Broccoli Talk

As Broccoli Talk wraps, Mennlay and Lauren ask a big question: Where does weed go from here? In this episode, they imagine the future of cannabis—whether federal legalization is on the horizon, how the plant could improve reproductive care, and if psychedelics will be the next green wave. Then they celebrate the end of the podcast by sharing their wildest weedy fantasies for the world to come.

Yardy World is an island for food and beverage born from queer, Black, Caribbean dreams. In this episode, founder DeVonn Francis opens up to Mennlay about his complex relationship with weed, delves into the plant's culinary and cultural connections, and invites us into his surreal dream dining experience. Hosts: Lauren Yoshiko  + Mennlay Golokeh Aggrey Guest:  DeVonn Francis, founder of Yardy World Editing: Jay Nathan Music: Giselle Garcia Graphic design: Citron Studio Image: Courtesy of Yardy World Subscribe to Broccoli Magazine: Broccoli Magazine Enter our digital Broccoli garden: @broccoli_mag Listen on: Spotify | Apple / iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher | Overcast

What’s happening down on the farm? In this episode, Lauren and Nathan Cozzolino from Rose Los Angeles discuss what’s happening now in today’s saturated California market. Small growers are in peril, but consumers can help these outdoor farms survive—one (or two) tasty edibles at a time.

Discovering how cannabis fits in your life is an ever-evolving process. Dierdre Wallace, licensed marriage and family therapist, discusses cannabis and mental health with Mennlay and shares the ways her life shifted her perspective on weed. She also offers practical tips on tolerance breaks and navigating relationship challenges and opportunities sparked by the plant.

Studio Linear founder Andrea Beaulieu chats with Mennlay about trends in cannabis design, including what’s next and what’s done, the unexpected power of drawing on a childlike sense of wonder when it comes to creating decidedly grown-up branding, and how living off-grid in northern Maine sparked a big green shift for her company. Presented in partnership with Studio Linear.

Move over, cotton—hemp is the fabric of our lives. Lauren talks with Jono Salfield and Declan Wise, co-founders of Australian street/surf/skatewear brand AFENDS, about their new farm’s first hemp harvest, essential Aussie bong etiquette, an imaginary hemp airplane, very real hemp swimsuits, and the magic of weedy collaborations—including the Broccoli x AFENDS collection.

If bogeyman fears of bad brownies still shadow your dreams of edible bliss, take heart. In this episode, Lauren and Mennlay sing the praises of their favorite low-dose treats and share ideas for inspired infused meals and vibey fantasy dinner parties. They also dig into intersections between race and food that spill into cannabis cuisine.

In this episode, Shonitria Anthony of the Blunt Blowin’ Mama podcast gets real with Lauren about quitting weed cold turkey during her first pregnancy and why she decided to embrace cannabis when she was expecting her second child, legal risks for moms using plant medicine, and what she’ll tell her kids when they start asking questions.

Broccoli Talk-ers from Liberia to L.A. lit up our first-ever listener hotline with burning questions, and Mennlay and Lauren have the answers from the practical—what kind of business should I start?—to the fanciful—dream smoke circle, dead or alive? And one listener shares a truly wild idea we hope will take over the weed world.

Monai Nailah McCullough is an Amsterdam-based horticulturalist who helps hapless houseplant hoarders tend their plant children. In this conversation, she and Mennlay chat about why she likes to blaze up before she takes care of plants, Amsterdam’s plant scene, the value of ancestral knowledge, and a fiasco involving a fiddle-leaf fig.

Contrary to what the CBD lube companies might have you believe, cannabis and sex is not just about getting the so-called “best” orgasm of your life. In this episode, Mennlay and Lauren get spicy and cerebral, discussing the many ways that weed can help, hinder, and teach during sexual experiences.

Getting stoned and immersing yourself in a great film or television show is a classic weedy pleasure. In this episode, Lauren chats with director and filmmaker Alberta Poon about her love for cannabis, the importance of her creative community, and the special magic it takes to make a film come to life, especially in an industry still struggling with representation.. Grab your infused popcorn and cozy up for a captivating listen!

As another challenging year comes to a close, Lauren and Mennlay share the experiences, recommendations, and people who helped them get through it.

Are you a mushroom person? Mushroom People is a special single-edition magazine from the Broccoli team exploring the beguiling world of fungi. In this episode, Mennlay chats with Broccoli and Mushroom People editor Stephanie Madewell about how the magazine mixes mushroom fact and fantasy, collecting specimens of all kinds: the strange and familiar, beautiful and ugly, toxic and healing, ephemeral and enduring.

Routine can be a comfort, securely rooting us in our own little corners of the world, but when those daily patterns get too cozily tight, they can act as a fetter, holding us back from new experiences. In this episode, Mennlay and Lauren talk about how weed can be both a helper and a hindrance when it comes to managing the day-to-day rhythms of life, work, and travel.

Broccoli's newest project is a photography book collecting images from over 25 artists around the world, each revealing different facets of the cannabis plant's unexpected beauty. In this conversation, Anja Charbonneau, Broccoli's creative director and editor in chief, talks with Lauren about how this book came to be, the therapeutic power of flowers, the sometimes fraught nature of beautifying weed, and how much room there still is for creative expression in the cannabis world.

Do you remember the first time you tried weed? Who were you with, and how did that person shape your experience? In today’s episode, Lauren and Mennlay discuss the broad concept of friendships and how these crucial relationships overlap into the weedier parts of our lives. While cannabis may be a bonding agent in some friendships, it can cause others to splinter. From highschool stories of becoming the “bad kid” who smokes to establishing new connections in our 30’s, we hope today’s episode makes you think fondly about your pals.

Cannabis is often praised for its power of connectivity, whether it’s the simple act of bonding over a joint or consuming the plant to become in tune with your physical body. But what about connecting us to something bigger, something more unknown? In this episode, Mennlay and Lauren discuss the intersection of cannabis and spirituality, tapping into their personal memories and formative experiences surrounding religion, rituals, and shifting perspectives.

How can you turn a love for cannabis into a career? For Jamie Lea, founder of CBD and wellness brand Toastyy, it was a combination of fate and dedication. After being laid off from her corporate job at the start of the pandemic, Jamie seized the opportunity to turn an existing passion into a business, one that was all her own. In this episode, Mennlay and Jamie chat about the challenges and lessons learned from within the cannabis industry, and Jamie shares her personal journey from college athlete to solo-entrepreneur wellness queen. This conversation is a must-listen for budding entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to take the leap into the weed industry.

Despite ongoing legalization, the stigma associated with cannabis is still a major issue. Mothers who consume face a huge spectrum of risk, from snarky judgment to potentially losing access to their children in states where cannabis is not yet legal. Now, imagine being a mom who works in the weed industry; there’s a lot to navigate. In this episode, Lauren chats with Heather Larimer, the Chief Marketing Officer of 1906 (a low dose edibles brand) about life as a working weed mom.