How fighter discipline, traditional-market trust, strict quality control & one flagship strain helped Up the Hill build a name in California cannabis.
The Fighter Behind the Brand
Up the Hill Exclusive is tied to Bryce “Up the Hill” de Camargo, also known as Bryce Jitsu, a Carlson Gracie OC fighter.
On March 14, 2026, de Camargo made his professional MMA debut at Jungle Fight 146 in Brasília, Brazil, defeating Yan Ribeiro by split decision.
Sherdog lists his professional record at 1-0.
Building Up the Hill
Before entering California’s recreational market, Up the Hill built its reputation through the traditional market as a largely one-man operation.
The model centered on trust, limited batches, premium sourcing & strict quality control.
Rather than trying to produce everything itself, the brand’s lane became finding standout California flower, selecting the strongest batches & putting its name only behind products that met its standards.
“We Don’t Smoke Mids”
Up the Hill became known for an elite palate, identifying strong flower early & paying for quality when necessary.
According to Bryce, if a batch is truly special, he is willing to overpay for it.
“We don’t smoke mids” became more than a slogan. It became the brand’s filter for what was good enough to carry the Up the Hill name.
Zith Becomes the Flagship
The strain that came to define the brand was Zith.
It became Up the Hill’s No. 1 strain, best seller & primary competition entry, giving the brand a recognizable flagship as it expanded.
According to Up the Hill, Zith originated from a bag seed found in Georgia Pie flower and was later worked in-house by growers connected to the brand.
That origin is presented as the brand’s firsthand account.
Building Collectible Drops
Up the Hill also developed a recognizable style around themed, collectible releases rather than unrelated jars.
The Up the Hill & Chill series used television-inspired strain names including Zquid Gamez, Ztranger Thingz, Prizon Break, O-Zark, Black Mirror, Narcoz, Cobra High & Vikingz.
Zouth Park received its own animated television-inspired release, while Up the Hill Video leaned into movie-style presentation & variety-pack concepts.
The packaging changed from drop to drop, but the underlying strategy stayed consistent: limited flower paired with a strong visual identity.
Zith Enters Competition
Zith also became Up the Hill’s main competition strain.
Revenge of the Zith won 1st place in the 2025 Proper Doinks 32-man flower bracket.
Up the Hill later advanced to the final of the 2026 $120,000 High Rollers competition, finishing 2nd against Preferred Gardens.
Those results gave Zith a competition résumé beyond its popularity with consumers.
From Ted’s Budz to an Independent Rollout
Before launching independently into California recreational stores, Up the Hill spent roughly 1½ years working under Ted’s Budz.
During that period, the brand reached approximately 50 recreational stores.
When Up the Hill began its first independent recreational rollout, Zith led the launch across 11 stores, reportedly without a dedicated sales team.
The move marked a transition from operating within another established platform to building Up the Hill as its own retail-facing brand.
Beyond Zith
Although Zith became the flagship, Up the Hill continued rotating through small-batch selections.
The menu has included K.O., Rio, Tangfastic Z, Death Ztar & other limited releases.
King Kong became a notable entry in the brand’s GG4 lane, while Extreme Zour returned after customer demand.
The rotating menu reflects the same approach that built the brand early on: source selectively, keep batches limited & move on when the quality is no longer there.
Legacy
Up the Hill combines fighter discipline, traditional-market relationships, California sourcing & strict quality control.
Its rise was not built around a massive catalog. It was built around curation, consistency & one flagship strain that developed into a résumé of its own.
Bryce credits the growers, breeders, fellow brands, his friend Chris & his wife for helping the brand reach its current position.
From a one-man traditional-market operation to competition wins & independent recreational shelves, Up the Hill built its identity around a simple standard: if it does not meet the quality bar, it does not make the bag.
SOURCES:
UPTHEHILL HIMSELF VIA DM
TWITTER - INSTAGRAM = UPTHEHILL
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