How Nipsey Hussle's Marathon philosophy, a carefully selected OG Kush cut and longstanding Los Angeles relationships helped build a cannabis identity rooted in quality, ownership and community.
The Marathon Started Before Cannabis
The Marathon began as a philosophy closely associated with Nipsey Hussle.
Long before cannabis products carried the name, the movement emphasized music, clothing, independence and ownership.
Blacc Sam, Adam Andebrhan and Stephen "Fatts" Donelson were part of the early foundation.
Cannabis entered the picture later as an extension of the identity that had already been built.
The goal was to develop a product that reflected the standards and relationships behind the Marathon name.
The Slauson Foundation
The movement's reputation developed around Los Angeles, particularly the area surrounding 45th and Slauson.
The shop became a gathering point where clothing, music and neighborhood relationships intersected.
Street-level reputation mattered.
For the people behind Marathon, a cannabis product carrying the name needed to deliver quality consistent with the identity Nipsey had spent years developing.
The flower could not simply rely on celebrity recognition.
How Was Marathon OG Selected?
The team evaluated different cannabis varieties before selecting its flagship.
According to the account, the goal was exceptional OG Kush, rather than a broad lineup built around whatever was available.
The plant ultimately selected became known as Marathon OG.
Its reputation was rooted in the particular cut, the consistency of the flower and Nipsey's endorsement.
The Oaksterdam OG Connection
The reported genetic trail leads to Patrick, founder of The Cure Company.
According to the account, Patrick had received an Oaksterdam OG cutting years earlier from an older cannabis grower.
That cut eventually entered the Marathon selection process.
After Nipsey approved it as the kind of pure OG Kush he wanted associated with the brand, it became the flagship.
In this history, Marathon OG represents selection, curation and identity more than the creation of an entirely new cross.
The Cure Company Brings Cultivation Infrastructure
The Cure Company provided the cultivation and production infrastructure needed to bring Marathon OG into the regulated California market.
The company's history was traced to 1996 in the original account.
Its downtown Los Angeles operations included cultivation and the CCC retail operation beneath an eight-room grow.
Patrick's background extended from informal cannabis sales into vertically integrated cultivation, retail and collaborations.
That infrastructure created a way to produce Marathon OG at commercial scale while protecting the quality expected of the name.
From Street Demand to Legal Retail
The collaboration connected The Marathon, The Cure Company and DTPG Los Angeles.
Together, they helped move Marathon OG into a regulated retail environment.
Early releases reportedly attracted lines stretching down the block.
Customers were buying more than a recognizable strain.
They were responding to the reputation of Nipsey Hussle and the identity the Marathon movement represented.
The challenge was maintaining consistency as demand increased.
Building a Permanent Home
The success of Marathon OG helped support a larger retail vision.
On June 18, 2022, The Marathon Collective opened its licensed storefront in Canoga Park, California.
The project created a dedicated retail presence for the cannabis side of the Marathon legacy.
By then, the operation had evolved beyond limited drops into a more established business model.
Carrying the Vision Forward
The Marathon story also includes significant losses.
Stephen "Fatts" Donelson died in 2017, followed by Nipsey Hussle in 2019.
Their deaths changed the project and the community surrounding it.
Blacc Sam helped carry the vision forward, while Adam Andebrhan remained an important part of the early Marathon foundation.
The cannabis business became one more expression of the broader work Nipsey had started.
Legacy
Marathon OG was never simply a celebrity-branded cannabis product.
Its identity developed through Los Angeles street relationships, the search for a particular OG Kush standard and the cultivation infrastructure needed to sustain that quality.
Nipsey's vision connected cannabis to a larger philosophy of independence, ownership and community investment.
The opening of The Marathon Collective extended that philosophy into licensed retail.
Marathon OG became a continuation of the Marathon story, built around a plant chosen to represent the same standards as the movement behind it.
YouTube Video
Sources
The Marathon (Cultivation). The Marathon Collective, 2022. Documentary film. Primary documentary. Chronicles Nipsey Hussle, Blacc Sam and their team's development of Marathon OG, the transition from unlicensed cannabis sales to regulated business, and The Cure Company's cultivation involvement.
Bartlett, Lindsey. "How The Cure Company Became a $100 Million Cannabis Brand." Forbes, 14 Oct. 2021. Primary interview. CEO Patrick Stad explains how an old-school San Francisco grower supplied the genetics, how he preserved the cut for approximately 15 years, and how Nipsey and Blacc Sam selected it for Marathon OG.
"Review: Nipsey Hussle's Estate Opens The Marathon Collective Dispensary." Leafly, 2022. Firsthand reporting. Interviews with Blacc Sam and Patrick Stad about Nipsey's preference for premium OG Kush, the early Marathon cannabis business, neighborhood demand, cultivation partnerships and opening of The Marathon Collective.
Rappold, R. Scott. "Brand Spotlight: The Cure Company." High Times, 5 Feb. 2022. Cultivation and business history. Documents The Cure Company's claimed 1996 origins, downtown Los Angeles operations, eight-room cultivation facility and City Compassionate Caregivers retail operation.
Ogbogu, Stephanie. "Nipsey Hussle Breaks Into the Cannabis Biz with the Opening of New The Marathon (Collective) Retail Store." AfroTech, 2022. Contemporary industry reporting. Identifies Nipsey, Blacc Sam, Adam Andebrhan and Stephen "Fatts" Donelson as participants in the Marathon cannabis vision.
Gee, Andre. "How 'The Marathon' Began for Nipsey Hussle." Complex, 5 Feb. 2021. Historical reporting and firsthand interviews. Explores the origins of Nipsey's Marathon philosophy, his early independent music career, relationships in the Crenshaw neighborhood, and the development of The Marathon Clothing.
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