Cannabis Corner – Part 2: 5 Cannabis Thought Leaders To Keep On Your Radar

February 2, 2017

Welcome back to Cannabis Corner, a weekly column on the No BS Blog where we examine trending topics within the cannabis industry. If you’ve missed some of our previous posts, start your reading here:

• The PR Problem With Power
• Election 2016 and the Thought Leadership Opportunity of the Century
• 4 Must-Read Outlets for Your Daily News Dose
• 5 Cannabis Thought Leaders to Keep On Your Radar

 
This is Part 2 of the Cannabis Corner’s top marijuana industry thought leaders worthy of a follow on Twitter (link to part 1 above). The below list of influencers provide an educated voice for the relatively new legal cannabis industry. So, sit back, relax, and hit that follow button on the following accounts:

Journalist/Activist: Tom Angell

Twitter: @tomangell

Tom Angell is the founder and chairman of Marijuana Majority, an organization that exists to help more people understand the simple fact that marijuana legalization and decriminalization are mainstream, majority-support positions. In addition to running Marijuana Majority, Tom serves as media relations director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, an organization of police, prosecutors, judges and other criminal justice professionals who have seen the harms of the “war on drugs” up close and are now pushing to replace failed prohibition polices with legalization, regulation and control of drugs. He also recently joined MassRoots as the company’s Senior Political Correspondent. If you’re looking for a “catch all” account to follow for cannabis related news – Tom’s your guy.

Journalist: Brooke Staggs

Twitter: @JournoBrooke

Brooke is a journalist covering cannabis for the Orange County Register, a daily newspaper published in Santa Ana, California, and is also a main contributor to the Cannifornian, a popular website dedicated to covering California’s legal cannabis industry. Brooke covers everything from breaking industry news to pieces that help you learn how to start your own cannabis grow at home. If you’re a Californian looking to keep up on your state’s cannabis related news, Brooke should be your go to.

Journalist: Bruce Barcott

Twitter: @BruceBarcott

 Bruce Barcott is deputy editor at Leafly, one of the web’s largest cannabis sites dedicated to news, reviews, dispensary listings, and more. Bruce is also a distinguished Guggenheim Fellow in nonfiction, and author of Weed the People: The Future of Legal Marijuana in America.  As deputy editor at Leafly, Bruce is at the forefront of breaking cannabis news and technology across the industry. Although he works for Leafly, the content on his Twitter is diverse and regularly touches on the legal aspects of cannabis. If you’re looking for an expert opinion on the daily news in cannabis – give Bruce a follow.

Journalist: David Downs

Twitter: @Davidrdowns

David Downs is the Cannabis Editor for the San Francisco Chronicle, and contributes stories to SFGate.com and the SFChronicle.com. David also develops new media products, services, and events in the cannabis space – so he’s very well versed in all aspects of the industry. He is one of the more well-known reporters in the space, covering everything from breaking legislative news to interviewing some of the most recognizable names in cannabis. David is pretty conversational on his account, so don’t be afraid to @ him if you’d like to dig a little deeper on a given topic.

Activist: Ngaio Bealum

Twitter: @Ngaio420

Ngaio is unlike any other person we’ve included on this list. Aside from being an activist on the front lines of the legalization battle, he’s also a comedian, musician, actor and author. He is well known for his some his film and television appearances, as well as for being a regular host of High Times events. He is also a frequent guest on the Getting Doug With High show, hosted by fellow comedian Doug Benson. Ngaio is one of my personal favorites to follow in the industry, as he doesn’t hold back any shots and is willing to insert his opinion into any and all major news driven conversations. His comedic background definitely comes out in his tweets, making him one of the more enjoyable people to follow on a day to day basis. For those looking for someone to follow who’s extremely knowledgeable, but won’t lose you in the weeds with legal speak, be sure to check out Ngaio’s page.

These are just a few of the many folks that we regularly monitor here at BPR to keep up on the ever-changing landscape that is the legal cannabis industry. Any of your favorites not on our list? Let us know in the comments!

-Dillon