072 Cannabis Careers, Copywriting, and Using Your Voice to Make Change with Author Andrew Ward

“You have companies talking about social equity and needing to create restorative justice, things like that, the real question is, how many of them are actually going to put it into action afterwards?” - Andrew Ward

Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Andrew Ward, cannabis author, writer, and freelancer, to talk about the different aspects of recognizing opportunities in the cannabis sphere, embracing and utilizing the diversity of it, delving into the realities of political impact, and the significance of small communities in giving an impact to the advocacy through intentionality. 

[00:01 – 04:40] Shayda shares the upcoming exciting conferences

[04:41– 11:38] Andrew’s Story on Cannabis Writing for Publications and Branding

[11:39 – 20:37] Recognizing Opportunities and Diversities in the Cannabis Industry

[20:38 – 29:16] Politics and Processes on Legalization and Licenses

[29:17 – 44:44] Utilizing the Media: Giving Voices to the Victims of the War on Drugs

[44:45 – 59:11] Recognizing Parameters to Demystify Marketing Plans

[59:12 – 01:02:31] Food for Thought: How do you share your advocacy with intentionality?

Andrew Ward is a Brooklyn-based cannabis writer, boasting over 500 original bylines and two published books. The author of Cannabis Jobs (2019) and The Art of Marijuana Etiquette (2021), Andrew regularly writes for High Times, Insider and Benzinga, as well as cannabis brands. He's now launching a new podcast, Canna Say Something, and other media endeavors in a bid to branch out.

Connect with Andrew 

Visit https://linktr.ee/thecannawriter and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @thecannawriter

Shayda Torabi has been called one of the most influential Women in WordPress and now she’s one of the women leading the cannabis reformation conversation building one of Texas’ premier CBD brands. She's currently the CEO and Co-Founder of RESTART CBD, a female-run education first CBD wellness brand. And has formerly held marketing positions at WP Engine and WebDevStudios. Shayda is the host of a podcast for cannabis marketers called To Be Blunt, where she interviews top cannabis brands on their most successful marketing initiatives. When Shayda's not building her cannabiz in Texas, you can find her on the road exploring the best hikes and spots for vegan ice cream. Follow Shayda at @theshaydatorabi

Key Quotes:

“You know brands that have been acquired over the years do a lot of the companies that thought they were going to make it as the top media brands have kind of crumbled really quickly underneath of it, could it be gone the next year or they're now struggling to come back. So it's kind of a weird varying market in a lot of ways but there are definitely opportunities.” - Andrew Ward

“There's so many companies and I think that people need to realize that there's so many different pathways into the industry.” - Andrew Ward

“I'm like, yeah, that's [legalization] just not how things work. It's about politics. And it's about the process. And sometimes, that has a much bigger undertaking to get things to move, maybe in a direction that you want it to move.” -  Shayda Torabi

“We always think about the big scene and how we can make a big impact. But making a big impact happens on a small level.” - Andrew Ward 

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