Looking for the latest evidence that California’s marijuana industry is going mainstream? Look no farther than Encino, where new magazine the Clever Root has been launched by M Dash Publishing, the firm behind wine and spirits periodicals Tasting Panel Magazine and Somm Journal. The upscale quarterly periodical covers “everything good that grows,” according to its publisher, Meridith May. That means a chef-driven, farm-to-table and ingredient-focused publication that covers all grown consumables – including cannabis, she added. Stories in the inaugural issue run the gamut from parsnips to pig farming. But what makes the Clever Root unique is the matter-of-fact way it threads cannabis stories throughout its content. For instance, alongside explorations of abalone cultivation; the dining scene in Barcelona, Spain; and natural perfume-making, readers can find recommendations for using marijuana in cocktails and get an introduction to Humboldt County pot farmers. Other articles spotlight high-quality hashish and a New York supper club that specializes in weed-themed dining. “We are the first crossover magazine that reports on the good, responsible side of cannabis,” May said. “We want to get out there and mainstream it.” The Clever Root even has a cannabis editor, Allison Edrington, who also serves as editor-in-chief at Ganjier, a marijuana-focused media company in Humboldt County. “I’m really impressed with how Meridith and her team have created a gorgeous magazine and I’m happy to be part of it,” Edrington said. To date, May’s new magazine has secured distribution at gourmet shops, marijuana dispensaries, newsstands, wine and food events and culinary schools. May recently secured a partnership with Barnes & Noble Booksellers Inc. that will put the Clever Root on bookstore shelves and make it available through the Nook e-reader. The magazine employs 16 people and May expects annual revenue to hit $4 million this year. The cover price is $10 an issue; subscriptions cost $36 annually. – Karen E. Klein
