In the ever-changing social media landscape surrounding cannabis, video is quickly becoming a key player. A large reason why can be attributed to video streaming platforms like YouTube remaining flexible with their community guidelines, allowing users to post cannabis content on their channel without the fear of repercussions such as the removal of content or account deactivation. Conversely, competing social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook share a history of discriminating against cannabis-related content, thus stifling information sharing and suppressing an entire body of of voices within the community.
YouTube, however, has taken a slightly different approach wherein it simply encourages age restrictions for adult-oriented content. There, creators are free to post cannabis-related content without fear of removal. As a subsequent result, cannabis information sharing has flourished on YouTube over the last half decade, allowing users to upload cannabis content freely, amass followers, and use their platform to push cannabis activism forward to whole new levels.
Below is a list of three YouTube channels that have truly exemplified this movement to push video forward as a viable medium for cannabis activism and information sharing. Each of these profiles offer a unique take in facilitating a totally new perspective on sharing cannabis news and information. Whether you’re looking for videos on current events, strain and/or product reviews, recipes, grow tips, or historical information, you’re bound to find a spectrum of content in these three channels that’s guaranteed to grab your interest.
Bubbleman’s World
Ask almost any solventless hash enthusiast where to find a quality online video covering proper technique and chances are you’ll get referred to Bubbleman’s World. Marcus Richardson, founder of Bubblebags and FreshHeadies.com, took to YouTube in 2007 to create Bubbleman’s World. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, his instructional videos offer an unrivaled openness to previous “proprietary” concepts in hash making, capturing nuances within the various processes that you simply can’t find anywhere else.
In September of 2014, Marcus set out to create a weekly online symposium for cannabis activists and enthusiasts by utilizing YouTube Live streaming in Google Hangouts to create a Sunday morning discussion series appropriately titled, “Hash Church.” These unedited discussions involve a rock star panel of speakers including long-time cannabis activist Todd McCormick of HempXXX.com and Berkeley Patients Group founder Etienne Fontan. Every week, new guest speakers are invited to join in.
Notable past guests include Dr. Lester Grinspoon, famed Harvard professor and author of Marijuana Reconsidered. Lifelong activist and researcher Robert Clark has also made appearances, as well as activist Rick Doblin, who appeared just last week. Discussions on the show range from current events within the industry to extraction techniques, patient testimonials, product R7D discussion, and much more. Anyone with a little free time on Sunday morning should tune in and check out the weekly 9AM-12PM show.
RuffHouse Studios
RuffHouse Studios is a cannabis culture video production company that began posting videos on YouTube in 2007. Today it boasts a body of over 300 videos packed full with high production quality content spanning from segments on cooking with infused cannabis to concentrate reviews and even cannabis themed parody movie trailers.
Popular videos on the channel include demonstration and tutorial pieces on joint rolling, canna butter recipes, and DIY hack videos that range from making water pipes out of household items to tutorials on various extraction techniques.
“Tips & Tricks,” a video series featuring RuffHouse Studios host Bogart, offers up a very polished and professional set of tutorial videos. Here you can learn how to roll various styles of joints, or how to extract kief from cannabis flowers with the use of dry ice. Each of these videos are between 8-10 minutes long, making them the perfect length for a quick look without being too lengthy or dense.
If you’re looking for some lighter entertainment, check out the cannabis movie trailer parody videos for a good laugh. There you can find gems such as “The Smoking Dead” and “Bongzilla.”
Green House Seed Company
Founded in Amsterdam in 1985 by Arjan Roskam, the Green House Seed Company and Coffeeshop has grown to become one of the most notorious seed banks in the world. In 2006, Green House Seed took its brand to YouTube by posting grow tutorials and Cannabis Cup coverage videos.
Two year later, in 2008 Green House Seed’s YouTube presence expanded with the introduction of a series called “Strain Hunters”, wherein Arjan and his partner Franco Loja traveled the world curating rare landrace seeds from remote destinations. Aside from being wildly entertaining, these hour long segments offer a unique perspective into the lives those behind the global cannabis trade.
After eight years and over 100 videos, The Green House Seed company is still posting exciting high-production content on a regular basis. Its series “Grow Sessions” gives one of the most polished and analytically sound analysis of any strain-specific cultivation journal currently available on the internet. In this series, Arjan and Franco analyze growth patterns of some of their most famed strains and seed offerings, even detailing disparities between certain strains grown hydroponics versus in organic soil mediums. Every week they chronicle further with lab tested terpene and cannabinoid profiles, macro photographs of trichome formation, and cultivation tips. This level of care and dedication to cannabis-related videography is practically unrivaled, and the Green House Seed Company has consistently pushed the bar forward by advancing its platform with quality content.
Looking for more great cannabis video content? Check out Leafly’s YouTube channel, where you’ll find strain spotlights, cannabis 101 features, our Cannabis Craftsmanship series, and more.
