“There are so Many Fairy Tales” - Sara Payan on the Discussion in Cannabis Regarding Trump Administration 

Since the inauguration of President Donald Trump on January 22nd, uncertainty and a rapid news cycle have made it difficult to gauge which way the wind blows for the President’s second term - including when it comes to cannabis.

“There are so many fairy tales right now, buckle up for story hour,” Sara Payan, host of the cannabis industry podcast “Planted with Sara Payan” told Rootwurks.

“A lot of colleagues have said that things are free and clear for [cannabis] legalization now and I think this is a nice fantasy to have.”

A long-time cannabis activist, educator, and industry veteran, Payan said that while it is true that Trump signed the U.S. Farm Bill into law, legalizing hemp on the federal level in 2018, it's still unclear what he’ll do on cannabis prohibition. 

“In his last term with legalization on the federal level, he was very hands off and all about state’s rights. He has people in his inner circle that are pro cannabis, but that doesn’t mean that will influence him. The only thing we can rely on in this administration is that he will make choices that benefit him.”

Since 2019, Payan’s podcast has covered the world of cannabis with a particular focus on education and policy. She also stated the show was never meant to be an echo chamber and makes sure to take the industry to task. The show has also featured a number of high-profile guests including legendary musician David Crosby, former RNC Chair Michael Steele, actor Jim Belushi, author Rick Steves, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee. 

Before launching the podcast, was co-chair of the San Francisco Cannabis State Legalization Task Force that helped pass Proposition 64, which legalized recreational cannabis in the state in 2016. She also spent more than a decade as the director of education and public education officer for The Apothecarium, a chain of dispensaries based out of San Francisco with branches also on the East Coast.   

Payan is a survivor of Stage 3 colon cancer. She has spoken widely about how medical marijuana helped her deal with chemotherapy symptoms and improved her appetite. 

She said education is still critical to the industry as cannabis becomes more mainstream.

“I think there are growing pains with legalization but if we keep having these conversations it goes a long way.” 

Payan spoke to Rootwurks before heading to Barcelona for Spannabis, Europe's largest cannabis conference. 

She said she planned to speak to people from Spain about the country's cannabis lounges with an eye towards how these clubs could look in the United States. She also said she will meet with cultivators and seed companies about the different genetics popular in Europe at the moment.  

“I think whether something turns out well or it doesn’t, it’s a really good model for people to look at to consider what they want to see where they live, what doesn’t work for these areas, what resonates for me and what doesn’t.”

Legal Hemp and Cannabis Working Together 

Payan spoke about the legal hemp market that has spread across the country and has seen the proliferation of stores selling unregulated intoxicating hemp products, including in states with no legal cannabis market. 

“If hemp is done properly, it can provide access to cannabis products to people who don’t have access to safe cannabis products. But for every good player there are two that are not doing it right and are only doing it for the money,” Payan said. 

She added that while there are bad actors in the intoxicating hemp market, the industry also provides examples of how the cannabis industry could potentially function in a more open manner that works better for businesses. 

“There is a lot of infighting and divide and conquer, but if we work together in hemp and cannabis we’d have a lot more power to lobby and influence policy.”

Payan said the explosive growth of the intoxicating hemp industry has shown how regulators could potentially make things easier for the cannabis industry. 

“With the Farm Bill and legal hemp there isn’t as high a bar for entry as cannabis and it shows it doesn't need to be so expensive to participate in commerce. I think we should take some of those lessons and put them to cannabis where the cost of entry is so high and taxation is so high and allow small businesses to thrive and have their money stay in those communities," Payan said. 

She said that cannabis beverages should be able to be sold in large beverage stores just like intoxicating hemp products and that both industries can work together to produce safer products. 

Talking Cannabis 

Payan said that the pandemic saw cannabis become less taboo as a subject of conversation as people found that it helped them cope with a very stressful time. She said she felt many of those people then spoke to friends and family about their experiences with cannabis, helping normalize it further.   

With cannabis no longer in the shadows, it doesn’t always hold the same allure and fascination for much of the public. But Payan said that as legalization has become more widespread and cannabis more mainstream, she hasn’t seen a drop off in listeners. 

She said that listenership has gone up 20% each month over the past few months and that from what she sees, people have remained engaged and enthusiastic. And when it comes to the issue of legalization, what the next few years bring is unclear - but the fight is long from over. 

“It’s honestly anyone’s guess but it’s really up to the public to stay vocal and stay active because it's not over yet."