Serge Damirjian leads by example and lives up to his own standards. He starts his day by rolling up a joint of terpene-rich flowers before enjoying the outdoors with his two loveable dogs, listening to the cheerful chirping of birds and soaking up the warm morning sun. Then, after checking his email and socials a couple of hours into the day, Serge indulges in a flavourful dab before returning to a vigorous breeding program.

Having spent most of his life in California, Serge has been a part of the Los Angeles cannabis community for over a decade. He started his career working within cannabis dispensaries and hydroponic shops before establishing well-known cannabis brands such as Cookies and Fiore. These brands have earned outstanding respect within the community for their top-shelf genetics. Today, he proudly announces his collaboration with Sensi Seeds.

Serge Damirjian’s introduction to cannabis cultivation

Serge initially aspired to become a football star, but he soon realised he wasn’t the most gifted player on the field and shifted his focus to becoming an underwater welder. However, after completing school, he pursued a career in electrical work. Eager to learn and grow in his profession, he served as an apprentice under an electrician for a few years, eventually purchasing his own van before taking on house calls and commercial projects.

His extensive background in electrical work has proven to be highly beneficial in Serge’s current position as a manager of cutting-edge cultivation facilities. His proficiency in electrical systems and experience with HVAC systems have been instrumental in detecting potential problems and quickly resolving them to avoid any significant interruptions to the facility’s operations. As a result of his expertise and dedication, the cultivation facilities can operate at optimal levels.

His foray into cannabis cultivation began when Serge was around 13 or 14 years old when his fingertips discovered a seed hiding within a bud. Watching the sprout emerge from the soil sparked a fascination that stayed with him.

To keep his activities discreet, he found a small space behind his desk and placed a desk lamp over the plant. The cannabis plant flourished and grew to a height of approximately 60 cm, but unfortunately, its discovery led to legal trouble for Serge. At the tender age of 15, he faced a felony charge for cultivating cannabis, leading to his return to his family in Beirut, Lebanon.

Adhering to his beliefs that everyone should have the right to cultivate their cannabis, Serge transformed a 2.5-metre closet in his bedroom during his stay in Lebanon. Procuring two ballasts, a metal halide and an HPS, he meticulously disassembled the sockets, rewired them, and skilfully integrated them into the closet.

For adequate ventilation, he integrated a dual four-inch fan system. Two were positioned at the bottom for intake, and two were strategically placed at the top for exhaust. This setup was designed to promote air circulation, ensuring the maintenance of optimal environmental conditions essential for robust plant growth.

Due to the absence of a timer, Serge meticulously monitored the light cycle for his plants. Throughout the vegetative phase, he manually toggled the lights on for 18 hours, followed by a 6-hour off period. During flowering, he adhered to a 12-hour on, 12-hour off schedule, a tedious task requiring daily attention. However, his dedication and hard work paid off, as he was rewarded with an outstanding harvest that exceeded his expectations.

During his cultivation journey, Serge started by gathering cultivation information from horticultural forums and literature but also relied heavily on trial and error. This included accidentally pollinating his room and experiencing the consequences firsthand. This experience taught him the importance of paying close attention to detail, and he realised that even small mistakes can have significant consequences. However, despite the setbacks, Serge says he found a variety that stood out.

The serendipitous success of his accidental breeding made him realise that if such a good thing could happen by accident, it is possible to achieve even better results with deliberate effort. With meticulous care and attention, he carefully selected females and discarded male plants, focusing on backcrossing and line stabilisation. He dedicated himself to identifying the desired traits he wanted to pass down the line.

At the age of 16, as he contemplated the potential of breeding, Serge envisioned expanding his cannabis cultivation from a modest closet to an entire house upon his return to the United States. He imagined growing a larger number of plants and achieving more substantial harvests. This idea began to take shape as he shared the cannabis he had grown with his friends in Lebanon, who had never seen anything with such a loud terpene profile.

The origins of the Cookies enterprise

Upon returning to the United States, Serge embarked on the journey of outfitting garages and multiple houses with cultivation equipment. He also helped set up a small grow shop in San Diego before venturing into the commercial realm of the cannabis industry. He started by embarking on a statewide campaign to educate cities about the benefits of embracing the cannabis industry before opening his first significant legal cultivation facility, Cookies, on January 16th, 2018.

He successfully implemented a Cannabis Zoning Ordinance in Maywood, California as part of this effort. However, he remarked that setting up a building for cultivation proved to be more time-consuming and expensive than expected. Despite the challenges, he says he gained invaluable insights into construction, project management, and high-level business operations, which he considers a significant learning experience as part of the Cookies Maywood project.

During the construction phase, Serge had the opportunity to meet Steve Lobel, a prominent figure in the music industry who was working closely with Berner, an American rapper, entrepreneur, and cannabis advocate. During one of Steve Lobel’s video calls with the acclaimed artist, he showed keen interest in Serge’s state-of-the-art cultivation facility in Maywood and wanted to check it out personally.

After Berner visited their Maywood facility, he showed great interest in their cultivation techniques and proposed a collaborative partnership. Serge revealed that the potential collaboration was initially called ‘Hybred x Cookies’, but eventually, they decided to establish it as Cookies, which has now become a leading brand in the cannabis industry.

Following its opening in Los Angeles, the Cookies flagship store garnered significant media and public attention. Serge attributes this to their high-profile partnership with a celebrity like Berner and the fact that they had the first vertically integrated cultivation facility in the Los Angeles area. This allowed Cookies to possess legal licenses to grow, manufacture, distribute, and retail all on the same premises, setting them apart from the rest.

Although the launch of Cookies garnered much publicity, Serge quickly points out that their success was not just due to that. He attributes their popularity to their high-quality genetics, which were well-received by the cannabis community. He says, “If you have fantastic advertising, outstanding marketing, and a terrible product, that is the quickest way to kill the product. You are going to market your brand to death!”

Serge proudly shares that the Maywood facility has crafted some genuinely remarkable hybrids, including the esteemed Gary Payton, Cereal Milk, London Poundcake 75, Berry Pie, and Georgia Pie. These exceptional strains serve as a testament to the facility’s unwavering commitment to producing nothing but the best.