Ricardo Baca

Ricardo Baca

Ricardo Baca is a contributing editor for The Cannabist. He was appointed The Denver Post's first marijuana editor in November 2013 and spearheaded the formation of The Cannabist, a division of the Post. Fortune magazine ranked Baca as one of the seven most powerful people in American cannabis while the Brookings Institution said he's one of 12 key people to watch in marijuana policy. Considered by Vice as 'the nation's most prestigious weed editor,' Baca is also the subject of the feature-length documentary 'Rolling Papers.' Baca also founded music blog Reverb and co-founded music festival The UMS.

Recent posts by Ricardo Baca

Willie Nelson is now hiring employees for his new weed company in Colorado

The country music legend’s cannabis business Willie’s Reserve is nearing its launch in Colorado — and the marijuana company is currently hiring for five positions.

Ohio will prescribe pot for PTSD: State’s full list of MMJ-qualifying conditions

What are the specific diseases, syndromes and ailments that qualify for medical marijuana in Ohio? Here’s the full list of MMJ-qualifying conditions.

Tourists visiting Colorado can now buy an ounce of weed

It’s official: Tourists visiting Colorado can now purchase a lot more marijuana than they ever could before. Here’s how much weed non-residents can now purchase.

A weed lollipop freaked out Nick Jonas and gave him an unintentional erection

Pop star Nick Jonas tells for the very first time a story about a marijuana edible that gave him a surprise erection at an inopportune time.

The ultimate weekend morning: Weed, yoga, friends and a champagne brunch

On Sunday I lived out the ultimate weekend morning: Cannabis, meditation, yoga and stretching, catch-up time with friends and an elegant champagne brunch. GET THE INSIDE STORY

Colorado pot shops have already sold $270 million of marijuana in 2016

In the first three months of 2016, Colorado pot shops sold more than $270 million of marijuana and related products, according to new state data.

Inside story on the accidental origins of Colorado cannabis giant LivWell

New Zealander John Lord never really wanted to sell pot. It just sort of worked out that way. Now, one of Denver’s early pioneers of commercial marijuana growing and sales is among the most influential in an industry that’s quickly topping $1 billion in annual revenues.

Former Subway franchisee becomes one of Denver’s top marijuana moguls

John Fritzel talks being a power player in a quartet of Colorado cannabis businesses

Native Roots’ Rhett Jordan: ‘No one believed in cannabis back then. I did.’

How could two misfit thirty-something Colorado kids have grown up to create Native Roots, one of the largest legal-marijuana empires in America?

Special Report: The behemoths of Denver’s marijuana industry

Vail’s largest commercial developer. An owner of a car-detail shop. A former nonprofit event planner. A businessman who made a fortune in child car seats.

Colorado marijuana industry pushes back against pesticides crackdown

The Colorado marijuana industry is stepping up its fight against the state’s efforts to regulate the application of pesticides on cannabis. A bill seeking to codify the governor’s executive order about unapproved pesticides died in a state Senate committee after passing the House.

Denver recalls Avicenna Products extracts sold by The Health Center

The city of Denver is recalling a batch of Avicenna Products extracts sold by The Health Center pot shops over the presence of banned pesticides.

Did Walgreens just flip the script on a pharmacy’s medical marijuana stance?

Medical marijuana is still a touchy topic for most in the medical profession. But pharmacy behemoth Walgreens just published a surprisingly sane and straightforward story on the subject that has some wondering if major medicine is starting to come around to the idea of cannabis as medicine.

Colorado recalls 9 varieties of pot grown by Bud Cellar in Denver

State marijuana regulators on Tuesday announced the recall of nine varieties of retail pot grown by Bud Cellar in Denver over concerns they were cultivated with a pesticide not approved for use on cannabis.

Happening May 21: Denver’s 420 Rally with Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne

The saga of the 2016 will go down in the massive smoke-out’s history as one of its strangest ever. Here’s the scoop on the Denver 420 Rally’s rescheduled date, venue and line-up.

Pesticide recall hits Life Flower medical marijuana dispensary

State marijuana regulators on Friday announced a large recall of medical cannabis grown with unapproved pesticides and sold by Life Flower Dispensary.

This top-ranked NFL punter tweeted on 4/20, and got drug tested on 4/21

After one of the National Football League’s best punters tweeted a couple inoffensive 4/20 jokes on April 20, he was then drug tested by his team on April 21 — the day after the marijuana holiday.

Meet Evan Nison, who just talked weed with Hillary Clinton on ‘GMA’

Meet Evan Nison, the 26-year-old cannabis industry champion who was chatting up Hillary Clinton about marijuana on ‘Good Morning America’ on Thursday.

Chris Hardwick takes on news anchor who asked pot shoppers to wear pants

After a Denver news anchor made a plea that the people of Colorado wear pants while shopping for marijuana, “@midnight” host Chris Hardwick was off to the races.

Kacey Musgraves makes the rounds at Colorado marijuana shops on 4/20

“Happy 4/20, y’all!” reads Kacey Musgraves’ latest tweet. Turns out the singer-songwriter is in Denver for the holiday and a show at the Bluebird Theater.

Watch this savvy, pot-centric homage to Jerry Seinfeld’s ‘Comedians in Cars’

Check out this savvy, 420-friendly homage of Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars” series — only this one is titled “Comedians in Cars Smoking Cannabis.”

Zac Efron talks truth in ‘Neighbors 2’ — ‘I suck at math. I’m good at weed.’

Zac Efron and Seth Rogen know this universal truth: Complex mathematical equations become more managable in the context of illicit drug transactions. Watch this 420-friendly ‘Neighbors 2’ clip.

This is how a ganjapreneur celebrates his fifth (and sixth) Cannabis Cup wins

For this ganjapreneur, the taste of victory is sipping your morning coffee and eating your Cheerios from your newly won Cannabis Cup trophies.

Caregivers For Life faces another recall over pesticide-tainted pot

Denver marijuana business Caregivers For Life is facing its second recall in four months over concerns its products are tainted with pesticides not approved for use on cannabis.

Hilarious: Jimmy Kimmel asks about people’s medical marijuana conditions

What happens when Jimmy Kimmel takes to L.A.’s streets to ask medical marijuana cardholders about their qualifying conditions? Pure hilarity, that’s what.

Bernie Sanders supporters organize massive $4.20 donation push on 4/20

Bernie Sanders fans are organizing a push of $4.20 donations on 4/20 to ‘send a message to the establishment that alone we’re harmless bees but together we’re a ferocious swarm that will not be silenced.’

Landmark cannabis report explores trends in Colorado legalization

While people say they’re using cannabis more frequently, the author of an expansive new report on Colorado marijuana legalization says this new data should be viewed as a starting-off point on measuring impacts.

Teen creates sensible, educational event on modern marijuana

While some of Gillian Breuer’s high school classmates openly use cannabis, Breuer has spent much of the last year forming the school’s Youth Marijuana Advisory Council and creating a sensible educational event about pot and timed to weed holiday 4/20.

Cypress Hill’s Cannabis Cup concert just moved to a much smaller venue

Why the Cannabis Cup’s lone Colorado event, a High Times-sponsored Cypress Hill concert with a Cup awards show tagged on, just moved to a much smaller venue.

Colorado shops sold more than $92 million of pot in February ’16

Recreational and medical marijuana sales showed strong growth in February, the latest month for which the Colorado Department of Revenue has released tax data for the state’s most newsworthy industry.

‘Concentrates should only be available for medical sale.’ Agree or disagree?

A Cannabist reader recently commented: “I believe concentrates should only be available for medical sale.” Do you agree or disagree?

Why pot shops in the U.S. will soon set sales records

Just as chocolatiers fancy February, florists adore May and necktie retailers love June, the marijuana industry truly celebrates April. And here’s why America’s legal cannabis shops are ready to set new sales records this month.

Pesticides: State’s 17th pot recall hits Acme Healing Center of Ridgway

Colorado cannabis regulators on Tuesday issued their 17th pot recall in seven weeks — placing on hold recreational cannabis grown by Acme Healing Center of Ridgway, over concerns the plants were grown with unapproved pesticides.

Mom Weed: New Jimmy Kimmel sketch says moms can be stoners, too

Making a case for Mom Weed: “Because let’s face it: Taking a fat rip off some dank-ass ganj makes doing laundry, changing diapers, cooking, doing more laundry, changing more diapers, cooking again almost bearable.”

Colorado just issued two more pesticide recalls

Colorado cannabis regulators on Friday issued their 15th and 16th marijuana recalls in six weeks — placing on hold recreational and medical cannabis grown by two Sticky Buds locations and one former Sticky Buds location now owned by Northern Lights Cannabis Co., over concerns the plants were grown with unapproved pesticides.

Best pot brownies recipe: Cannabist wins Leafly’s extensive taste test

Who has the best pot brownies recipe in the world? Leafly turns March Madness into Reefer Madness with its impressive, kitchen-tested pot brownie bracket.

Whoopi Goldberg hopes her new weed line will offer menstrual cramp relief

Entertainer Whoopi Goldberg has started a medical marijuana business in San Francisco — and she hopes her products will provide “an alternative for relieving the pain and discomfort associated with menstruation,” Goldberg said in a release.

California marijuana jobs: Hunt at a cannabis career fair in San Francisco

Looking for marijuana jobs? Here’s the exclusive line on a pre-4/20 cannabis job fair in San Francisco, California.

Is Colorado pot too potent? Plans limit THC at 16 percent

A proposed ballot initiative and an amendment to a bill in the state House would cap the THC potency of recreational cannabis and marijuana products at a percentage below most of those products’ current averages. The initiative would limit the potency of “marijuana and marijuana products” to 15 percent or 16 percent THC.

State recalls FireHouse Organics’ medical pot over pesticide concerns

Colorado cannabis regulators last week issued their 14th marijuana recall in less than five weeks — placing on hold medical cannabis grown by FireHouse Organics, over concerns the plants were grown with unapproved pesticides.

City of Denver changing how it polices pesticide use on marijuana

More than a year after Denver started actively policing the marijuana industry’s use of pesticides, the city’s health department is changing its enforcement procedures.

‘High Profits’ budtender Lauren Hoover dies after three-week coma

Lauren Hoover, the fitness-loving budtender from the CNN docuseries “High Profits,” died Wednesday after being in a coma for three weeks, according to a representative from St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood.

Top Nixon adviser: We invented the war on drugs to vilify blacks, hippies

Top Nixon adviser John Ehrlichman confessed before his death: ‘The Nixon White House … had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people … Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”

Richard Branson gets inside look at how Colorado puts pot tax to use

Inside billionaire Richard Branson’s private tour of a Colorado substance abuse treatment facility that is partially funded by marijuana taxes.

SCOTUS won’t hear case on Colorado pot legalization

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied Nebraska and Oklahoma’s proposed lawsuit against Colorado’s legal marijuana laws. The decision means the nation’s highest court will not rule on the interstate dispute, and Colorado’s legal cannabis market is safe — for now.

Why Adam Carolla thinks Californians will say no to recreational pot in 2016

We talked with Adam Carolla about his relationship with weed, his feelings about recreational marijuana’s chances in California’s November vote and more.

How to roll a joint, a video tutorial: 10 easy steps to rolling the perfect joint

Wondering how to roll a joint? It’s an art form. Follow these 10 easy steps in our quick video tutorial, and you can’t go wrong.

Do ‘Broad City’ stars Abbi Jacobson, Ilana Glazer smoke real weed on set?

Someone asked ‘Broad City’ stars Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson: “What percentage of weed smoked on ‘Broad City’ is real?” Here’s their answer.

Grower challenges Colorado officials’ massive recall of pot due to pesticides

State marijuana regulators Thursday announced a massive recall of retail pot treated with unapproved pesticides by MGI Inc. in Denver, whose cultivation facilities operate under the name Kindman. MGI owner Ryan Fox said his company “absolutely has not used this pesticide in production,” and is challenging the recall.

Could this become the first cannabis-derived prescription drug in the U.S.?

An experimental marijuana-based drug significantly reduced convulsive seizures among childhood epilepsy patients in a recent clinical trial. Could this become the first cannabis-derived prescription drug in the U.S.?