Skills
About
Bridging Cannabis, Culture & Policy Through Storytelling and Strategy Sara Payan is a culture-shaper, storyteller, and award-winning advocate redefining how the world talks about cannabis. A cancer survivor with a civil rights backbone, she brings heart, grit, and sharp insight to every conversation—whether she’s influencing state policy or sparking real talk on the mic. Sara is the creator, executive producer, and host of "Planted with Sara Payan", the EMJAY Award-winning podcast exploring the intersection of cannabis, politics, and culture. With a global audience and a guest list that includes icons in cannabis, music, media and policy, "Planted" goes beyond the buzzwords, offering compelling, honest, and unforgettable storytelling. She’s also the executive producer and co-host of "Puff Puff Press", a quick-hit, punchy news show delivering cannabis headlines with wit, edge, and a journalist’s lens. A force behind the scenes, Sara serves as Vice Chair of California’s Cannabis Advisory Committee, shaping policy in the world’s most influential cannabis market. She’s trained thousands across the industry, built education programs for institutions like UCSF and City College of San Francisco, and consulted for top-tier brands ready to connect with conscious consumers. Named one of the 100+ Most Important Women in Cannabis by "Green Market Report", Sara’s work lives where culture meets impact. She’s the voice brands trust when they want to reach real audiences, create meaningful conversations, and show up authentically in the cannabis space—and beyond.
Sara Payan
Published content
expert panel
Before you hit that "go live" button, make sure you have a plan in place for a successful social media live stream. Whether it's on Instagram, Facebook or other social media platforms, live video content provides fun and welcome variation to your social media strategy. It allows for more connection between your brand and your customers, and may even introduce a new audience to your company. But there is an art to doing live videos well, and it's important to understand the basics before you start streaming. To help, a panel of Rolling Stone Culture Council members share their best practices for a successful social media live stream — from ensuring added value to advertising in advance — and how to adapt these practices to your own strategies.
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To find your heart's work, you must listen within, ignore the critics and be brave enough to leap.
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Apr 28, 2022
Looking to find sustainable success in cannabis?
expert panel
The key is to address the overwhelm early and to find manageable solutions. No entrepreneur is immune to burnout, and when the stressors of work and leading a business get to be too much, it’s important to find healthy ways of coping. Without these methods, it’s all too easy for your business to become overwhelming, which can lead to a loss of passion for your work or even poor mental health. As busy business leaders themselves, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council have dealt with their fair share of overwhelming situations. Below, they offer up some of the methods they use to cope and explain why they recommend these methods for any burned out business leader.
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Educated policymakers can create policy that enables safe access, social justice and viable opportunities for industry success.
expert panel
You can’t grow your business without facing a few obstacles along the way. Leading a business often comes with its own unique challenges, some more difficult to navigate than others. What separates great leaders from good ones is the ability to face those challenges, overcome them and come out stronger and wiser on the other side. No matter the challenge, there’s always a lesson to be learned that can either overwhelm you or help your business grow. But learning those lessons can often be a challenge in itself. Below, a panel of Rolling Stone Culture Council leaders detail the lessons they’ve learned from some of the most difficult business situations they’ve faced and how they became all the wiser for it.
Company details
Planted Agency
Company bio
"Planted with Sara Payan" is an award-winning podcast at the intersection of cannabis, policy, culture, and education. Hosted by educator, strategist, and author Sara Payan, the show brings together influential voices—from policymakers and media professionals to industry leaders and cultural icons—for thought-provoking conversations about cannabis in the era of legalization. Winner of the 2024 International Cannabis Awards “Emjay” for Content Creator of the Year, "Planted" has earned a global audience and critical acclaim for its nuanced, human-centered approach to cannabis storytelling. Guests have included MSNBC's Michael Steele, musical legends David Crosby and Stevie Van Zandt, PBS travel expert Rick Steves, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, and Emmy Award-winner Peter Coyote. With new episodes released weekly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and the Radio Misfits Network, "Planted" explores the plant’s deep cultural, political, and economic impact. Each episode is a gateway to education, covering everything from public health and cultivation to branding, legislation, and social justice. Rooted in Sara’s background in civil rights and public policy, the show is committed to bipartisan discourse, voter engagement, and amplifying stories that inspire critical thought and real change. At its core, "Planted with Sara Payan" is about using storytelling to normalize cannabis, break stigma, and build a more equitable industry.