Wisdom From The Women Leading The Cannabis Industry, With Author Jordana Wright of Cannabis for Creatives
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
While researching and writing this book I realized just how little we actually know about how cannabis affects the parts of our brain related to creative thinking. Scientific study has been hindered for decades because of prohibition. Recently there have been a few key changes in the way scientific studies can access cannabis samples for study. I’m really excited to see what new lessons we can learn once researchers have all the resources they need to make practical and actionable discoveries.
As a part of my series about strong women leaders in the cannabis industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jordana Wright of Cannabis for Creatives.
Jordana Wright is a photographer, writer, educator, and travel enthusiast with over 15 years of experience in the photography industry. She enjoys developing photography curriculum and working with aspiring photographers of all ages both in workshops and in the classroom. In addition to Cannabis for Creatives: How 32 Artists Enhance and Sustain Inspiration, Jordana is also the author of the book The Enthusiast’s Guide to Travel Photography. Her photographs and articles have appeared in a variety of publications and websites including the New York Times. Originally from New York City, she spent two nomadic decades exploring the United States before moving to the Cayo District of Belize, where she lives in the jungle with her husband and rescue pup, Holiday. For more information about her pursuits, visit JordanaWright.com or find her on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the “backstory” about what brought you to write a book about cannabis?
Like so many people who find their way to cannabis, I started experimenting with it back in high school. I discovered pot around the same time I really got into the arts, so cannabis and creativity have always been very interconnected for me. As an adult, I’ve always found a sense of focused inspiration after smoking and other artists I knew were having similar experiences. I decided I wanted to tell some of those creative stories and explore this whole other beneficial side of cannabis in a more formal way. Writing Cannabis for Creatives seemed like the perfect pursuit.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began writing the book? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Writing this book has forced me out of the cannabis closet in a real way! It’s impossible to tell people in your life that you’ve written a book like this without being open to talking about pot and its personal meaning. It’s been really interesting to tell people who have no idea that I smoke about the book. Some people have really surprised me by having their own cannabis stories to share.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I learned early on that while I’m fairly adept at my photography work and writing work after I’ve smoked, I’m not the best interviewer if I’m not totally clear minded. You would think that talking about being high benefits from being high… that’s not always the case! Someone has to steer the ship. After one somewhat rudderless interview early on I knew I needed to approach conversations with artists with a bit more clarity!
Do you have a funny story about how someone you knew reacted when they first heard you were writing this book?
I told one of my photography mentors about the book via email and waited nervously to get his response. He’s in his eighties and you never know how people will react to something that’s had so much negative press over the years. I should have known he would be cool because he’s one of the most affable people I know. He responded with a story about a time he over did it with pot, told me he wished he like getting high, then connected me with a couple of really great artists to interview.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
My career has been a snowballing series of small victories ushered in by a wonderful collection of friends, family, and cohorts. Success never happens in a vacuum. I’ve been really lucky with all of the support I’ve received for my photography and writing. That’s why my acknowledgements in my books are always so long! There are lots of people to thank!
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Now that the book is arriving in stores and online retailers, my focus is getting it into the hands of creatives who need it. There are so many valuable lessons to be gained from the talented artists I interviewed. I’d love to see more creative minded people navigating cannabis successfully for their art. Getting people to read the book is the first step!
Ok. Thank you for all that. Let’s now jump to the main core of our interview. Despite great progress that has been made we still have a lot more work to do to achieve gender parity in this industry. According to this report in Entrepreneur, less than 25 percent of cannabis businesses are run by women. In your opinion or experience, what 3 things can be done by a)individuals b)companies and/or c) society to support greater gender parity moving forward?
Gender is a significant divide in the cannabis industry, but there are other notable disparities as far as socio-economic level, ethnicity, and race too. I believe that more open social discussion and acceptance of cannabis is the first step toward reaching a more representative distribution in the industry. We need to reestablish what a cannabis enthusiast looks like in our collective consciousness. We need to normalize the idea that CEOs, physicians, teachers, attorneys, moms, and really anyone you can imagine, enjoys pot and can partake in a productive, responsible way. The more that women from all walks of life feel comfortable being open about their pot use, the more women will be able to step forward in positions of power in the industry.
Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the cannabis industry?
While researching and writing this book I realized just how little we actually know about how cannabis affects the parts of our brain related to creative thinking. Scientific study has been hindered for decades because of prohibition. Recently there have been a few key changes in the way scientific studies can access cannabis samples for study. I’m really excited to see what new lessons we can learn once researchers have all the resources they need to make practical and actionable discoveries.
Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?
When I lived in Colorado for a year, the most direct route to my dispensary took me past a massive prison complex. Every single time I went to pick up supplies I would reflect on how messed up it was that I was purchasing legally the same thing that put some of those prisoners behind those walls. Pardons and sentence commutations have been happening across the US for non-violent cannabis offenses, but it really bothers me that cannabis is a major industry in much of the country and people are still rotting away in jail. I would really love to see more opportunities created for people with past cannabis offenses. They were the original cannapreneurs. They basically built this industry and are being excluded from it in a real way.
What are your thoughts about federal legalization of cannabis? If you could speak to your Senator, what would be your most persuasive argument regarding why they should or should not pursue federal legalization?
Setting aside all of the false representations about cannabis and cannabis users that inspired cannabis prohibition in the first place, I think the financial aspects of federal legalization are a total no brainer. States that have legalized have generated needed funds for education and public works. When much of the US shut down for Covid concerns, dispensaries were considered essential businesses in most communities. If you want to stimulate the economy in a real way and generate much needed tax revenue for infrastructure projects, federal legalization is the best path forward.
Today, cigarettes are legal, but they are heavily regulated, highly taxed, and they are somewhat socially marginalized. Would you like cannabis to have a similar status to cigarettes or different? Can you explain?
I’m fine with the idea of a significant tax on recreational cannabis from dispensaries, but medical is another story. Medicine should be available tax free. Medical cannabis should also be expanded to include a larger range of conditions. My biggest concern with the idea of heavy regulation and taxation is that big companies like Philip Morris may start to monopolize the market and smaller, independently owned businesses will get forced out. Compliance is important, but there needs to be equity in the market for smaller companies to succeed. We don’t need Big Canna like we have Big Pharma.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” I’ve seen that quote attributed to a few different people, including Einstein. It’s always resonated with me because I tend to prefer the comfortable, safe route by default. I’m uncomfortable with the unknown. But I’ve learned that there’s no way to achieve all of your goals if you don’t take some risks. Fortunately, cannabis helps a bit with that fear of the unknown and doubt!
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would love to see a more established acceptance of cannabis for creative pursuits. We know cannabis has medical efficacy for a variety of uses. It would be really exciting to have some budding artists learn from the interviews in the book and start exploring their own creative uses of cannabis without fear of judgment.
Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you only continued success!
Wisdom From The Women Leading The Cannabis Industry, With Author Jordana Wright of Cannabis for… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.