Nothing But Fire is exactly what its name embodies: nothing but fire.
This highly anticipated event, serving officially as the second Nothing But Fire Invitational, brought together the who’s who of the cannabis industry, presenting an eventful evening for both brands and consumers in a way that makes you appreciate cannabis culture to the fullest. This year, presented by Weedmaps, the event’s organizers took over Optimist Studios in Los Angeles for both an indoor and outdoor experience, located nearby LA’s international airport LAX. As the event’s motto goes, “If you’re not fire, you can come but you can’t compete!”
Who Is Nothing But Fire Creator Mikey Kush? A Los Angeles Cannabis Legend
Nothing But Fire is the brainchild of a seasoned vet Mikey Kush, who’s been in the legacy space for the last 30 years. Whether he’s growing weed, connecting the dots, or throwing events, Mikey has made it his lifelong mission to celebrate and propel the evolution of cannabis, specifically in the City of Angels.
Mikey Kush is the guy behind bringing some of these underground brands to wider awareness and combining them with what you see today. And this year, they’ve changed the narrative. They’re corporate responsibility, they’re social equity. They’re doing what other conferences or expos will never do, because they are the heart of California. The heart of the industry.
And while this is only the second Nothing But Fire, Mikey has been doing these types of events for the last 20 years underground.
“I'm most excited about all the brands, having all the people together,” Mikey states. “The reason why I threw this show is because I can't get none of these guys to come out and have dinner for four hours. But I can get all of them to come out and hang out for 15 hours. Compete, talk shit, and show whose is the best. Nothing But Fire. Whose is the best fire?”
Nothing But Fire's Coachella Roots
Mikey’s background in events goes back to when he threw Coachella after-hours parties with his buddy Richard Polanco Jr., who would get the permits, handle the city, fire department, EMT, and other services and make it into a four-day party. So Mikey took all those principles and applied it to what we see with Nothing But Fire. Simple, right?
Mikey states, “Little by little, I saw how it was with all of the judging and I thought it was unfair. So I wanted to do a fair judging that was blind, and that's how we came up with this.”
In fact, Mikey was one of the first operators to have a dispensary license from the city of Los Angeles. But it’s his genuine kindness, love, and support that does not go unnoticed.
Nothing But Fire Honors Mieko Perez And Joey Rodriguez For Pioneering Medical Cannabis Advocacy
Mieko Perez, who runs public relations for Nothing But Fire, met Mikey nearly a decade ago. Her son Joey Rodriguez was one of the first patients in the country to be prescribed medical cannabis to treat his autism syndrome in 2009, and thanks to Mikey, Mieko was able to treat him properly. They even had the pleasure of doing Good Morning America together.
“I started working with Mikey, I was a single mom,” Mieko says. “My son was in ICU for three years and the entire Nothing But Fire team would drop money off to me, to take care of me. This is really what Nothing But Fire is about, and that is giving back to the community.”
Now that she’s linked back up with Mikey, the first thing he wanted to do was give her son an award for his global contribution for cannabis and autism, at this specific event. “We are very different from every other expo,” Mieko explains. “It's a bunch of legacy cultivators, this is really the heart of California. This is how it started. All of what you see today started from guys like Mikey.”
Christopher Wright and Joe "Chef J" Grande of the globally barrier-breaking Cannabis Talk 101 podcast were on hand to present Mieko with the Global Contribution Award in Joey’s honor. The Nothing But Fire team stated of the award: “Joey stood as a stalwart advocate for Master Cultivators, bearing the banner for one out of the 17 households in the United States. His focus lay in states where medical marijuana laws catered specifically to families dealing with autism and special needs. Through his efforts, these families gained safe access to cannabis as a legitimate treatment avenue. Despite his nonverbal nature, Joey's influence reached far and wide, spanning from California to Israel. His success story with this treatment resonated deeply, leaving an indelible mark on families' lives. Credit for his achievements was attributed by his mother to the master cultivators who, through their brands and genetics, upheld the values of ‘pro-life.’ Tragically, Joey's life was cut short in 2018 due to complications arising from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, second to his autism. Nonetheless, his legacy endures as a symbol for those who championed his cause in the cannabis industry, garnering attention from local news outlets to prominent platforms like Good Morning America and Fox News.”
"The Highest Host" Adam Ill On The Magic Of Nothing But Fire
Wright and Grande were far from the only celebrities turning up at Nothing But Fire. World-renowned DJ Jayceeoh was featured as its headlining musical act, and the event was hosted by media personality Adam Ill (aka “The Highest Host”), who states, “Listen, it's always an honor to be hosting any cannabis event. But Nothing But Fire seeing that it's nothing but fire here, Mikey putting all of his heart into this, I'm honored to be on the mic. Letting everyone know to get lit and see who the best is in the venue baby!”
But the most fulfilling part? The genuine connections that are formulated.
“The most exciting part to me is always the real life interactions and creating memories with everyone,” Adam continues. “Lead with a story to tell, but of course finding what the best weed or the best dabs is. As a real smoker, we want to know what it is.”
Which Brands Made The Biggest Impression At Nothing But Fire?
One of the most exciting tiers of Nothing But Fire are definitely the competitions, as brands compete for the titles of best booth.
Some exciting brands in attendance included Cali Kush Farms, which hosted the VIP room filled with functioning glass art, as well as participated as a competitor in the categories of flower and concentrates. They ended up winning 12 awards that evening, including Best Overall Concentrate and Best Tasting Concentrate.
There were also Quickies pre-rolls available, with their all red packaging catching the eye almost instantly. Meanwhile, L.A. Family Farms was started by three siblings, priding themselves in their smell, taste, and solventless rosin hash holes.
If you needed bong rips, Zatix was happily passing them out. A luxury cannabis brand, their company is founded on the principle of doing everything top shelf, focusing on consistent quality throughout all their endeavors. Another discovery was Originals California, whom deem themselves the #1 OG flower in California.
Who Were The Brand Partners For Nothing But Fire?
Honeysuckle was proud to be a media partner for this outstanding event, which included many of the biggest brands in the country. Along with presenting sponsor Weedmaps, some of those represented were Advanced Nutrients, Terpene Warehouse, Smiley Creative, Cannabis Capitol, Beard Bros, Top Shelf Cultivation, TerpHogz, Cannabis Talk 101, Zatix, DeLaCreme Extracts, Glob Mops, SF Canna, Dab Rite, Pistil Whip, Cali Kush Farms, L.A. Family Farms, Visit Hollyweed, Teds Budz, Barney and Friendz, The Standard Cannabis Co, Blue Moon Cannabis, ProPen, GreenDawg Cultivators, OGJG, Royal Blunts, SoCal Cannabar, WYLD, and more.
Nothing But Fire has big plans for part two in the near future - stay tuned.
For more information about Nothing But Fire, visit nothingbutfirela.com.
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Shirley Ju is a journalist, media host, and seasoned music industry professional. She is the founder of Shirley's Temple, a podcast series with a focus on mental health, where her guests include Trippie Redd, Chanel West Coast, Ricky Williams, Blac Chyna, and more. Shirley's work has been featured in publications such as Variety, Complex, Nylon, Flaunt, and REVOLT; she can also be seen doing exclusive interviews for leading urban news source VLADTV, featuring a platform with 5 million subscribers. Find out more about Shirley at @shirju on Instagram and Twitter, and on LinkedIn.
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Featured image: Cannabis Talk 101 hosts Chef J and Christopher Wright with Mikey Kush and the Nothing But Fire hostesses (C) Nothing But Fire
