The UK is catching up quick – but you’ve got to admit it. The USA is where the weed is out of this world. Almost ever aspect of the USA’s cannabis industry is lightyears ahead of the UK and it really shows. Whether we’re talking about genetics, growing or extraction, the people from cali have it down.

There is a term floating about at the moment: ‘UK Cali’. It looks like Cali weed, and smells like it, but is it really premium cannabis from the USA? Well, that is the hard question. There is a trend of dealers selling UK strains in soft-touch packaging, with a Californian design and claiming that they are selling the real deal.

We just came across a video of a man pouring out baked beans from a fake cookies bag. That would hurt some feelings.

So, is UK Cali a real thing? Or is it all smoke and mirrors?

What is UK Cali Weed?

Everybody wants the best. And the best is cultivated and perfected on the west coast of the USA. There is a massive cannabis culture there and has been since the 40’s, so it isn’t unusual that they have a head start on the rest of us. While experience goes a long way to explain why they are the best, California and Colorado have extremely strict testing and production procedures to make sure there is absolutely zero mould contamination and to ensure the cannabinoids are perfectly balanced.

To second the point, the style and culture from the USA affect the rest of the world – it is why we’re seeing many ‘cali style’ bags in the UK, and around the world. Just like New York gave the world hip hop- Cali gave us weed. So there are plenty of brands (like us even) who have taken inspiration from the Cali way.

The term UK Cali refers to US-grown cannabis, which is sold in the UK (or classic west coast strains that are grown here – and packaged in knock-off bags). It is hard to get here so classic Cali strains from high-end brands go for exponentially more money than a bag of cheese.

SO, what is the problem maaaannn?

The problem? Is caused entirely by prohibition. Where there is high demand and low-supply people will see an opportunity to take advantage. A gram of ‘real’ cali weed is very hard to find, and therefore the price is inflated due to demand. Without proper regulation, there is a high chance that you may be conned without recompense. It is a very infuriating situation.

What we have seen and heard is standard cannabis being put into a cali style bag (like cookies), being rebranded as ‘UK Cali’ and is going for 10x or 20x it previous value. Most of the packaging can be purchased easily online and the illicit market has zero production control (batch numbers, testing procedures, etc..) so a consumer is getting ripped off.

The problem is fairly clear; repackaging your product to UK Cali can earn you a significant packet. So the motivation is money. It pays for a dealer to purposely hoodwink the end consumer into thinking they are the lucky recipient of ‘real’ Californian-grown cannabis. As we said above, some people are putting baked beans into bags and selling them for premium. So imagine what else is happening.

Should you Buy Cali Weed in the UK?

This is the point that (for boring reasons) we need to remind you that cannabis is illegal in the UK and we do not recommend that you break the law in any way. BUT, if you’re going to do it anyway then it is best to find a supply you know you can trust, and a transparent, professional outfit who have a dedicated following and community trust.

If you are to ask the advice of Redditors, they say a similar thing.

If you’re in any way interested in learning more about what we do, and our products (which are currently all legal CBD) hit us up!