Broccoli Talk

As Broccoli Talk wraps, Mennlay and Lauren ask a big question: Where does weed go from here? In this episode, they imagine the future of cannabis—whether federal legalization is on the horizon, how the plant could improve reproductive care, and if psychedelics will be the next green wave. Then they celebrate the end of the podcast by sharing their wildest weedy fantasies for the world to come.

Yardy World is an island for food and beverage born from queer, Black, Caribbean dreams. In this episode, founder DeVonn Francis opens up to Mennlay about his complex relationship with weed, delves into the plant's culinary and cultural connections, and invites us into his surreal dream dining experience. Hosts: Lauren Yoshiko + Mennlay Golokeh Aggrey Guest: DeVonn Francis, founder of Yardy World Editing: Jay Nathan Music: Giselle Garcia Graphic design: Citron Studio Image: Courtesy of Yardy World Subscribe to Broccoli Magazine: Broccoli Magazine Enter our digital Broccoli garden: @broccoli_mag Listen on: Spotify | Apple / iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher | Overcast

What's happening down on the farm? In this episode, Lauren and Nathan Cozzolino from Rose Los Angeles discuss what's happening now in today's saturated California market. Small growers are in peril, but consumers can help these outdoor farms survive—one (or two) tasty edibles at a time.

Discovering how cannabis fits in your life is an ever-evolving process. Dierdre Wallace, licensed marriage and family therapist, discusses cannabis and mental health with Mennlay and shares the ways her life shifted her perspective on weed. She also offers practical tips on tolerance breaks and navigating relationship challenges and opportunities sparked by the plant.

Studio Linear founder Andrea Beaulieu chats with Mennlay about trends in cannabis design, including what's next and what's done, the unexpected power of drawing on a childlike sense of wonder when it comes to creating decidedly grown-up branding, and how living off-grid in northern Maine sparked a big green shift for her company. Presented in partnership with Studio Linear.

Move over, cotton—hemp is the fabric of our lives. Lauren talks with Jono Salfield and Declan Wise, co-founders of Australian street/surf/skatewear brand AFENDS, about their new farm's first hemp harvest, essential Aussie bong etiquette, an imaginary hemp airplane, very real hemp swimsuits, and the magic of weedy collaborations—including the Broccoli x AFENDS collection.

If bogeyman fears of bad brownies still shadow your dreams of edible bliss, take heart. In this episode, Lauren and Mennlay sing the praises of their favorite low-dose treats and share ideas for inspired infused meals and vibey fantasy dinner parties. They also dig into intersections between race and food that spill into cannabis cuisine.

In this episode, Shonitria Anthony of the Blunt Blowin' Mama podcast gets real with Lauren about quitting weed cold turkey during her first pregnancy and why she decided to embrace cannabis when she was expecting her second child, legal risks for moms using plant medicine, and what she'll tell her kids when they start asking questions.

Broccoli Talk-ers from Liberia to L.A. lit up our first-ever listener hotline with burning questions, and Mennlay and Lauren have the answers from the practical—what kind of business should I start?—to the fanciful—dream smoke circle, dead or alive? And one listener shares a truly wild idea we hope will take over the weed world.

Monai Nailah McCullough is an Amsterdam-based horticulturalist who helps hapless houseplant hoarders tend their plant children. In this conversation, she and Mennlay chat about why she likes to blaze up before she takes care of plants, Amsterdam's plant scene, the value of ancestral knowledge, and a fiasco involving a fiddle-leaf fig.

Contrary to what the CBD lube companies might have you believe, cannabis and sex is not just about getting the so-called “best” orgasm of your life. In this episode, Mennlay and Lauren get spicy and cerebral, discussing the many ways that weed can help, hinder, and teach during sexual experiences.

Getting stoned and immersing yourself in a great film or television show is a classic weedy pleasure. In this episode, Lauren chats with director and filmmaker Alberta Poon about her love for cannabis, the importance of her creative community, and the special magic it takes to make a film come to life, especially in an industry still struggling with representation.. Grab your infused popcorn and cozy up for a captivating listen!

As another challenging year comes to a close, Lauren and Mennlay share the experiences, recommendations, and people who helped them get through it.

Are you a mushroom person? Mushroom People is a special single-edition magazine from the Broccoli team exploring the beguiling world of fungi. In this episode, Mennlay chats with Broccoli and Mushroom People editor Stephanie Madewell about how the magazine mixes mushroom fact and fantasy, collecting specimens of all kinds: the strange and familiar, beautiful and ugly, toxic and healing, ephemeral and enduring.

Routine can be a comfort, securely rooting us in our own little corners of the world, but when those daily patterns get too cozily tight, they can act as a fetter, holding us back from new experiences. In this episode, Mennlay and Lauren talk about how weed can be both a helper and a hindrance when it comes to managing the day-to-day rhythms of life, work, and travel.

Broccoli's newest project is a photography book collecting images from over 25 artists around the world, each revealing different facets of the cannabis plant's unexpected beauty. In this conversation, Anja Charbonneau, Broccoli's creative director and editor in chief, talks with Lauren about how this book came to be, the therapeutic power of flowers, the sometimes fraught nature of beautifying weed, and how much room there still is for creative expression in the cannabis world.

Do you remember the first time you tried weed? Who were you with, and how did that person shape your experience? In today's episode, Lauren and Mennlay discuss the broad concept of friendships and how these crucial relationships overlap into the weedier parts of our lives. While cannabis may be a bonding agent in some friendships, it can cause others to splinter. From highschool stories of becoming the “bad kid” who smokes to establishing new connections in our 30's, we hope today's episode makes you think fondly about your pals.

Do you remember the first time you tried weed? Who were you with, and how did that person shape your experience? In today's episode, Lauren and Mennlay discuss the broad concept of friendships and how these crucial relationships overlap into the weedier parts of our lives. While cannabis may be a bonding agent in some friendships, it can cause others to splinter. From highschool stories of becoming the “bad kid” who smokes to establishing new connections in our 30's, we hope today's episode makes you think fondly about your pals.

Cannabis is often praised for its power of connectivity, whether it's the simple act of bonding over a joint or consuming the plant to become in tune with your physical body. But what about connecting us to something bigger, something more unknown? In this episode, Mennlay and Lauren discuss the intersection of cannabis and spirituality, tapping into their personal memories and formative experiences surrounding religion, rituals, and shifting perspectives.

How can you turn a love for cannabis into a career? For Jamie Lea, founder of CBD and wellness brand Toastyy, it was a combination of fate and dedication. After being laid off from her corporate job at the start of the pandemic, Jamie seized the opportunity to turn an existing passion into a business, one that was all her own. In this episode, Mennlay and Jamie chat about the challenges and lessons learned from within the cannabis industry, and Jamie shares her personal journey from college athlete to solo-entrepreneur wellness queen. This conversation is a must-listen for budding entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to take the leap into the weed industry.

Despite ongoing legalization, the stigma associated with cannabis is still a major issue. Mothers who consume face a huge spectrum of risk, from snarky judgment to potentially losing access to their children in states where cannabis is not yet legal. Now, imagine being a mom who works in the weed industry; there's a lot to navigate. In this episode, Lauren chats with Heather Larimer, the Chief Marketing Officer of 1906 (a low dose edibles brand) about life as a working weed mom.

Cannabis encourages personal expression, but how does it reflect the relationship between our inner and outer selves? In this episode, Mennlay and Lauren reflect on the ways that their connection to their bodies, personal style, and self-care rituals have evolved over this challenging past year.

In a rapidly legalizing country, releasing folks incarcerated for nonviolent cannabis offenses sounds like an easy social justice win—so why can’t we make it happen? In this episode, Broccoli science editor Zoe Sigman explains that despite the numbers thrown around by the media, we don’t actually know how many people are serving time for cannabis, an essential detail for any wide-ranging reform. Fixing this data-based challenge so that folks can be free is igniting the next phase of Zoe’s advocacy career. She shares thoughts on possible fixes, as well as stories about her activist work, from nearly being arrested by the FBI during Occupy to trimming weed and starting a meditation program for inmates.

In the age of social media, what does it mean to be a weed person online? In this episode, Mennlay and Lauren discuss how they express their relationships to cannabis in digital spaces, both personally and professionally. Overcoming the stigma of cannabis use is often the first hurdle: even if you’re comfortable being associated with weed, and even if cannabis is legal where you live, platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok are waging their own war on drugs through their opaque, and often random, content moderation policies. Log on with us as we try to unpack the relationship between stigma, legality and creative expression in cyber weed.

Cannabis has deep roots in India across social, spiritual, and geographical spheres. In this episode, Mennlay speaks with Yogi Maharaj, founder of Luv Kush Co, dedicated to creating a community platform for Desi weed lovers. Yogi shares the origin story of how Hindu deities created bhang—the original cannabis edible—and teaches us about early weed cultivation in India and how the past connects to our present in fascinating, crucial ways. In this conversation, Yogi Maharaj, founder of Luv Kush Co, takes Mennlay deep into the history of cannabis in India, from the divine origin story of bhang to how the impacts of regulations imposed by British occupiers echo through the farmer protests happening right now. She shares personal anecdotes and a fun face mask recipe, too.

This episode is all about The Broccoli Report, a twice-weekly newsletter offering cannabis industry insight and analysis, written by our own co-host Lauren Yoshiko! Mennlay chats with Lauren about how the project got started, why creative cannabis entrepreneurs deserve their own outlet for news, and how The Broccoli Report can help empower business owners and weed enthusiasts alike.

This year was a rough one, so aside from weed, how did we get through it? In this episode, Lauren and Mennlay share some of their favorite cultural and media moments from the year that spoke to them, with an emphasis on film, television, music and podcasts. Tune in to our last episode of the year for some impactful and fun recommendations.

Legalization brings the act of buying cannabis out into the open—this means no more secret meetings in your dealer’s basement. In legal markets, there’s a big opportunity to make the retail experience special for everyone, regardless of whether you’re a first-timer or a long term weed lover. In this episode, Lauren chats with Drummond Munro, cofounder of Superette, about how their stores pull inspiration from classic neighborhood establishments to make buying weed comfortable and fun. This episode is presented in partnership with Superette, your neighborhood high variety shop.

Consuming cannabis isn’t new, but weed brands are still quite fresh—talk about an exciting playing field for designers to explore. In this episode, Mennlay chats with Dani Hall, cofounder of design studio DOB, who worked alongside Superette’s team to create their playful, happy vibes. Dani shares some of her favorite inspirations, her theories on working with color, and her appreciation for working with a team who isn’t afraid to dream big. This episode is presented in partnership with Superette, your neighborhood high variety shop.

What does it take to launch a CBD brand from Mexico City? Over the course of our show, Broccoli Talk listeners have heard snippets of conversation about Xula, a CBD brand co-founded by Mennlay Golokeh Aggrey (our very own co-host!) and Karina Primelles. As Xula prepares to officially launch their first collection of products, Mennlay chats with Lauren about the journey so far, discussing the legislative and the creative challenges that come up when creating a “borderless” brand.

In North America, Canada is leading the way with federal cannabis legalization. Progessive laws are just the first step, though—creating an equitable system for Black and Indigenous communities harmed by cannabis prohibition will require deeper work. In this episode, Lauren speaks with Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, the director of research at the Campaign for Cannabis Amnesty, about what’s being done in Canada to improve the fairness of their legal cannabis framework. This episode is presented in partnership with Superette, your neighborhood high variety shop.

Cannabis can connect us in surprising ways, bonding friends, partners, colleagues, and even strangers. In today’s episode, Mennlay chats with Paige Greene, director of marketing at Superette, about her favorite weed memories and how they intersect with her identity as a mother, a professional, a friend, and a partner. This episode is presented in partnership with Superette, your neighborhood high variety shop.

If you’ve ever tried a CBD tincture or eaten a professionally made edible, you owe a hearty thanks to a scientist. So what is it like in the weed lab? On today’s episode, Lauren chats with Alisia Ratliff, technical director of Avient Biosciences and founder of Victus Capital Ventures. Alisia talks about her journey to finding cannabis, and how that led to her work building cannabis and hemp extraction facilities. She also gets real about what it’s like to be the only woman of color in the lab and in the investor’s circle.

Cultural appropriation is rampant in the weed world, from so-called “white lions” (white people wearing dreadlocks) to brands who put on another culture’s face to sell their products. Cannabis has roots across many continents, but in our modern era of legal weed, there are new layers of commercialization and commodification to consider. In this episode, Lauren and Mennlay share their experiences and offer advice to weed brands and weed lovers who want to understand the line between appreciation and appropriation.

Spark up a joint, make yourself a snack, and join us as we process the experience of summer 2020.

Cannabis and nail polish might not appear to have much in common, but for Janine Lee, the meditative experience of creating art on her fingertips after a of couple puffs was an inspiration. It’s part of what drove her to co-found Floss Gloss, a beauty brand with a massive cult following. In this episode, Lauren interviews Janine about the the stoner femme experience and her professional path, from starting her first business to stepping into the CBD scene.

Plants can change your life in unexpected ways—and that goes beyond weed. In this episode, Mennlay and Lauren recollect memorable plant encounters (including an unfortunate incident with a cactus, a mom's dusty pothos, and high school horticulture classes) that created surprising opportunities for rebellion and awareness. Mennlay shares tips for growing our favorite plant on a home windowsill, and both hosts take a moment to offer perspectives on anti-racist protests.

Plants can change your life in unexpected ways—and that goes beyond weed. In this episode, Mennlay and Lauren recollect memorable plant encounters (including an unfortunate incident with a cactus, a mom’s dusty pothos, and high school horticulture classes) that created surprising opportunities for rebellion and awareness. Mennlay shares tips for growing our favorite plant on a home windowsill, and both hosts take a moment to offer perspectives on anti-racist protests.

From growing up in an anti-weed environment to running a successful CBD business, Alexis Rosenbaum has experienced the full spectrum of cannabis perspectives. In this episode, Mennlay chats with Alexis, the founder of Rosebud CBD, about her journey to discovering cannabis and the value of embracing the whole plant, from THC to CBD and everything in between.

Calling all former nerds, weirdos and rebels: we’re going back to high school. In this episode, Lauren and Mennlay share teenage memories and early perceptions of cannabis, while also sharing recommendations for nostalgic comfort in the form of all-time favorite films, food, music and books.

Many weed businesses tout their sustainability and social justice initiatives, but what does it take to walk the talk? In this episode, Lauren speaks with Imelda Walavalkar, Pure Beauty cofounder and CEO, on growing an ethical weed business. Imelda discusses her love for mind expansion, outlines eco friendly cannabis cultivation practices, and clues us in on her favorite ways to support social justice causes. She also shares her thoughts on how to stay true to a creative vision in a tumultuous industry.

Many weed businesses tout their sustainability and social justice initiatives, but what does it take to walk the talk? In this episode, Lauren speaks with Imelda Walavalkar, Pure Beauty cofounder and CEO, on growing an ethical weed business. Imelda discusses her love for mind expansion, outlines eco friendly cannabis cultivation practices, and clues us in on her favorite ways to support social justice causes. She also shares her thoughts on how to stay true to a creative vision in a tumultuous industry.

Who are you during quarantine? In this episode, Lauren and Mennlay share their COVID-19 quarantine confessions: from relationship woes and cooking experiments to long-lost hobbies and DIY weed edibles.

We’re living through a pandemic and everything is changing around us, including the way we consider cannabis. Consumers are stockpiling weed. Shop owners are fighting to keep dispensaries open as “essential” businesses, so that people don’t lose access to cannabis. Activists are pushing for the release of incarcerated folks doing time for weed, to slow the spread of the virus in prisons. In this episode, Mennlay and Lauren discuss the intersection of cannabis and COVID-19, while also processing personal emotions and sharing hopes for change in the future.

Working in the fast-growing U.S. cannabis industry may trigger fantasies of a “green rush” with easy money, endless opportunities, and joint-smoking breaks at lunch, but what is the reality? In this episode, Mennlay and Lauren share their experiences working in legal cannabis. In addition to covering perennial workplace basics such as how to stand out, what to put on a resume, and fantasy weed boss outfits, they also discuss the problems with outdated workplace drug testing.

In Japan, consuming weed is a secret, radical act—even talking about it is dangerous. But hemp was part of Japanese ceremonial traditions for centuries. What triggered the change? In this episode, Yumiko Sakuma, author of the Japanese-language book “Let’s Have a Serious Chat About Cannabis,” explains how US government involvement radically reshaped Japanese law and attitudes, and shares her experiences navigating the uncertain waters of Japanese cannabis culture.

What happens when the third partner in your relationship isn't a person—it's a plant? Lauren and Mennlay share their stories of the joys and complications of dating while using cannabis, and discuss their personal experiences surrounding weed and sex.

Fariha Róisín is a writer and multidisciplinary artist; she is the author of How to Cure a Ghost, Being In Your Body: A Journal for Self-Love and Body Positivity, and the upcoming novel Like A Bird. In this episode, Mennlay chats to Fariha about weed and psychedelics, ancestral connections, queerness, and proactive healing from trauma.

From grimy basements and sketchy meetups to polished retail spaces and discreet delivery services, buying and selling weed is an ever-expanding spectrum of experiences. In this episode, Mennlay and Lauren share their memories of buying and selling through the eras of cannabis legalization.

Beauty and cannabis have collided, with CBD infusing everything from mascara to bath bombs. But can it really be good for your skin? Charlotte Palermino (cofounder of Nice Paper and upcoming skincare brand Dieux) gives us the dirt on CBD-based clinical trials, pricing transparency, packaging woes and real life effects for your face. Plus, we chat about New York’s complicated weed scene and Charlotte’s favorite snacks.

Broccoli Talk hosts Lauren and Mennlay share their cannabis highlights and lowlights from 2019, and discuss weed wishes for the coming year. On deck: CBD madness, the vape crisis, fake celebrity weed brands from Broccoli Issue 07, federal legalization, cannabis movie theaters and more.