The Cannabist
The Cannabist is a Denver-based cannabis media brand founded in 2013 that publishes cannabis news, interviews, strain reviews, product reviews, and recipes, operating within the MediaNews Group local news ecosystem and monetizing through advertising.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1846
- HeadquartersDenver, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The Cannabist does
The Cannabist is a cannabis-focused media brand founded in 2013 in Denver, Colorado, that publishes cannabis-related news, articles, interviews, strain reviews, product reviews, and recipes. Based on the available source material, The Cannabist operates within the broader MediaNews Group local media ecosystem, which traces its publishing roots to 1846 and encompasses more than 235 local media publications reaching 47.2 million readers monthly across the Western, Northeastern, and Midwestern United States. The business model is advertising-driven: the parent group sells integrated marketing and advertising solutions to local and national businesses through direct sales teams and its Adtaxi digital marketing agency, with cannabis-content inventory monetized as a specialized vertical within that portfolio.
The underlying product is editorial content production and curation rather than a technology platform — no proprietary technology stack, app, API, or AI capabilities are disclosed in the source data. Distribution runs through the MediaNews Group's multi-platform portfolio (print and digital), including titles such as The Denver Post, The Mercury News, and LA Daily News, alongside the standalone thecannabist.co website. Customer segments are split between cannabis-curious consumers (readers seeking strain reviews, product reviews, recipes, and news) and advertisers seeking access to that niche audience. There is no disclosed pricing model, no named advertiser logos, no revenue figure, and no independent management team data; the source explicitly notes a mismatch between "The Cannabist" as a query entity and the MediaNews Group material that was retrieved, limiting the depth of standalone analysis.
The Cannabist firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Cannabist
- Legal name
- MediaNews Group
- Website
- https://thecannabist.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1846
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- The Cannabist is a Denver-based cannabis media brand founded in 2013 that publishes cannabis news, interviews, strain reviews, product reviews, and recipes, operating within the MediaNews Group local news ecosystem and monetizing through advertising.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where The Cannabist is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Denver
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The Cannabist business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Advertising Revenue: MediaNews Group generates revenue primarily through integrated marketing and advertising solutions, offering both traditional print advertising across their 235+ local media publications and digital advertising through their Adtaxi digital marketing agency. Local and national businesses are targeted with cross-platform advertising solutions.
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels2 records
The Cannabist product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Cannabist is a digital media publication that publishes cannabis-related news, articles, interviews, strain reviews, product reviews, and recipes. It operates as a dedicated cannabis-focused content outlet targeting cannabis consumers and enthusiasts with editorial coverage of cannabis culture, products, and lifestyle.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cannabis News and Articles Digital editorial content covering cannabis-related news, feature articles, and interviews intended for cannabis consumers and enthusiasts.
- Strain Reviews Editorial reviews of cannabis strains intended to inform cannabis consumers about specific varieties and their characteristics.
- Product Reviews Editorial reviews of cannabis-related products aimed at helping cannabis consumers evaluate products.
- Cannabis Recipes Editorial content featuring cannabis-infused recipes intended for cannabis consumers and cooking enthusiasts.
Companies that use The Cannabist
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Cannabist technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Cannabist partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- AdtaxicoreAdtaxi is MediaNews Group's award-winning digital marketing agency that provides cutting-edge cross-platform solutions. It is an integral part of their advertising solutions offering, enabling local and national businesses to reach consumers through integrated digital marketing services.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
The Cannabist competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Leafly: Leafly is a leading cannabis information platform featuring strain reviews, dispensary listings, and editorial content, directly overlapping with The Cannabist's strain and product review coverage.
- High Times: High Times is a long-running cannabis culture magazine and digital media brand covering news, culture, and product reviews, making it a directly comparable cannabis editorial publisher.
- Weedmaps: Weedmaps combines cannabis retail listings with editorial content and reviews, overlapping with The Cannabist's product/strain review and cannabis news coverage.
- Cannabis Now: Cannabis Now is a cannabis-focused digital magazine covering news, culture, product reviews, and interviews, directly comparable to The Cannabist's multi-format content approach.
- Merry Jane: Merry Jane is a cannabis lifestyle media platform offering news, recipes, strain reviews, and culture content, directly overlapping with The Cannabist's editorial mix including recipes and strain reviews.
- Marijuana Moment: Marijuana Moment is a cannabis policy and industry news outlet, comparable as a specialist cannabis editorial publisher even though it skews more heavily toward policy coverage.
Emerging players
- Cannabis Business Times: Cannabis Business Times is a B2B-focused cannabis industry publication; comparable as a vertical cannabis media brand, though it targets operators rather than general consumers.
- The Bluntness: The Bluntness is a cannabis business and culture publication covering industry news and reviews, comparable as a smaller-scale cannabis editorial outlet with similar format coverage.
- PotGuide: PotGuide provides cannabis strain, dispensary, and lifestyle content, comparable in consumer-facing cannabis editorial and reviews.
- Hemp Industry Daily: Hemp Industry Daily is a B2B news outlet covering the cannabis/hemp industry, comparable as a vertical cannabis trade publication, though with a hemp/industry focus.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights3 records
Customer concentration
The Cannabist social profiles
Digital presenceThe Cannabist financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Cannabist leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Cannabist funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Cannabist M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Cannabist
What does The Cannabist do?
The Cannabist is a digital media publication that publishes cannabis-related news, articles, interviews, strain reviews, product reviews, and recipes. It operates as a dedicated cannabis-focused content outlet targeting cannabis consumers and enthusiasts with editorial coverage of cannabis culture, products, and lifestyle.
Is The Cannabist a public or private company?
The Cannabist is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was The Cannabist founded?
The Cannabist was founded in 1846.
Where is The Cannabist based?
The Cannabist is headquartered in Denver, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Cannabist make money?
One revenue line is on record: advertising Revenue.
Who are The Cannabist's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Leafly, High Times, Weedmaps, Cannabis Now, Merry Jane and Marijuana Moment. Emerging players are Cannabis Business Times, The Bluntness, PotGuide and Hemp Industry Daily.
Does The Cannabist have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Cannabist.