A curation of cannabis news, cultural shifts, and product trends from one of the first Weed Writers.
Hi! I’m Lauren. When I started writing about cannabis in 2014, I used a pseudonym for fear of losing my day job. Oregon legalized cannabis later that year, and I dove all in—real name and all.
Over the past 11 years, I have worked in dispensaries, on farms, and for major cannabis companies while reporting on the evolution of cannabis culture for local and international outlets. I also wrote the first national travel guide to the legal cannabis scene.
This newsletter began in 2020 as The Broccoli Report, a bi-weekly digest of cannabis news and trends for creative cannabis entrepreneurs. What is a “creative cannabis entrepreneur,” you ask? It includes people seeking to do business in atypical, more ethical ways, people coming to the business world from decidedly non-business backgrounds, and people who appreciate their news delivered with a little style. A ‘lil poetic, THC-infused panache.
Sticky Bits (born 2024) is an independent evolution. This newsletter is no longer directly tied to Broccoli Publishing (although still very close friends!) and is no longer bi-weekly. Its goal remains the same: Curate and analyze the most interesting cannabis news, industry insights, and consumer trends for any cannabis-curious entrepreneur to learn from.
The asterisk here is that this newsletter is not exhaustive. It does not recap ALL cannabis news and trends. Just the Stickiest Bits, from my subjective perspective as an industry veteran who believes in the disruptive potential of this plant—medically and economically, who’s personally trimmed and smoked hundreds of pounds, and who feels strongly about the integrity of heritage cannabis growers and the innate exploitation that comes with mega-scale farms.
Sticky Bits offers weekly-ish dispatches:
A free curated compilation of cannabis news items—updates on equity efforts and legislative shifts, interesting brand launches and product innovations, events, and funding opportunities, plus shoutouts to up-and-comers—along with thoughts on why they matter.
Paid subscribers get a special edition diving deeper into a particular issue, trend, or interview from a perspective pertinent to what’s happening in the cannabis realm right now. Some past paid dispatches:
• The Hemp THC Fallacy - Breaking down the lack of difference between hemp & cannabis.
• Is Weed Making Us Crazy? A doctor explains the wave of cannabis psychosis.
• The Silent Trend - What’s missing for our oldest & largest growing demo.• Weed Ads That Work - How Rose LA & Mesobis market on Meta.
Subscribers make Sticky Bits possible—proudly ad and affiliate-free!—so if you enjoy reading, consider subscribing.
Comments from real paid subscribers:
“I’ve gained a lot of insight not only on industry happenings, but introductions and visibility on the real folks behind the brands, experiences, and more. It’s hard for me to trust sources in the space, but I know with Lauren she’s not only advocating for folks, but she’s providing them with a platform, too.”
“Lauren is an industry veteran that has worked tirelessly to advocate for women in cannabis. Plus she's a great writer with tons of knowledge. Love her."
"You've been in the dirt, you've been in the weeds, you've got the industry experience I want to learn from. Also, you're a good writer! "
"I appreciate your quick, yet informative takes. And efforts to build community in an industry that is already hard enough! "
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About Lauren Yoshiko
When Oregon legalized adult-use cannabis in 2014, Lauren wrote some of the first articles about the industry. She’s since grown cannabis on a Southern Oregon medical farm, helped open a themed dispensary in Portland, worked as a copywriter for cannabis brands like Miss Grass, Rose Los Angeles, and Sundae School, and reported on the commercial and cultural happenings in the industry for outlets like Thrillist, Forbes, Rolling Stone, and Conde Nast. She is the author of Green Scenes: A Guide to Legal Cannabis Destinations Across the US.
