Ricardo Baca, a veteran journalist and cannabis advocate, has come a long way since he was named one of Fortune’s 7 Most Powerful People in America’s Marijuana Industry in 2016. His work has been praised by The Brookings Institution for changing the narrative around cannabis—an industry once dominated by fear and misinformation—to one based on data and health.
Through his work in journalism and PR, Baca has significantly influenced the industry, setting a new standard for how cannabis reporting should be done—honest, evidence-based, and free from bias. Baca’s approach not only changed the conversation around cannabis but also continues to inspire a new generation of journalists and PR professionals in the industry.
“Seven and a half years in, it’s working,” Baca said. “We’re not thriving, but we’re succeeding, and we’re doing good work.”
Baca’s vision for Grasslands, the Denver-based cannabis PR agency, was clear from its launch in December 2016. He envisioned the business as a different kind of agency from the others he observed. Using his journalistic experience, Baca set out to craft a new approach to PR that was strategic and transparent. “I knew that PR had issues,” Baca said. “It was about fixing the relationship with journalists and clients.” His goal was to create a “journalism-minded agency” that would be honest and effective.
“Most PR sucks,” Baca said. “It’s about lazy PR practitioners spraying and praying. I wanted to fix the problems with PR—overpromising and underdelivering.” He listened to clients’ frustrations and tailored his approach to meet their needs.
“Talking to clients, I found they were tired of being promised the moon and getting nothing,” Baca said. As a journalist-centered marketing agent, Baca feels that it’s his responsibility to fight for equal, fair reporting in the cannabis and psychedelic industries.
“Journalists are supposed to hold the powerful accountable, and that’s essential,” Baca said. “We see bad things happening with fewer journalists covering Wall Street or covering D.C. in Congress, you know? When you have an industry that is nascent in its infancy, we need to make sure that we’re covering them and we’re watching them, and we’re being that watchdog in the early days so that they themselves can be good operators and move forward with, a respect for the public good and with good business practices.”
Baca’s journey into cannabis journalism started at a time of profound change. In 2012, when Colorado and Washington made history by legalizing recreational cannabis, Baca was offered a unique role at the Denver Post: cannabis editor.
“We want you to cover weed,” Baca said he was told. “We want you to do it seriously.” At the time, Baca was hired as the first full-time cannabis reporter in history. It was a daunting task. There was no blueprint for reporting on cannabis because the industry was brand new.
“We didn’t have public health data,” Baca said. “California had this Wild West medical system, but there was no concrete information.”
Recognizing the need for a fresh approach, Baca set out to fill this gap with rigorous, unbiased reporting. One of his most prominent contributions to the industry was in 2013 when he founded the news vertical The Cannabist with the Denver Post. Here, Baca extensively covered the advent of the U.S. adult-use cannabis market and related issues around the world.
“It was my responsibility to represent all sides of the equation because as this is being debated in city councils, county commissions, and state legislatures, of course, those prohibitionists are there saying, ‘What about the children?’” Baca said. “I was happy to report on statistics, as they later started coming out after public health data became available.”
His groundbreaking work with The Cannabist even landed him as the star of the hit 2015 documentary “Rolling Papers.” The film highlighted how Baca and the Denver Post became the first major media outlets to appoint a marijuana editor. It showcased how Baca reported on policy news, strain reviews, parenting advice, and edible recipes, setting new norms in the unprecedented world of pot journalism.
“It was such big news that a mainstream media organization was dedicating real journalistic resources to cover an industry that had never really had that, in part because it had never been a truly legal and regulated industry,” Baca said. “So there was that moment of zeitgeist around the world’s first cannabis editor, and it was such an honor to be that person.”
This newfound fame was difficult for Baca, and the challenges were significant. Baca faced criticism from both the cannabis industry and prohibitionists.
“When the Post first announced me as the cannabis editor in November of 2013, there were widespread calls throughout the industry to fire me immediately—I hadn’t written a single [cannabis] story,” said Baca. “The prohibitionists thought I was in the industry’s pocket, and the industry thought I was in the prohibitionists’ pocket.”
Despite the tension, Baca remained committed to balanced reporting. One notable investigation involved testing cannabis edibles for accuracy. “I bought a chocolate bar from a dispensary, and it wasn’t working,” Baca said. “I knew the dosage should have been effective.”
Baca’s tests revealed that the product contained only 0.02 milligrams of THC instead of the advertised 100 milligrams. His story highlighted the issue and led to real consequences for the businesses involved. However, after three years of reporting on cannabis, Baca felt he was being pushed by the Denver Post‘s new owners and wanted to take on a new challenge.
The decision to transition from journalism to PR in 2017 was not easy, and it came with its own set of challenges. “My colleagues were getting laid off because the Post had been acquired by a hedge fund called Alden Global Capital,” Baca said. “I was like, ‘You know what? 24 years in journalism is a pretty good run.’ I’m proud of that.”
Baca had to build Grasslands from scratch while addressing the industry’s skepticism. Despite the difficulties, Baca did not give up, and as a result, Grasslands thrived. Baca’s work has also inspired others to join his cause. Grasslands Chief Marketing Officer Jesse Burns says Ricardo’s approach to journalism and marketing attracted him to join the Grasslands team.
“Ricardo has done something no one else has ever done; he created a PR and marketing agency rooted in the tenets of journalism,” Burns said. “Grasslands is the first and only ‘Journalism-minded agency.’ It focused the staff’s work and intention on thinking like journalists and treating them as vital, important, and, most importantly, respected stakeholders. This is such an innovative approach to professional services, and I wanted to learn and be a part of it.”
Baca hopes to change the conversation around cannabis PR and marketing and influence the companies involved to hold themselves more accountable going forward. “I mean, I’m not there to kick your ass, but I am there to ask some hard questions and make sure you’re doing things right—I think it’s really important to do that,” Baca said.
Looking ahead, Baca has big plans for Grasslands. The agency now operates across various sectors, including natural products, wellness, and consumer packaged goods. “We want to keep expanding into the natural products sector and become the best in the world,” Baca said. “The goal is to build something beautiful and see what’s next.”
Baca’s commitment to drug policy reform also remains strong. “My biggest goal is to work toward progressive drug policy reform and to legalize all drugs,” Baca said.
His work with Grasslands reflects this passion, aiming to promote ethical practices and transparency in the industry. His efforts have not only reshaped how cannabis is reported but have also set new standards in PR and marketing. As he looks to the future, Baca remains focused on expanding Grasslands and advancing drug policy reform, which he hopes will allow the cannabis industry to continue to flourish in Colorado.
