Welcome To 4th Wave Weed

The end of an era & what comes next.

Sunday, May 18, 2025
Time to read: About 8 minutes. Contains 1,890 words.

It started back in October 2024, when Broccoli magazine published its final issue. The first inkling that a greater shift in the cannabis scene was upon us.

Change is a constant in this industry, of course. But the recent closures of Sackville & Co. and Canadian retail chain Superette—two brands I considered, along with Broccoli, tastemaking leaders in New Weed—felt more meaningful than the usual turnover. Coupled with disappointing sales (and media coverage) of a first-of-its-kind guide to legal cannabis destinations, I’ve been struck with a creeping suspicion that we’ve reached the end of an era. After bouncing this idea around with colleagues and ChatGPT, I think it’s fair to say we’re witnessing the end of third-wave weed and moving into new territory.

Today’s newsletter explores that thesis, defining third-wave weed and attempting to capture what defines this fourth wave unfolding right now, with the help of commentary from Anja Charbonneau, Broccoli’s founder. This is all subjective, for sure, and undeniably rooted in nostalgia for the chapter of cannabis culture that gave me a platform and career. But it’s not that I think the game is collapsing or that all of the cool things are done. I think a significant chapter in the story of cannabis has closed, and I want to understand those implications. I’m curious what we can learn from it, what lies ahead, and what we can bring with us into this new epoch.

Javier Trujillo, 1988 via Chrome & Lightning

---

The Waves of Weed

When I asked ChatGPT to apply the “wave” concept to cannabis, this was its analysis (followed by what it gets wrong):

First Wave: Prohibition; Underground Era (Pre-1990s)

Cannabis use was largely illegal and underground. Quality was inconsistent, with little information about strains or effects. Informal distribution through friends and underground dealers. Highly stigmatized.

Human Check: Sure…if we’re exclusively talking about a more recent American lens. One could argue that the first wave of weed spans ancient times to the 1920s, when it becomes officially criminalized for the first time, following many generations of humans cultivating it, manufacturing with it, and consuming it across the globe.

Second Wave: Medical Legalization & Strain Branding (1990s–2010s)

Cannabis began to be legalized for medical use in certain states/countries. The rise of dispensaries and branding of strains like OG Kush, Sour Diesel, indicas, and sativas, etc.

An awareness of THC content and a proliferation of edibles and concentrates beyond familiar brownies and old-world hashish.

Human Check: I would argue that this erases the significance of the 1960s countercultural movement around cannabis. That surely factors into the 2nd wave in some way. It was still legal in that era, but culturally it was becoming more accepted, and people were familiarized with certain strains, seeking out Thai sticks and Acapulco Gold, etc.

Third Wave: Artisanal, Legal, and Lifestyle Integration (2010s–now)

Full adult-use legalization in many places. Craft cannabis emerges: terroir, small-batch growers, sun-grown vs. indoor, sustainability. Cannabis is increasingly seen as a wellness or lifestyle product, like wine or coffee. Detailed cannabinoid and terpene profiling becomes standard. Sleek packaging, designer brands, and experience-driven dispensaries. Birth of cannabis lounges and cannabis-infused fine dining. Acknowledgement of social equity and pushes for restorative justice.

For the most part, I think the Third Wave analysis is pretty solid. I’d add that Third Wave is also marked by cannabis getting the traditional consumer packaged good treatment, with multidimensional brand identities speaking to neglected corners of the cannabis community for the first time. It’s also defined by a boom in indie cannabis-centric publications like Broccoli, Gossamer, Dope Magazine, Emerald Magazine, among many others, as well as a boom in mainstream coverage going beyond the usual reporting on policy and illegal busts.

I think the timestamp of “2010s to now” is a bit of a stretch, though. I’d place the start more around 2015–2024, peaking in 2019-2020, at least culturally. California adult use was kicking into gear at that time, the first big celebrity brands launching, and events like Broccoli’s In Bloom captured the multidisciplinary energy swirling in the cannabis scene.

“Our little era was special,” recalls Broccoli’s founder, Charbonneau, who’s since broadened Broccoli into a “publisher of unusual delights”. “I like to think of it as being led by creativity, using artistic expression in all forms to help people understand and accept the beauty of the plant.”

2019 was peak for Broccoli, too—a time when the magazine was growing and expanding its reach, advertisers had amazing budgets, “social media was fun, and all of the traditional media outlets were publishing cannabis pieces.”

She also highlights how, despite the COVID-19 pandemic initially led to increased sales, increased magazine subscriptions, and more Broccoli Talk listeners, 2020 was when the dream of the Green Rush began to fade.

“Cannabis investors realized they weren’t going to see profitability in Oregon or California, so the cash flow into businesses quickly evaporated. We never had investors, but we did rely on advertisers who were funded by venture capital. CBD boomed for a bit, but brands and the media oversold it, so that industry quickly rose and fell, too,” says Charbonneau. “It was still a very powerful time for a growing community, but businesses started to struggle behind the scenes.”

The Beginning Of The End

In 2023, Broccoli’s Instagram saw its first flags, and Charbonneau saw the writing on the wall.

“This was also when I started thinking about ending the magazine. I could feel the era coming to a close, and I wanted to end on a high note where we could feel proud and accomplished, but not drag it out too long.”

2023 was the year I lost my cannabis editor role at Thrillist during their acquisition, but then also gained a book deal. At the time, all signs pointed to success: cannabis cookbooks and growing guides performed well. No one had yet written a guide to the new world of weed-infused wellness classes, fine culinary experiences, and cool dispensaries that went above and beyond. The publisher—Hardie Grant, out of Australia— was confident. Based on my conversations with fellow authors like Mennlay Aggrey, who still sees chunks of royalties roll in from her 2018 book, The Art Of Weed Butter, I was too. When publication day came in March 2024, everything felt good. Over a thousand books sold during the presale period. Then, when I checked in at the end of the year, hopeful I’d see my first royalties check in time for Christmas, I received a reality check instead.

Only around 100 books had been sold from March to December 2024. Today, I have yet to see any royalties.

I believe that if the book was published in 2019, it would’ve been a different game. There would’ve been more press, more stockists, more hubbub. I barely got any writeups at all. It didn’t make it in one 4/20 gift guide— but there were barely any 4/20 gift guides, period, last year. Same goes for this year. This is as much to do with cannabis being old news as it does the media as a whole taking a massive hit in recent years. An estimated 35,000 media jobs have been eliminated between 2023 and early 2025. Combine that contracted media landscape with an equally transformed social media environment, and it’s safe to say all CPG businesses are navigating a new era.

“In 2018, posting a good thematic photo once a day on Instagram was enough to grow a massive audience,” says Charbonneau. “Now, brands have to experiment so much more, and what audiences want from brands keeps changing, too. Five years after the pandemic started, I’m only recently starting to see IRL events truly return.”

A New, Nano-Tech Dawn

When I asked Chat GPT about whether it agreed that the third wave is in the rear view mirror, it did posit that we are on the cusp of a new era. But its description of this fourth wave is severely lacking/just odd:

Fourth Wave: Possibly Emerging

Potential markers include:

• Nanotech, fast-acting edibles, and custom blends tailored to mood or body chemistry.

• Mainstream normalization: Major pharmaceutical and wellness players entering the space.

• Psychedelics integration: Cannabis seen alongside psilocybin and other psychoactives in a broader “plant medicine” conversation.

• Hyper-personalization: AI-driven suggestions, DNA-based strain matching, etc.

Broader plant medicine phenomenon, sure. More pharmaceutical companies trying to get into the weed game, probably. But who tf is “strain matching” by DNA?

I agree that nano tech—a molecular breakthrough that allows for consistent, truly fast-acting edibles that bypass the usual digestive process—is a game-changing element that is only now becoming more broadly available. This tech is a huge part of the THC beverage boom, and unlocks the viability of THC drinks existing alongside traditional alcohol at bars and restaurants. You don’t have to wait two hours to feel the effects anymore—they’ll hit before the main course hits the table.

Hemp-derived THC is a massive element in this fourth wave, allowing for cannabis products of all forms to fly across state lines and land in mailboxes, regardless of federal policy. Through these Farm Bill-enabled products, THC beverages are literally sold alongside alcohol at liquor stores in certain states. I think another more recent side effect of the hemp-derived trend is the rise in low-dose edibles—a massive unlock for people who are interested in cannabis but don’t enjoy smoking/getting too high. The average dispensary doesn’t have anything available under 5 mg. A big part of this fourth wave, from where I’m standing, is a broader, better spectrum of dose options for people of all THC tolerances.

While media coverage has seemingly regressed, the other side of that coin is the massive blank space that endures for cannabis storytelling in all forms, from writers of all backgrounds. Many more people will be able to find their niche like I did and get their foot in the editorial door earlier than expected simply because of a passionate perspective on this still misunderstood plant.

---

Although one chapter is closing, this new chapter holds plenty to get excited about. There are still beautiful, interesting brands and thoughtful events. More people are casually growing cannabis at home like a tomato patch, and more medical research opens up the possibilities every year. There may be more censorship online, but it's pushed people to find creative, hilarious *gardening* solutions. I don’t think federal legalization is on the horizon yet, but maybe, just maybe, this fourth wave will finally bring about access to financial services for cannabis/hemp businesses. Charbonneau, for one, sees a bright future for this plant with ancient roots.

“While many of us who were part of this moment have left the space, there are tons of people who are still finding success and growing their projects, and that’s so cool to see. The people who can act as a bridge between what was and what’s next are important, and there are benefits to eras ending. It creates space for something new.” ✤