Zoe Wilder, Cannabis Empressaria and Award-Winning Publicist — Interview Series

In an industry as young and rapidly growing as cannabis, generating publicity and media attention is imperative for plant-touching businesses and ancillary companies alike. Fortunately, there are accomplished publicists—veterans of various other sectors—available to help these brands perfect their media strategies and expand their networks. One such expert is Zoe Wilder, who, in addition to her PR work, is a founding member of the psychedelic news publication DoubleBlind Magazine and serves as an ambassador for Last Prisoner Project.

To gain deeper insight into her work with some of the biggest names in cannabis and the nuances of building brand awareness in this unique market, mycannabis.com had the pleasure of speaking with Wilder herself.

What originally interested you about obtaining your Master’s in Social Work from Fordham? What were the most meaningful or otherwise impactful courses you took during your studies?

I’ve always wanted to change the world, and I’ve always wanted to help people. While working at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) — a leading lung health organization that publishes peer-reviewed medical journals, including some of the first favorable research on cannabis and lung health — I pursued my MSW at Fordham. I wanted to understand the systems that were supposed to be serving people but were so often letting them down, and to gain the foundation to effect real change.

The most transformative coursework was in harm reduction approaches for substance use. That’s where everything came into focus. I became deeply disillusioned by the way our Western society tends to pathologize and overprescribe — personality traits, natural phases and cycles in our lives, you name it — without ever looking at us holistically. 

I also had the opportunity to counsel and empower individuals from marginalized communities, build social programs for children, teens, and adults on the Autism Spectrum, and teach teens about pressing social and cultural issues. Those experiences enriched my understanding of how interconnected wellness, justice, and community truly are. Watching patients suffer, cycling through the same patterns, trapped in the same routines — I was moved to dedicate my life to finding alternative ways for all of us to thrive.

What were the first roles you held in the fields of PR/marketing, and what were the most valuable lessons you learned during the first years of your career?

After earning my BA in English Literature from the College of William & Mary, I went straight to New York and spent a decade at the ATS in Manhattan supporting the Managing Editor and Director of Communications. It was rigorous, detail-oriented work — internal communications with some of the most revered physicians and researchers in the world and press relations for a major medical nonprofit — and it gave me an incredible foundation in how to craft messaging around complex, high-stakes subject matter.

But I’ve always had this creative restlessness. My parents are artists, so that energy is in my heart and soul. Outside of my day job, I was turning my Brooklyn loft into a performance space, choreographing pieces for underground raves, reading poetry at events around the city, shadow dancing alongside my favorite DJs and bands, running street teams for indie acts, interviewing artists for music magazines, and producing weekly dance parties.

I was following what excited me, and every single one of those experiences sharpened my instincts. I ended up promoting one of my favorite bands on the Howard Stern Show (which was such a success, the views knocked their website offline for a little while), booking performances for special events at some of the most distinguished venues like The Whitney Museum and Ace Hotels, and securing partnerships with brands like American Apparel, Societe Perrier, Converse, and Brooklyn Industries. The biggest lesson I learned from that era is that passion is a skill set. When you genuinely care about the people and projects you represent, the results follow.

Outside of cannabis clients, what have been some big industries you’ve worked with? How did the PR needs of those clients change depending on what industry they mainly work in?

My career spans tech, entertainment, music, film, television, consumer brands, wine and spirits, podcasting, book publishing, and some of the most respected peer-reviewed medical journals in the world. Our roster includes A-list talent, bestselling authors, and award-winning productions. 

We’ve facilitated and supported client collaborations across networks likeamong many others

Every industry has its own rhythm. Medical and scientific communications demand precision and credibility above all else — you’re translating research that affects real lives. Entertainment moves fast and thrives on cultural timing — you need to know exactly when and how to create a moment. Consumer brands are about building emotional resonance with audiences who are bombarded with noise. But the throughline is always the same — be authentic, respect the audience, and make it matter.

When did you first begin working with cannabis brands/companies? Did you initially have any professional hesitation about working with cannabis brands?

There was never a moment of hesitation, it was more like a homecoming. Cannabis has been part of my worldview since childhood. Growing up in Atlanta, I watched my mom infuse the plant into her daily life without apology or secrecy, and that shaped how I understood it from the start. While other kids were soaking up D.A.R.E. propaganda, I was tearing those posters off the hallway walls in my elementary school and throwing them in the trash because I knew they were lies. I actually kept one and hung it in my college dorm room — the artwork was trippy enough to fit my décor, which felt like a small act of reclamation.

By the time I started taking on cannabis clients, I’d already spent years attending rallies, studying counterculture movements in college, immersing myself in the emerging research during my time at the ATS, and contributing media about the plant for various publications including High Times. 

How have the PR needs and services that cannabis brands require changed over the years since cannabis first became recreationally legal? Do different clients have differing needs depending on which state market they’re in?

When I first started working in cannabis, the PR needs were pretty foundational — destigmatization, education, and simply getting mainstream media to take the industry seriously. A lot of the early work was about legitimizing the space, helping journalists and the public understand cannabis science and terminology — and that these were real businesses run by serious people, many of whom have risked their lives to provide access to this medicine.

As legalization expanded state by state, the needs became more dynamic. Yes, brands were looking for coverage, but they also needed strategic communications that could navigate a patchwork of regulations, shifting public perception, and an increasingly crowded market. Every state has its own rules, its own culture, its own media landscape. 

The brands that are resonating most right now are the ones with a real story to tell. Sometimes that’s a founder with a remarkable origin story, the why behind the brand — which cuts through in a way that polished corporate messaging simply doesn’t. Sometimes it’s an iconic brand committed to something bigger — social reform, safe access, sustainability — where the mission is the story. Either way, helping people and brands articulate that story in a way that’s honest and compelling is where I thrive.

The biggest shift I’ve seen is that cannabis PR is no longer about convincing people the plant is legitimate. It’s about positioning brands within culture — wellness, lifestyle, music, food, fashion. The conversation has moved well beyond education, and the brands that understand that are the ones breaking through.

While it may seem like different fields on paper, how does your Master’s in Social Work give you a better understanding of criminal injustice or otherwise philanthropically involved cannabis brands?

They’re the same conversation. My clinical training taught me how systems actually work, where the pressure points are, and how to move within them to create change. Social work is fundamentally about understanding power structures — who holds it, who doesn’t, how policy decisions ripple through communities for generations, and where strategic intervention can actually shift outcomes.

When I work with brands and organizations focused on restorative justice, I’m helping them frame it in ways that move legislators, shift public opinion, and influence where capital flows. That requires understanding stakeholders, coalition-building, and knowing how narratives translate into policy. 

My training also taught me to see the human being inside the system along with the strategic frameworks to push these systems forward. My PR work gives me the platform to make that push more profound. 

The story of cannabis is inseparable from the story of justice. 

What have been some of the best recognition and accolades you’ve received for your PR work?

Being named “Cannabis Empressaria” by Forbes, one of the most distinguished publications in the world, is a symbol of how far we’ve come. The paradigm is shifting, and I’m grateful to play a role. The Entrepreneur Magazine “35 Most Influential Women in Cannabis” recognition was meaningful because it placed me alongside women I deeply admire. Early on in 2018, High Times naming me to their 100 Women in High Places felt like a signal that the work was resonating within the culture. That same year, Snoop Dogg’s Merry Jane put me on their Power Player List, which — I mean, come on, that’s Snoop. That one definitely made me smile.

More recently, the 2024 Green Market Report Award for Public Relations and being recognized as a PR Powerhouse by Cannabis & Tech Today felt like validation of the work my team puts in day after day. Taking first place for Pot Personality of the Year from Hearst Media’s GreenState last summer was a proud moment, and being chosen as a 2025 Grass Ceiling Honoree by Hearst’s Cann Studio was special.

But the accolades that resonate the most are the quieter ones — when a client sends a handwritten note expressing we changed the trajectory of their brand, or when a founder shares they finally feel like someone understands their vision. 

The recognition is lovely. Watching my clients succeed is everything.

What does serving as an Ambassador for Last Prisoner Project usually entail? How has working with such an impactful organization provided you with a greater understanding and appreciation for cannabis advocacy?

Imagine sitting in a cell for years — decades, even life — for something that’s now legal in most states, while other people build generational wealth doing the exact same thing. That’s the reality for tens of thousands of people right now. That’s why Last Prisoner Project (LPP) exists.

My role is about keeping LPP’s mission visible — connecting the organization with opportunities, amplifying their campaigns through my channels, and bringing new allies into the fold. We’re fortunate to have incredible ambassadors — people like Carmelo Anthony, JoJo Simmons, Jim Belushi, Melissa Etheridge, Montel Williams, B Real, Fab 5 Freddy — but awareness is an ongoing battle. Every day that someone remains incarcerated for something that’s legal in most states is a day too many.

Working alongside founders Steve and Andrew DeAngelo has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my career. What they’ve dedicated to this movement — decades of advocacy, personal sacrifice, and an unwavering commitment to justice — is extraordinary, and it pushes everyone around them to show up bigger.

What LPP has reinforced for me is that cannabis advocacy without a justice component is incomplete. You can’t celebrate the growth of this market while ignoring the people whose lives were destroyed by the same plant that’s now generating billions in revenue. That contradiction is the moral center of this entire movement. 

At its core, this is about something even more fundamental than policy — it’s about respecting people’s inherent right to engage with the natural world. Cannabis is a plant. The fact that we ever criminalized a relationship between human beings and nature says everything about where we went wrong. 

What were the defining moments that led to the creation of DoubleBlind Magazine? How did you feel the subjects surrounding psychedelics were being incorrectly covered from a journalistic standpoint?

Madison Margolin and Shelby Hartman brought me on as part of the founding team to handle business development, marketing strategy, and media relations. From the very first conversation, the conviction was mutual — psychedelics deserved better than what mainstream media was offering. The coverage was either sensationalized or rooted in decades-old prohibition narratives. There was almost no space for the kind of rigorous, compassionate, culturally aware journalism these substances deserve.

We aimed to build something that honored the full picture — the science, the ceremony, the history, the healing, the art, the community. What started as a shared conviction has become one of the most widely read psychedelic media platforms in the world. Our print magazine has been stocked internationally, our contributors also write for the most distinguished outlets on the planet, we’ve hosted hundreds of workshops, we’ve co-reported with Rolling Stone and Quartz, and we’ve recently published the first DoubleBlind book with Artisan. 

Early on, when we hosted Mycologia — our music festival in the Cuyama High Desert during Summer Solstice 2022 — and the New York Times covered it under the headline “Keeping the Hippie Dream Alive,” that was a monumental moment. We’d created a living, breathing community.

On the federal level, what reforms do you envision would happen for psychedelics over the next few years? Will all the advocacy for psychedelic therapies from powerful groups, such as veterans, cause certain bills to advance?

The momentum right now is extraordinary. We’re seeing psychedelic-related legislation introduced across dozens of states, covering everything from medical access to decriminalization to expanded research funding. That kind of legislative activity reflects a genuine shift in public consciousness.

Veterans are arguably the most powerful voice in this movement right now, and for good reason. When someone who served their country stands up and expresses, “This treatment saved my life when nothing else worked,” that transcends partisan politics. That advocacy will absolutely accelerate federal reform — whether through expanded research authorizations, compassionate use frameworks, or rescheduling specific compounds. 

From a communications standpoint, the brands and organizations positioning themselves now with the right relationships and the right cultural sensitivity will be the ones that shape how this space is understood for decades.I always come back to the importance of approaching this as a community, not just an industry. The reforms that will truly serve people need to be rooted in respect for these medicines, their histories, and the diverse indigenous communities that have stewarded them long before any legislature got involved.

Similarly, how do you think a federal rescheduling of cannabis would impact both your own duties as a PR professional and also the needs and operations of your cannabis clients?

Much depends, but here are some givens: For clients, the operational impact would be transformative. The tax burden under 280E has been crushing operators for years. With expansion comes new complexity — more competition, more sophisticated regulatory environments, and a greater need for strategic communications that differentiate and protect.

But, rescheduling alone won’t open a single prison door, expunge a single record, or return a single year to someone who lost decades over a plant that corporations are now profiting from. However, it does create a powerful new window for advocacy. When the federal government formally acknowledges that cannabis has been misclassified for decades, it reframes every conviction built on that old classification — and gives advocates, attorneys, and organizations like Last Prisoner Project stronger footing to push for clemency, expungement, and resentencing at scale. It shifts the narrative.

The opportunity ahead is extraordinary, but only if it’s truly restorative — where independent operators succeed, every last cannabis prisoner comes home, and the communities that bore the weight of prohibition finally share in its promise.

Kristy Straub, General Manager of Best Buds – Interview Series

While the New York cannabis industry and its economic potential dominate the headlines, experts often overlook the neighboring New Jersey market. Despite its smaller geographic footprint, New Jersey surpassed $1 billion in cannabis sales in 2025 and employs thousands of residents statewide. In fact, the Garden State offers distinct advantages and market strengths that the Empire State has yet to match.

To explore these unique opportunities, mycannabis.com sat down with Kristy Straub, General Manager of Best Buds.

Why did you first desire to work in social work, and what organizations have you worked for? Why did you feel that the objectives and missions of the organizations you worked with were meaningful in multiple ways?

Ihave always had a deep-seated desire to help others and make people’s lives better. I havealso always been a natural educator and initially majored in Math education for my undergraddegree. I switched majors to psychology at the end of my freshman year because I lovedlearning about psychology so much; I was so fascinated by people and why they think andbehave in the ways they do. My mother earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and hadestablished a very fulfilling career in Human Resources, so I knew that I could find reallymeaningful work helping others with a Psych degree, no matter what I ended up doing.Following graduation from Messiah University, I worked in several different organizations andin every position, I ended up working in prevention. Education and harm-reduction became acore tenant of my emerging career.

How did your career in social work provide you with a better understanding of how detrimental previous cannabis policies/laws were? How did you personally witness how damaging those policies were during your time with those organizations?

What I witnessed overall during each of my roles in prevention and treatment was howdemoralizing and dehumanizing seeking treatment can be for most people. There is so muchshame and stigma wrapped up in addiction treatment of all kinds. One of the first times Iremember becoming skeptical of cannabis policy was when I continued to hear the terms“clean” and “dirty” in reference to cannabis drug testing. I never appreciated the inherentshame and stigma that came along with those references and I was also starting to resentthe terminology around cannabis being a “gateway drug,” because I had a deep sense that theonly true “gateway drug” is pain; trauma, mental health struggles, anxiety/depression, etc –what I saw in my professional experience over and over again was extremely sensitive andoften deeply empathetic individuals who were desperately trying to self-medicate their ownpain. In my personal life, I could very easily see that not every person who consumessubstances becomes an addict, but so many people who misuse or abuse substances in aneffort to escape pain do. And that realization over time began to re-shape the way I viewed allsubstances, as well as my approach to addiction and prevention.

What have been some of the most memorable events that you attended/photographed with Syllipsi Photography? What were the most valuable skills in business management that you strengthened during that time?

Over the course of nearly 20 years of professional photography, what has always stood out tome has been what a true honor it is to be invited into others’ lives, homes, and familydynamics and trusted to “capture” the magic of those precious moments. It can be a veryvulnerable thing to ask a stranger to do for you and often times, the real value and the weight

of the sentimental significance of those images that have captured such intimate moments,special memories, and the precious bonds between people are not even realized or fullycomprehended until many years after the event. When children have grown, loved ones havepassed, and so much about their lives has changed; that is when many of my clients reachout to me, communicating a newfound appreciation and deep gratitude for the gift of frozen time that I was able to give to them. 

I think the most valuable skills in business management that I strengthened during that timewould have to be the ability to quickly establish rapport with people I have never met so thatthey feel comfortable enough around me to let their authentic selves shine through in a2-dimensional image. Being photographed can be a vulnerable and intimate thing and theweight of that trust and comfort is never lost on me. I would say the second most valuableskill in business management I learned from running my own business for so long is theability to put on so many different “hats” and the work ethic it requires to get all the jobs donewell because nobody else is coming behind me to make sure everything is done right.

While obtaining your Master’s degree at the University of Maryland, what subjects in medical cannabis science did you mainly study? What were the most useful courses that you took as part of the degree plan?

The lion’s share of our study focused on the pharmacodynamics (what a drug does to thebody) and pharmacokinetics (what the body does to a drug) of cannabis in the human body.Learning all about the human endocannabinoid system (ECS), mechanisms of action,dose-response, efficacy & toxicity, absorption/distribution/metabolism/excretion, and all thevarious routes of administration have been incredibly useful in my roles as a cannabiseducator.

Why do you think it’s special on a grand scale that there are now Master’s degree programs in cannabis studies? Where do you think cannabis university programs in cannabis can go from here?

Advanced degrees in the study of cannabis science and therapeutics bring a great deal oflegitimacy to conscientious cannabis consumption as a respected modality of therapeuticintervention, and those who have the opportunity to obtain such degrees position themselvesin a very unique way on the front lines of the destigmatization of this incredibly healing plant.Comprehensive education, ever-expanding clinical research, reparative social justiceefforts/policy reform, access and patient advocacy, and continued destigmatization are someof the most important paths forward as far as university programs in cannabis can go fromhere.

What caught your attention about the Cannabis Educator role with BestBuds? How did the role utilize your experience in social work and your Master’s degree from the University of Maryland?

Ihad been doing Cannabis Education in my supervisory role with the department of familymedicine at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine for over 2 years. However, asNew Jersey transitioned from Medical Cannabis law to Adult Use Recreational Cannabis law,some of my fellow cannabis masters program alumni and I began routinely engaging indiscussion about the potential harm that could befall the community to have poorly-educatedconsumers freely purchasing cannabis in the open adult-use cannabis market. Recognizingthat dispensaries are essentially the gatekeepers or “pharmacists” who inform patients aboutthe products they are purchasing, how to consume them in the safest or least-harmful waysfor them, what (if any) polypharmacy concerns there may be with respect to any othermedications they may be taking, etc., we felt that involvement with local dispensaries withinour scope of influence could be a critical factor in the overall harm-reduction surroundingcannabis use in the general public. In this role, I utilize my experience as a small-businessowner & operator, many skills from my years of health education and prevention work, and somuch of my Medical Cannabis Science & Therapeutics Masters Degree from the University ofMaryland School of Pharmacy every single day.

What are your regular duties as General Manager of BestBuds, and what are some parts of the job that some people might not even consider?

My regular duties as General Manager of BestBuds are very much as they sound in that Imanage a little bit of everything across the entire operation of our store; such as maintenanceand operationality of the building itself, management of all of the staff (hiring, ongoingtraining, scheduling, HR issues, team-building, etc), execution of general operations, inventoryhandling (intake, auditing, compliance, etc), customer satisfaction, community engagement,etc. Something people never seem to consider about my job is how HIGHLY regulated theindustry is as a whole and how hefty the fines are surrounding compliance infractions. Everysingle milligram of cannabis is closely tracked and monitored by the Cannabis RegulatoryCommission every single step of the way from seed to sale, therefore maintaining strictadherence to our compliance standards at all times is of utmost importance.

What advantages do you think the New Jersey cannabis industry has over other neighboring state markets? Why do you think the New Jersey market has those advantages to begin with?

What better a state to experience a booming cannabis market than the Garden State itself?As I understand it, the east coast has an advantage over the west coast market, for thesimple reason that it had many years to observe the rollout of the adult-use market in thewest coast. NJ gave itself the chance to learn from the mistakes of its pioneering peers, aswell as ride the coat-tails of all that was done well by other states. By the time they voted tolegalize adult-use, there was overwhelming public support, strong political will, and aproactive framework for regulation due to NJ’s early established medical-use program,making the transition into a new regulatory framework for the CRC very efficient, whichallowed for rapid industry expansion. Additionally, the east coast and specifically New Jersey

(the most densely-populated state in the nation) also tend to be more densely-populated witha higher net median income, which helps ensure a consistently well-funded local consumerbase.

What are some exciting upcoming plans that BestBuds has? And what do you think the next few years hold for the New Jersey cannabis market?

BestBuds has been lauded as a retailer for its phenomenal customer service by customers aswell as recognized and awarded within the industry itself. As word of mouth continues togrow, so too does the loyal BestBuds customer base. At our store, we are not simply makingsales, we are creating an intentional community of people who feel that they truly belong. Weare taking the time to educate the masses every single day to create empowered consumers.Educated and empowered consumers are a force to be reckoned with, as they will ultimatelyset the bar for quality control, continued education & destigmatization of cannabis asmedicine, demand for ongoing clinical research, and expanding social equity across the entire spectrum, all of which will shape the future infrastructure of the industry on the whole. 

I think the next few years in the NJ cannabis market will bring about exciting new productsand innovation; consumption lounges, an expanding beverage market, cannabis-infusedfoods/restaurants, etc. I think the next few years in the NJ cannabis market will also includecontinued market compression as the market continues to mature, the emergence ofadditional local cultivators that will hopefully result in a switch to local brands that begin tosqueeze out the (now-dominant) MSO’s. More sophisticated consumer education willhopefully result in less discount-, volume-, or highest-THC-driven purchasing and instead cultivate greater loyalty to smaller neighborhood- and community-based retailers that offerthe best quality products and the best retail experience. I also anticipate an increase inretailers, but also the beginning of the final emergence of the winners and losers in thelong-term cannabis marketplace. I wholeheartedly believe BestBuds will emerge as a clearleader in the NJ cannabis market because it has always been a quiet leaderbehind-the-scenes in the NJ cannabis industry!

Stella Morrison, Founder and Content Strategist at CannaContent – Interview Series

Even more than a decade after the first recreational sales, navigating effective marketing and SEO strategies for fully licensed cannabis businesses remains a treacherous journey. Beyond the restrictive policies brands face on social media platforms, several other systemic hurdles persist across all state markets—even for the most compliant operators.

To provide a deeper look at the evolution of cannabis marketing and how to master its unique challenges, mycannabis.com sat down with Stella Morrison, Founder and Content Strategist at CannaContent.

What originally drew you to journalism and broadcasting? Did you originally aspire to work in news/media?

I decided I was going to be a journalist when I was 14 years old. I’ve always had an affinity for writing, but a not-insignificant reason I wanted to be a reporter is that I hate doing math. I secured my first newspaper internship and published my first byline when I was 16. I landed my first staff writer position when I was 18. That newspaper folded when I was 20. I lived the “joys” of the journalist’s career cycle before I was old enough to buy a drink (or a joint). I fell in love with radio in college, where I hosted a pop-punk/emo show, ran a local news segment, and managed the public affairs programming. By the time I graduated, though, there were barely any radio jobs available. I fell back into local print journalism. If podcasts were more of a thing at the time, I think there’s a good chance I would have been a podcast producer.

What were some of the most memorable stories/programs that you produced in those roles? And what were the most effective lessons in mass communication that you learned during those roles?

My early experiences in journalism taught me the power of words and the importance of not making assumptions about anyone or anything. Knowing that the public read my words, trusted them, and took them at face value reinforced how crucial this was. I’ll never forget the moment I walked into a town meeting about plans to redevelop an area that flooded during superstorm Sandy in 2012. Residents were furious because the plans would have ripped up trees planted in honor of soldiers killed in action in World War II. Hundreds of people in the room had a copy of my article in their hands, citing it as they spoke at the microphone against the redevelopment plan. For me, that illustrated the real power of mass communication: The community would not have known about this unless I wrote about it. The trees are still standing.

While working in the consumer electronics industry, which were some of the high-profile companies for which you wrote copy/brand language? And how did you have to change your writing style depending on which company or industry you were writing copy for?

In between working in journalism and opening an agency, I spent some time in the licensing industry. As a brand manager — a far cry from journalism — I got an incredibly deep behind-the-scenes look at how products are made and how brand deals are arranged. (I’m itching to leverage this experience in the cannabis industry.) Long story short, I ended up overseeing the copy on the product packaging and user manuals, too. The two most notable brands I wrote copy for in the catalog I managed were Polaroid and Sharper Image. Those two brands couldn’t be more different. Polaroid is fun and nostalgic; Sharper Image was tech-forward with an edge. It was nice to keep my creative muscles flexing while going through contracts and sourcing new licensing opportunities. 

After so many years in broadcasting and copywriting, what inspired you to create The Stellastra Effect? How would you say that your background in journalism better helps your clients and their needs?

I knew I needed to go back to writing, but I wasn’t going back to journalism. The pay was too low, the risks were too great, and the jobs were too few to continue reporting. Between journalism’s instability and the chaotic, misogynistic, and incredibly mismanaged work environment that was my time in licensing, I was burnt out. I decided I would never work for someone again — but what would I do? At the time — this was around 2015 — reports stated that half of the writing industry would go freelance by 2020. To me, this presented an opportunity: What would happen to the people who couldn’t afford an agency but had too much work for a freelancer? I set out to fill the gap and built a company that could scale faster than a freelancer, without the overhead of a full-blown marketing agency. I saw the biggest opportunity among marketers themselves. At the time, few small- to medium-sized agencies had the resources to offer content writing services to their clients. Said clients rarely submitted any content at all, let alone good content, which made it harder for web developers and other creatives to finish their work. Since I was a journalist who only hired former and formally trained journalists, we were a rare unicorn that could learn any subject and produce quality content about it. We knew what questions to ask. We knew the pressure of deadlines and the need to produce quality on a deadline. The model worked beautifully for many years.

When it comes to successful SEO and websites, are there some universally common rules and strategies that you follow across all business types? Or do you have to be flexible and go with the flow of whatever is best for the specific client?

Every business needs a solid foundation. With a good brand and a clear understanding of your target audience, you can build almost anything. With strong frameworks — clear brand guidelines, a fast and easy-to-navigate website, optimized content — growth is in reach. This is non-negotiable in any industry, but especially in cannabis, where too many people have their buddy make them a logo and give no other thought to the what or why of their existence.

From your experience, why was it so monumental that The Stellastra Effect won the Best Topic-Specific Blog award from the 2023 Content Marketing Awards? What all went into getting nominated and eventually winning that award?

The Content Marketing Awards was the first contest I ever submitted work to as an agency owner. The fact that I got first place in that category was validation that I did know what I was doing. We beat out some major household names in categories like insurance and banking in that category, so it was exhilarating that our work for an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) startup in California stood out to the judges. Then, I did it again the next year. In 2024, I took home first place in the same category. That time, though, it was with a cannabis client, The Travel Agency in New York City. To be a two-time winner back-to-back in this category reminded me that I’m doing OK.

What were the defining moments that led to the creation of CannaContent? What gaps in proper marketing/content-producing services for cannabis companies did you see prior to founding CannaContent?

I met my co-founder, Adam Uzialko, in the newsroom. He took over my beat when I moved on to the licensing industry, and we talked regularly over the years to exchange notes. When he left journalism to pursue a different editorial career, we kept in touch and freelanced together. Adam was eventually assigned to the cannabis business beat. His byline attracted folks in the cannabis industry who needed writing help; he would get cold emails from folks asking to hire him. He called me to ask for advice on how to handle these calls and what to charge. By the end of the conversation, it was clear that this was a business and not a one-off opportunity. Shortly after, Adam introduced me to our now Chief Creative Officer, Brie Brewer, and we were off to the races.

I got on a plane — a Southwest flight I won at a charity dinner — to see dispensaries in person in the Pacific Northwest and attend Seattle HempFest. I was always anti-Prohibition and against criminalization, but I was surprised to discover that cannabis was an and not just activism. There was nothing for me to compare it to. At the time, New Jersey and New York’s cannabis programs were medically-focused and quite small. (I’m from New Jersey and was living in New York at the time.) The blend of business and culture was something I didn’t know was possible until I saw it with my own eyes. This all went down in July 2017. Two months later, CannaContent had its first client.

Particularly with cannabis clients through CannaContent, what have been some creative and memorable ways that you’ve helped increase sales and store visits? And how have Meta and Google’s policies against cannabis advertising impacted the work of CannaContent? 

It’s the nature of digital marketing, and particularly SEO, that the goalposts often shift. One particularly monumental discovery for us was when we began implementing product reviews on retailers’ websites. Those performed (and continue to perform) incredibly well, even with major changes in search, such as AI Overviews and large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, on the scene. The advice I give to cannabis companies about Meta is the same advice I give to clients outside the industry. You don’t own your Instagram account, your TikTok account, or your YouTube account. They are incredibly important for your visibility, but if they get taken away tomorrow, you are left without your following. A customer or lead’s email address is your property. Build that, and you’re on a way more stable footing.

At a NECANN convention in Atlantic City in 2025, you hosted a panel discussion entitled “Dispensary Marketing Tactics That Aren’t Sales And Discounts.” What were the most useful topics and strategies for dispensaries that were mentioned during the panel that regularly prove to be successful?

There’s an almost knee-jerk instinct to offer discounts to bring customers in the door, but that falls flat after a while. Folks won’t come to your store without a coupon if you make it a regular habit. As prices go down and more competition opens, retailers will struggle to maintain their margins to keep up a discount-based model that’s familiar with their customer base. Where does that leave you if most of your shoppers only walk in for deals? I call it “Bed Bath & Beyond syndrome.” Did you go to that store without the 20% off coupon? Instead, our panel (myself, Sarah Nodes, and Lex Rivera) emphasized the importance of narrowing down your audience and not marketing to anyone 21+ with a wallet. We focused on community-building and creating physical and digital spaces to build a group of people who will stick it out with your shop through thick and thin. This topic struck a nerve. It was the first time I spoke to a completely full, standing-room-only audience. What an awesome feeling.

If cannabis were to be rescheduled on the federal level, how would that impact the operations of CannaContent and cannabis marketing in general?

In theory, it should let more marketing dollars flow. Many cannabis companies woefully underspend compared to retailers in other sectors; federal tax laws don’t allow plant-touching companies to write off marketing as a regular business expense. I sure hope that changes to federal policy eventually steer dispensaries to spend more freely on marketing. That being said, I don’t think the giants will be quick to respond to rescheduling or a federally legal environment. Meta’s policies reflect a global audience, and its content moderation policies around cannabis reflect that. It took Google many years just to pilot a Google Ads program in federally legal Canada. On top of that, existing state marketing laws that might restrict things like billboards, community sponsorships, or TV ads don’t disappear if federal legalization happens.