual Terpnami: ‘If “niche” now means “cool,” Terpnami approaches absolute zero.’
Recent clips:
Business Feature—David Downs for Cannabis Business Times:
David Downs for High Times:
- A Golden State Hash Report
- High Times Strains of the Month: September 2026
- Mushrooms Got 10x Stronger Since 2019. ‘World’s Biggest Shroom Church Built A Calculator So You Don’t Run Naked Down The Street.’
David Downs for GreenState:
- The secret to growing California’s best outdoor pot
- California’s new cannabis packaging rules divide the industry: ‘California loves to tout how it doesn’t ban books. In fact, it just banned an entire genre of graphic art.’
- What the California State Fair Cannabis Award winners say about the weed world: ‘doing your own breeding work; tapping into natural, living soil outdoor farming techniques; and braving awkward government meetings.’
- 2026 California State Fair cannabis awards winners—and where to buy them
- A top performer of the year: ‘The ‘drama weed’ effect: How Toad Venom became 2026’s hottest strain’
David Downs’s Fire Follower Genetics newsletter turned one year old. We’re at 400 free subscribers, and 25 paid ones. We just did a brand refactor. Here’s some recent posts:
- Croptober hits the back stretch
- Puffcon 2026 melted hash—and minds
- Puffcon 2026 picks; Toad takes Michigan Zalympix; Seed Junky’s new drop
- ‘We need benevolent propaganda around genetic diversity’
- Big new drops from Seed Junky and Grounded Genetics, plus a Relentless restock
David Downs for Embarc: 'Croptober Is Here: Your Guide to California's Freshest Harvest'
David Downs for Leaf Magazine:
- Grounded Genetics now clearly sits in the premium tier of modern Cannabis breeders: ‘A shift in the legal winds is favoring some longtime European breeders with California sensibilities.’
- Ziplock Seeds’ Shanoah Stanley has a compulsion: He can’t stop breeding.
- Seed Junky Genetics Brings Sexy Wedding Cake Back: ‘Go ahead and stick your face in this cake.’
- California Leaf 2026 Tannins and Terpenes Pairings: Orange Tree Live Resin Badder from Greenline and Blood Orange Dark Chocolate from Ghirardelli; Budularo The Pearls paired with Russian River Brewing Company Pliny the Elder.
- Review: Rainbow Guava Cold Cure Live Rosin, 90μm: ‘This jar will have you doing hippy twirls on the banks of Reggae on the River come August and will pass the smell test with the “Terp Illuminati” at Puffcon in downtown LA in October. ‘
- Review: Grapefruit Starburst Live Rosin from Master Makers: ‘This stuff is so special, it feels like a crime to carve away creamy dabs of it with a Puffco Hot Knife. ‘
David Downs for Cannabis Now:
David Downs Presents
- We threw another successful Clonetopia Sept. 19-20 in Richmond, CA. And interviewed Ronin Jake there.
David Downs Presents 2027 dates*:
- SF Space Walk 2027: 4/14-20 (San Francisco’s weed week)
- Clonetopia - Portland: May 8-9
- Clonetopia - San Francisco: May 15-16
- Clonetopia - Los Angeles: May 22-23
- Clonetopia - Massachusetts: May 29-30
- San Francisco Hash Week: 7/5-7/10
- Clonetopia - Fall SF: Sept 18-19
- Terpnami 2027: Dec. 11-12
A new contest win for David Downs:
Fire Follower (that’s us!) took home a 1st Place for licensed single pre-rolls in the San Diego Farmers Cup '710 Edition' with our SF Hash Week x Dunkz collab Lemon Tart Pucker x L’mosa Melon hash hole. Which means I get to keep calling myself award-winning.
Coming up in the final quarter of 2026 and into 2027:
- Judging the MJ Bowl for California.
- Travel to: Yolo County, San Diego, Sacramento for Hall of Flowers, Los Angeles for the Autoflower Cup.
- A Greatest Breeders of 2026 poll.
- Judging the Autoflower Cup in January.
Watch: David Downs on the Good Pizzza podcast June 29.
Are you not entertained? Let’s keep it bubblin’.
