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Cannabis Media Spotlight Series: Q&A with Debra Borchardt, Executive Editor & Co-founder, Green Market Report

Cannabis Media Spotlight Series: Q&A with Debra Borchardt, Executive Editor & Co-founder, Green Market Report

Welcome to the Cannabis Media Spotlight Series! We created this Q&A series to celebrate the incredible work that reporters, editors, and podcast hosts do to shed light on the cannabis industry. Their insights and stories play a vital role in shaping how this space is understood and appreciated by the world.


Our goal is to highlight their journey, their expertise, and the meaningful impact of their work.


This week we're highlighting Debra Borchardt, Executive Editor & Co-founder, Green Market Report! Debra is a cannabis industry entrepreneur, having launched the financial news website Green Market Report in September of 2017. She has covered the industry for seven years and is considered to be very knowledgeable about the cannabis universe. Debra is in demand as a conference speaker and panel moderator. In addition to the Green Market Report, she is a co-founder of the cannabis executive women's networking group, Industry Power Women, She is also a board member of the cannabis newswire AxisWire


Interested to learn more about Debra and her involvement in shaping the cannabis industry via journalism? Read the complete Q&A:


What inspired you to start covering the cannabis industry, and how has your perspective evolved since you began?

I have been covering the business stories in cannabis since 2013 when I worked at TheStreet.com. I've written for Forbes and Seeking Alpha before launching Green Market Report in 2017. I continue to believe this is the biggest news story as it constantly takes twists and turns towards legalization.


What does a typical day look like for you as a journalist/editor/podcast host in the cannabis space?

I start each day reviewing various source sites to see if there is legal news, press releases and securities litigation news. After reviewing the breaking news in the morning, we decide which items to cover. Next is actually covering that news and creating that original content. Once the morning news cycle is complete, I move on to researching and reporting more in-depth stories. This sometimes includes interviews or reading really long complicated financial documents. At 4pm, I check the post market press releases to see if there is any additional news to be aware of. If there is more breaking news at that point, those stories get assigned to the reporters. I often work on planning upcoming events in the afternoon as well, like booking speakers for our Women's Summit planned for May 2025 or producing our upcoming webinars.


What are some of the most compelling trends, stories, or issues in the cannabis industry right now that you think deserve more attention?

I think the controversy over intoxicating hemp is the key story for 2025.


What advice would you give to cannabis businesses or PR professionals hoping to connect with you or pitch their stories effectively?

We are focused on the financial side of cannabis news, not culture or lifestyle. Don't send us a pitch on a new dispensary opening, instead we want to hear about specific and unique approaches that these owners have engaged in. Are they focused on developing a senior clientele or are they creating event nights to drive traffic (as examples) and if so, did these marketing plans actually work and drive increased revenue? Any story with hard data attached to it is great for us. Has your client spotted a trend and then capitalized on it? Did your client figure out a way to save money that they can share with others? These are the types of stories that work for GMR.


What’s been one of the most memorable stories or moments in your career covering cannabis so far?

Most memorable would be sharing a joint with Mike Tyson and Ric Flair onstage during a panel at the Benzinga conference was pretty epic. Getting a Gold Stevie Award in 2020 for Website of the Year was very cool. However, the top accomplishment of this rise was getting acquired by Crain Communications in 2020. That has set GMR up for the future to have such amazing partners committed to great journalism.

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