Catching Up with Cannabis Culture Kings Mendo Dope
By Zelda Flowers
Old E and Bleezy of Mendo Dope Family Farms have been in the cannabis game for years. Cannabis is deeply embedded in the culture of Northern California, especially in Mendocino. Even if your own family isn’t growing a couple of “tomato” plants in the backyard, you probably have a weird uncle or other relative who grows. Or, at least you knew someone in your town that does. For more than ten years, the Mendo Dope brothers have been growing and making their unique strain of cannabis-infused music in the legendary Emerald Triangle.
The guys started with smoking, then trimming and finally, when feeling a love for the plant, moved into growing. Today Mendo Dope Family Farms is known for its towering trees and premium quality bud. If you don’t believe me, check out their Insta and YouTube channels for a look at their envious backyard forest and recording studio set-up. They focus on cultivating enormous outdoor plants grown organically in the Mendocino sun, and on creating potent medicine for medical marijuana patients.
“Once we learned about the healing properties of cannabis and all the health benefits, we wanted to grow the best quality possible to help patients everywhere,” says Bleezy, of Mendo Dope.
Mendo Dope pays careful attention to genetics and strives to create hearty, potent strains but the goal isn’t just powerful effects. They consider themselves “cannabis connoisseurs,” and grow for taste and aroma as well as the high their cannabis delivers. They’ve also been on the front lines fighting for legalization from the beginning.
All this knowledge, passion and love of marijuana is what led to Mendo Dope Music, the artists. They’ve released more than 200 songs and several full-length albums, the most recent being 2016’s Let’s Get Lifted, which you can hear tracks from and buy on their Mendo Dope Music website. The music is the culmination of several styles, most apparently influenced by reggae and hip-hip. Most recently playing a gig with British reggae legend Pato Banton, their music is dedicated to the culture of cannabis, with detailed tracks about growing, genetics and yes, even about getting busted during a 2013 raid that saw warrantless law enforcement put their treasured garden through a wood chipper.
The raid destroyed a crop potentially worth millions and devastated the duo, but you won’t hear much about money in their lyrics. While other rap and hip-hop artists focus on how much money they make on weed, it was never about the money for Old E and Bleezy. It’s always been about the love of cannabis and the lifestyle that surrounds it.
Top Pick: Although it’s hard to admit you have a favorite child, Mendo Dope recommends their Locomotion flower if you can try only one Mendo Dope strain.
“Whether you like smoking the flower by itself, pressing out a dab or cooking edibles, Locomotion is one of the strongest smelling and tasting flowers on our farm…not only does it have a loud aroma, but it is a picture-perfect flower, purple coated crystal buds covered in pink and purple hairs. It’s not a strong couch lock high, but has just the right amount to make you feel good.”