027: Inside the World of Cannabis Journalism with Lauren Yoshiko

The audience for cannabis content has grown rapidly over the last decade - but who writes it, what value does it provide, and what challenges make this niche so unique?

Here to answer these questions is Lauren Yoshiko. She’s a writer, cannabis journalist, magazine editor, and the host of Broccoli Talk, Broccoli Magazine’s official podcast. She’s a cannabis speaker on branding and women in weed, a budtender, the harvest manager of Cannabis Farm, a copywriter, and a well-respected advocate for women, minorities, and small businesses within the cannabis space.

Twice a week, she publishes the Broccoli Report, where she writes about topics including industry news and stoner lifestyle accessories, giving both entrepreneurs and users the inside scoop.

Today, Lauren joins the podcast to talk about how she entered the cannabis industry, and what cannabis tourism may look like post-COVID.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The stigmas and myths around cannabis that Lauren encountered in her early twenties, the cultural shifts that helped her get her first cannabis column, and why she had to write under a pseudonym to protect her corporate job at a Fortune 500 company.
• Why so many brands are looking to shake the legacy of stoner imagery while retaining parts of it - and why so many brands are crashing and failing.
• How illegal dispensaries successfully operate while masquerading as legitimate ones.
• What cannabis tourism and consumption spaces may look like.
• How working as a grower helped Lauren better understand the labor that goes into cannabis production and led her straight into her career in journalism.
• How Broccoli differentiated itself from publications like High Times, and why Lauren’s work stands out in a culture that can be very “bro-y.”
• Why Lauren hopes to see interstate commerce before full federal legalization.

Show Notes

For complete show notes, including transcripts, takeaways, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit SoHoExp.com/27

To learn more about the podcast and get access to all episodes, visit: SoHoExp.com/GreenRepeal