Shortly after rapper Burner and the Cookies crew released Girl Scout Cookies and its varieties, hype weed growers flocked to the dessert strain. The Biscotti strain debuted in that world, but has since been separated from the brand and has become Connected Cannabis Co.'s flagship strain.
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At the time of its release, many believed that biscotti was a type of cookie, but that's what the actual creator wanted people to see. The true story goes even deeper. Caleb Counts, co-inventor of Connected Cannabis Co. and Biscotti, recently dropped details to GreenState.
As Brand House's first stock, Counts and his partners decided they needed a big name behind their buds. They saw Cookie's brand power grow over the years and created a marketing plan to capitalize on the hype. They asked Varner if they could pay him to say that biscotti was the cookie variety, and Varner agreed.
Now, even after Biscotti's vague origin story and mini-drama were over, the Count didn't change how things had shaken out.
“I have no regrets,” Counts said. “We made them sign a contract that said they couldn't grow biscotti. Online history notes may give them credit, but Connected is based on an internationally recognized company and breeding program. It was built.”
In the end, it was the marketing partnership, not the genetics, that went bad. Despite its departure from the burner and cookie fam, biscotti remains on many pharmacy shelves years after its creation. And Connected continues to grow other valuable varieties such as Geronade.
This is a testament to genetics, a few famous rappers, and the cooperative nature of the breeders.
All about that biscotti
Biscotti weed strain is a heavier hybrid of Gelato 25 and South Florida OG. These parents created a highly creative breed that is coveted by painters and writers alike. The creators of this flower took the classic Red Cup method of pheno-hunting and sought to balance the intensity and in-person experience of South Florida's OG Kush with the subtle power of gelato.
They settled on breeding four Red Cup varieties with unique characteristics, aptly named RC14, 25, 27, and 28. Gelato 25 seemed to be the most complementary to South Florida OG of all the Gelato weed strains. Mr. Varner helped the crew look for the winner as they each smoked a red cup.
“Gelato 25 was a little more subtle, a little sweeter, because when you cross something with OG, OG was very strong and dominant, like burning gas fuel. But Gelato 25 was more It's fruity and has a more subtle terpene profile, so I thought it would blend well together,'' Counts said.
The resulting flowers are popular for their airiness, so Count and his team came up with something. It makes people feel classically stoned without feeling overly heavy.
The buds maintain the dense structure of OG Kush, but with a purple hue. If the plant is growing and the flowers are treated correctly, trichomes will be plentiful. Bright orange pistils are clustered in small clusters between cloudy purple calyxes.
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Product photo courtesy of Connected Cannabis, Edited by GreenState
The name biscotti is central to the culture, not only on its own, but also in complexes such as biscotti pancakes, blunts, and orange biscotti. This tasty strain helped build the Connected Cannabis Empire, and it has endured despite and thanks to mentions in rap songs.
Awareness is what you get from it.
Count and his partners eventually realized that working with Cookie was no longer useful for their work after the initial hype died down. They decided to leave Burner and the crew and found Connected.
Many believe that Varner expressed his feelings about the dissolution of the partnership in the lyrics of “Top Down” as follows:
“We don't smoke biscotti or gashers/
Anything about gangsters and stupid assholes. ”
The rapper appeared on Instagram Live around 2018 to explain his position and hinted that the top down was about terminating Biscotti's contract. After telling viewers they can no longer farm Gene or use the name, Varner asked why they would smoke or promote it.
“I'm not in the business for no gain. I've been grinding too hard for too long. And the weed game is the weed game, and business is business. Like I said, I don't mean to disrespect them, just do your thing and be as flexible as you can to them, but I don't mind that.”
When asked about this lyric recently, Varner said it was a reference to people stealing biscotti varieties. That aside, the culture is moving forward and there is no bad blood among the crew.
“We made a lot of bread in the early days through our partnership with Connected,” Berner told GreenState. “We're grateful to them for giving us the genetics we did back then, because they produced some great strains and menu items that are still classics today.”
Counts agrees that this was simply a great partnership that went well.
“We loved this relationship, but towards the end, Varner was only providing his name and working with competitors while we were paying him, and what was once a fruitful… It was counterproductive to a lot of relationships. He kind of forced our hand, and I think it's our fault that we could have built something together.” said Counts.
Caleb Counts // Photo courtesy of Connected Cannabis
Biscotti has become a rapper's delight
Berner launched Biscotti into the music world, and several major artists catapulted Biscotti to fame. Perhaps it's the creative nature of its effects, or maybe it's because so many words rhyme with the strain's name, but many rappers have featured this flower in their hit songs.
Counts recalls that the North Atlanta hip-hop group Migos was the first to make it bloom. He said they ordered a few pounds at a time, or the same amount as a Southern California delivery, whichever was heavier. Naturally, the flower found its way into their lyrics.
Eventually, the guys at Young Thug's Young Stoner Life (YSL) records made biscotti a hit. They started featuring strain names in their songs, like YSL, Young Thug, and Gunna's “Ski.” Once that got through to the YSL crew, the versatility was a huge hit. Travis Scott's people tried to contact him through a flower delivery service.
Mr. Counts was burnt out after trying to commercialize his Migos connection, but a friend persuaded him to call Mr. Scott. As a result, Travis Scott ended up using the Connected Biscotti Hybrid in his Cactus Farms cannabis line.
The hip-hop community, Burner included, was responsible for much of the hype that built behind Biscotti and ultimately gave Connected wings. Despite the drama of the past, Count admires Barner for telling Biscotti's story. The name may have been appealing to the rappers who talked about the song, but it was given by the founders of Cookies.
“I'm not a rapper, so I didn't think about it. Biscotti came from sunset sorbet and gelato, which are sweet desserts that remind people of when they smoked biscotti. 'A dry cookie without one?'” Count recalled. “If I didn't have coffee with him, my mouth would get swollen. But then I realized that he sounded good and was really good at rapping.”
Burner knew it would roll off the tongue, and he was right. A scan conducted by Connected's marketing team found more than 400 mentions of biscotti in popular songs, which is believed to have contributed to the stock's success.
Cooperation over competition
True collaboration is at the heart of Biscotti's popularity. This may be why brands value cooperation over competition. The business owner praised Doja, who built her name on Biscotti, and credited Connected with her growth. But they keep the circle closed.
Connected has trademarks for unauthorized brands marketing Biscotti. At one point, an employee secretly kept live clones of his own stock in his home. When he was fired, he started selling genes. So despite efforts to keep the intellectual property in-house, the original biscotti is still out there. Consumers can identify off-biscotti by simply changing the spelling of the name.
“We went after some people (legally), but the genetics come out. That's the nature of the game,” Counts said.
As Varner said live, a weed game is a weed game. Genetics are eliminated and plants are grown by a new brand. Counts isn't worried about the past or about losing his only access to Chemovar. He's looking to the future.
Employee intellectual property infringement created Permanent Marker, one of the best stocks in recent years. Two years after the decline, Connected began growing the variety. It is currently the brand's best-selling strain in California. Everything has come full circle.
Biscotti is now a foundational pedigree for other producers, and Count doesn't care about that. He understands that his contribution also builds on the work and work of other breeders.
A flower named Biscotti can be found in various markets, and people gradually come to know its true origin. And if you like vaping, meditating, or blowing on your joints before painting, you should buy one when you can. This plant has gone beyond drama to give rise to one of the greatest modern strains of American weeds, and now its history is revealed.
