What was your first job as a journalist?
My first job was my personal blog, wellsuitedforlife.com, many of my blog posts were updated to become my first published articles.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, I have also hand written letters and I even remember how to write in cursive (mostly).
How is social media changing news?
Now 280 characters on Twitter can be called "news" and be released to the world without any source verification or oversight.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To report ethically and without bias, in an era of propaganda pundits and spin-doctors serving the almighty dollar instead of truth.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
My cunning wit and sometimes my Canon Rebel camera.
Why did you become a journalist?
If you don't study or teach at a university, being a journalist is pretty much the only way to get research published and it was my way in.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Probably the series I worked on with Angela Bacca profiling the Trump administration's ties to the cannabis industry (in my portfolio).
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Most professional journalists make mistakes, do not be afraid to make mistakes or fail, we all screw up sometimes, even editors.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime, but I work full-time as a cannabis consultant, so sometimes it takes me a bit to get back to emails.
What's your favorite drink?
My favorite drink is a Dark and Stormy, augmented by my homemade coffee/chocolate Laphroaig-based bitters and velvet falernum.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Hiking, running, or doing other active things in nature. I also go to a lot of cannabis industry events and volunteer at a cat adoption cafe.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New York Times, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Wired, National Geographic...I like to read a mix of things.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Quick List of Peeves: (1) There is only one CBD, not CBDs, (2) Charlotte's Web is just one strain of CBD-rich cannabis, not the only one.
