Author: Andrea Huspeni / Source: Adobe 99U
For the editor-in-chief of Broccoli, a women-centric magazine about cannabis culture, keeping up with rapid change is an exhilarating challenge.
Cannabis is having a moment. Legalized for recreational use in 10 states (and counting), the once contraband substance has entered the sunny mainstream.
Visit Portland, Ore., or Los Angeles, and you’ll find dispensaries that cater to a wide range of tastes and aesthetics, featuring inviting brands with products that purport to do everything from boosting energy, to quelling anxiety, to helping with sleep.This is a fairly recent phenomenon, says Anja Charbonneau, editor-in-chief of Broccoli, a triannual women-centric print magazine dedicated to cannabis culture. When the publication launched in 2017, “there were maybe five companies I could think of that seemed consumer friendly and design forward,” she says. “Now there are so many.”
The nascent industry has also spurred a surprising revival of print media. Because cannabis is illegal at the federal level, the industry is largely barred from advertising on Facebook or Google, leaving an opening for niche magazines to make money through advertising. Today, there is a small but growing group of paper publications that cover cannabis.
The former design director of the successful lifestyle publication Kinfolk and a long-time casual cannabis user, Charbonneau was early to both the resurgence of independent print publications and consumer-friendly cannabis. Broccoli has seen its readership steadily climb; its upcoming Spring issue will have a circulation of 30,000. Free for its first year, the magazine now has a cover price, which Charbonneau hopes will provide a financial buffer should demand from advertisers ever soften.
In an interview, Charbonneau explains why she’s tentatively optimistic about print media, her plans for Broccoli, and her hopes for the cannabis industry as a whole.
Q. How do you describe Broccoli, and how has the magazine evolved since it launched in 2017?
A. It’s pretty much the same as when we started. We wanted to make a magazine that touches on all the creatives sides of cannabis — art, culture, fashion — and tells stories that are about cannabis or cannabis adjacent.
We have shifted from saying it’s a magazine for women. Our team is still all women, and we work with mostly women or non-binary contributors, but anybody can like [the magazine]. Sometimes the people who need to see these perspectives the most are the ones who fall outside that realm. I like when we have male readers, because then I know they are consuming content made by interesting women! And so we’ve tried to be more open about saying who the magazine is for.
“There are a lot of women who are turning to cannabis for all the mysterious things that happen when you have a uterus.”
Q. What are some stories you’ve run that you’re really proud of or excited about?
A. The most popular story from our fourth issue was about what we know and don’t know about cannabis and reproductive health. There are a lot of women who are turning to cannabis for all the mysterious things that happen when you have a uterus. The article was followed by four mini personal essays written by women who use weed for health reasons. There was a funny one from a mom whose doctor recommended she try weed during her pregnancy. She was super Christian and very scandalized by it. [The doctor] said, “Do you want to keep this baby?” Because she had such bad nausea. People really responded to the personal stories, but I’m glad we balanced it with, “Where are we scientifically?” One of the interesting things about weed is that we don’t have a lot of science around it. [Editor’s note: Cannabis is still classified as a Schedule 1 drug, which makes it difficult for researchers to study.]
For the third issue, the most popular story was a profile on these amazing nail artists, these two sisters called Lady Fancy Nails. A photographer pitched it to us. It featured close up shots of this amazing nail art, which had a 420 theme. People loved the nails.
Q. What trends are you watching in the cannabis space?
A. I am interested in initiatives that are focused on equitable lawmaking at the start of the legal innovation process. Every time a new state legalizes, it’s an opportunity for the rules to be set up in a fair way, so people without the same resources as the rich white guys can…
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