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  • Published: 2 November 2020
  • ISBN: 9781984826244
  • Imprint: Crown
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 320
  • RRP: $59.99

The New Chardonnay

The Unlikely Story of How Marijuana Went Mainstream



“The inside scoop on how marijuana landed on Main Street . . . and why it’s coming soon to a city near you.”—Katie Couric
 
From gleaming dispensaries stocked with elegantly wrapped edibles to the array of CBD lotions and oils for sale at your local drugstore to tastemaker Martha Stewart cooking up marijuana munchies on prime-time television, one thing is clear: Pot has fully shed its stoner image.

In this deeply reported journey into the new world of legal cannabis, award-winning reporter Heather Cabot takes readers on the road with Snoop Dogg and his business partner Ted Chung as they roll out the star’s own brand of bud; to California wine country, where chefs and vintners are ushering in a new age of elevated dining; on wild adventures with marijuana mogul Beth Stavola, for whom fending off shady characters is just another day at the office; and to rural Canada to meet the Willy Wonka of Weed.

Drawing on exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the world of cannabis, Cabot’s book explores the confluence of social, economic, and political forces that have brought marijuana into the mainstream. Among them, outrage over the racial injustice of U.S. drug laws, the booming self-care industry catering to stressed-out professionals and busy parents in search of better sleep and more sex, seniors clamoring for natural alternatives to opioids to manage their aches and pains, and tens of millions of investor dollars fueling a frenetic “green rush” mentality.

The story of an astonishing rebranding, The New Chardonnay explores how a plant that was once the subject of multimillion-dollar public service announcements came to spark new culinary trends; inspire new uses for health, beauty, and wellness; and generate hundreds of thousands of jobs and untold tax revenue—all while remaining federally illegal in America.

  • Published: 2 November 2020
  • ISBN: 9781984826244
  • Imprint: Crown
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 320
  • RRP: $59.99

Praise for The New Chardonnay

“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 “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