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What’s your favorite strain that you don’t see no more?” ~ B-Real of Cypress Hill.
Ask any West Coast head from the ‘90s, and there’s only one answer: The Butler, the Champagne and most famously known as Champelli.
This early episode of Cash Only features the one and only Champelli — a Bay Area legend, known for growing his namesake weed strain that was a favorite among hip-hop heavy hitters like Mac Dre, Snoop Dogg, B-Real, Beanie Sigel, and other legends.
Champelli essentially invented the model for how you could develop a cult-favorite cannabis brand in the illegal market. His weed was so good that it brought him into unbelievable situations with infamous artists right as the magic was happening.
His life has been more wild than fiction, and act two saw the grower going on the lam and hiding out in Europe right as his weed achieved holy grail status in California. When he returned to the States, Pelli got popped for cannabis conspiracy with intent to distribute, and he spent time in federal prison. But his story doesn’t end there.
For act three, the inimitable cultivator is back in the Golden State and he’s pushing to reintroduce his heirloom flower to the legal market. Call it a canna-comeback.
In this in-depth interview, the mythic marijuana maestro details his journey from smoking up the heart of hip-hop, to shepherding the Champelli strain into glory, to his life as a fugitive. We also discuss the difficulties of reintroducing rare genetics and securing a cannabis license, his ongoing ties to the rap world and his advocacy efforts in support of Richard Delisi, the longest-serving cannabis prisoner who was just released. Visit www.delisidonations.com to learn more.
Follow Champelli on Instagram and visit his website.
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About Zach Sokol
Zach Sokol is a writer, editor, and the founder of https://cashonly.beehiiv.com/. He is also the co-editor of Sex Magazine. Previously, he was the editor of MERRY JANE, an editor at VICE, and has written extensively for publications like Playboy, Penthouse, i-D, Double Blind, and more. Visit his website www.zachsokol.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @zachsokol.
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