About the Author

Heather Cabot is an award-winning journalist and serves on the alumni board of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. A former ABC News correspondent and anchor and former digital lifestyle editor for Yahoo!, Cabot has appeared on Good Morning America, Today, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and dozens of local TV and radio stations. She is a contributor to Forbes and is the co-author of the acclaimed book Geek Girl Rising.

Reviews

“The recasting of the cannabis consumer from stoner on the sofa to yoga-mat-toting Whole Foods shopper is delightfully chronicled in Heather Cabot’s book The New Chardonnay.”—Financial Times

“Heather Cabot’s book about cannabis is packed with entertaining stories starring fantastic, Hollywood-ready characters. It happens to center on marijuana, but it’s also about capitalism, politics, and psychology. In short, this book is good shit.”—A. J. Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically

“The New Chardonnay reads more like a novel than investigative journalism as Cabot presents the fascinating tale of how cannabis went mainstream. From ruthless Las Vegas kingpins vying to open the first pot shops in the state to the senior citizens riding a cannabis shuttle to stock up on staple and THC tea parties for Bay Area mommies, this well-researched story of how the once ‘evil weed’ became a multibillion-dollar industry is a page-turner.”—Lee Woodruff, New York Times bestselling author of Those We Love Most

“The New Chardonnay is the story of an astonishing rebranding. Through deep reporting and engaging storytelling, Cabot narrates the history of how legal cannabis shed its unsavory stigma and blossomed into a booming legitimate industry. The ingenuity unleashed by the ambitious entrepreneurs you’ll meet in these pages holds lessons for any entrepreneur or innovator looking for opportunities in uncharted territory.”—Daymond John, star of ABC’s Shark Tank and New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Broke, Rise and Grind, and Powershift

“I’m a two-time cancer survivor, and CBD and medical cannabis have been a big part of my healing. In The New Chardonnay, you’ll meet the unlikely entrepreneurs who have worked tirelessly to bring this plant that heals so many out of the shadows. It’s impossible not to be captivated while reading about the ups and downs, the triumphs and struggles, and the fascinating characters they encountered on their journey.”—Ethan Zohn, winner of CBS’s Survivor, health and wellness expert, and cannabis entrepreneur

“An intriguing, character-driven narrative about ‘a complicated and controversial topic’. . . An entertaining story of the curious arc that brought the cannabis industry out of the shadows.”—Kirkus Reviews
 
“Filled with thought-provoking interviews and a cast of characters including Snoop Dogg and his business partner Ted Chung . . . this fun and enlightening read accurately summarizes the forward momentum that the cannabis industry has enjoyed these past few years, and provides an in-depth look at the movement's influence on social justice, modern cultural norms, and politics.”—Booklist