My first introduction to Brooke Burgstahler was through World of Weed News on Instagram, which she develops, produces, and hosts. Her clever, quick news stories draw you in and leave you wanting more. When we met over Zoom for this interview, her warm smile and infectious laugh immediately put me at ease. While humor often doesn’t come through in transcripts, Burgstahler is damn funny. I found myself lingering over inconsequential questions, reluctant to end our conversation.
Her entry into the cannabis space grew from her love of acting. Burgstahler earned her Bachelor of Arts in Theater from the University of Miami, Florida. She’s acted in Mad Men, Speak for the Dead, Greatest Party Story Ever, and Black-ish, to name a few. But her foray into cannabis started with a position at Snoop Dogg’s media company Merry Jane. She wrote and co-produced Merry Jane’s 2018 mini series Prisoners of Prohibition, documenting the struggles of incarcerated individuals serving long sentences for nonviolent cannabis-related crimes. The series won a Gold Telly for excellence in video and television. Her second degree from the University of Miami, a Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism, likely played a part in the series’ success.
While Burgstahler continues to act, produce, and host her heart out, she’s also launching Budding Mind. The online wellness platform offers educational content around plant medicine, alternative healing, spirituality, and science. As a 500-hour certified yoga instructor,
