Culture

New Children’s Book Aims to Help Adults Talk to Kids About Cannabis

Susan Soares wants to give grown-ups the means to talk to their kids about cannabis with her new book, “What’s Growing in Grandma’s Garden.”

Published

13 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Melissa Hutsell

IMAGE | Gustav Davies

It’s time adults have an honest conversation about cannabis with the children in their lives. Author and advocate Susan Soares gives grown-ups the means to do that with her new children’s book, “What’s Growing in Grandma’s Garden.”

The lighthearted story is told from the perspective of a young boy who loves to garden alongside his grandma. Together, they learn about bugs, vegetables, and the special plants in grandma’s greenhouse.

Soares is actively raising the funds necessary to illustrate and publish “What’s Growing in Grandma’s Garden.” So far, she’s gathered just over half of her $10,000 goal.

Just Say KNOW

“What’s Growing in Grandma’s Garden,” Soares’ first book, is based on a true story.

“I am a grandmother,” she explained and is about to welcome her fifth grandchild. “One of my grandsons loves to be in the garden with me,” she said.

Throughout the story, the young boy learns about good bugs and bad bugs, that fresh vegetables taste better, and that it’s fun to garden.

“Grandma has a special plant in her greenhouse,” Soares explained, “we can look, but can’t touch it.”

The young boy wonders why grown-ups can have things that kids cannot.

“What’s Growing in Grandma’s Garden” is just as much a lesson for adults as it is for children.

The book teaches adults how to talk to children about “grown-up vs. kids issues,” Soares said. “Hopefully that will inspire conversations about cannabis and other grown-up things.”

“Knowledge is power,” she said. “In general, we don’t give children the credit they deserve.”

“When you hide something from kids… that attracts them to it. When you lie, you teach them they can’t believe [you],” she added.

She said that’s one of the biggest failures of the D.A.R.E. program — and why her foundation, C.A.R.E. mocks the anti-drug campaign motto with their own — “Just Say KNOW.”

“Kids KNOW, they aren’t stupid,” said Soares. It’s time for an honest conversation about cannabis.

Soares hopes to see the book in every retail cannabis outlet. “If you are a cannabis consumer, if you have children in your life — niece, nephews, students, etc. — you have an obligation to educate them on the whole cannabis issue.”

Gustav Davies, a Swiss-based artist and illustrator, created the book’s visuals. He said he chose to create the graphics for the story because “[Soares] has something to tell — I like that.”

Davies illustrations are mature yet whimsical. In order to achieve Soares’ vision, he explained, “I’m trying to work as unselfconsciously as possible.”

Advocate-Turned-Author

The advocate-turned-author said the inspiration for “What’s Growing in Grandma’s Garden,” came in 2017 after an appearance on the Southern California radio show, The Woody Show.

“Woody asked me, ‘how did you talk to your children about cannabis?’ I didn’t have a good answer,” she said, admitting she hid it. “I did not like that answer, it really bothered me.”

Soares asked others in and outside of the cannabis industry the same question. She found, “nobody talks their kids about cannabis, even now. Especially people in the industry.”

She wonders where the “what about the kids?” hysteria comes from. “We’re still waking up. Maybe we have PTSD from the drug war,” she said. “We are not owing it as we should.”

One moment stands out to Soares; it came after speaking with an unnamed canna-prenuer. “He said, ‘you are too early, people are not ready for a children’s book about cannabis’.” In the same breath, the source said his eight-year-old made the ‘best Manhattan he’s ever tried,’ Soares explained.

She knew then she needed to write a kid’s book that will “inspire grown-ups to have the conversation about cannabis.”

Cannabis as a Catalyst

Though Soares is a cannabis advocate, she was not always a proponent for the plant. In fact, she once called the cops on a group of teenagers smoking from a pipe in her (now, former) Chino Hills neighborhood.

At the time, Soares described herself as a devout Mormon, and leader in her Orange County church community.

“It took me five years to get out of the Mormon fog,” Soares said. Her relationship with cannabis was a catalyst.

Soares, a then “Conservative Republican,” suffered serious injuries during a church broom hockey game.

“I was about to score my third goal when someone tripped me,” she explained of the 1993 incident. She went head first into a cement cinder block, which knocked her unconscious, blew out her eardrum, and triggered a migraine that lasted two years.

The pain was intolerable. “I didn’t live a moment without pain,” she said, “I went to chiropractors, my Mormon doctor, Scripps’ Clinic… I was given more and more opioids, but found no relief.”

Coupled with the stress of a divorce, Soares felt desperate. “I contemplated suicide, but knew I had three kids relying on me.”

“My neighbor and I who garden together mentioned that cannabis could help my migraine situation,” she said.

Soares was scared — but eager to find relief. “I knew my community and my family would turn their backs on me if I used cannabis, but I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t have any other options left.”

She tried cannabis, and “after six weeks of use, my migraine was gone, never to return again,” she said.

Consequently, the “worst did happen,” Soares continued, “my family did not talk to me, and I was ostracized from the church community. But I needed to be alive for my kids.” Cannabis gave her the ability to do it.

From then on, she made it her life’s mission — starting after her own children reached adulthood — to educate others about the plant. She went on to found the nonprofit organization, Cannabis Awareness Rallies and Events (C.A.R.E.), which aims to educate people about cannabis.

For more information, visit JustSayCare.org or Soares’ fundraising page on Facebook.

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No Super Bowl for Brock Ollie

Published

13 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Cannabis Aficionado

With medicinal marijuana being legal in 37 states and recreational cannabis allowed in 18, we should be seeing commercials for companies, products, and services almost as frequently as commercials for sports betting, which is permitted in 30 states in some form.

However, mainstream cannabis advertising continues to be non-existent, as demonstrated in the recent news that NBC has rejected an ad by cannabis e-commerce and advertising platform Weedmaps from being shown during the Super Bowl LVI event his coming Sunday.

Weedmaps reportedly approached the network late last year about airing a Super Bowl commercial that would be “similar to a PSA,” according to reports. Execs volunteered to present some of their earlier educational-based programming, assuring NBC executives that it would not contain any direct-sell messages, which are still forbidden under federal law.

“The answer was a hard no — they wouldn’t even entertain the conversation,” Weedmaps Chief Operating Officer Juanjo Feijoo told Adweek. “We see ourselves as trying to be trailblazers in the industry and making new inroads where others haven’t gone before in cannabis advertising. So it was disappointing.”

The contentious ad personifies cannabis as Brock Ollie, a head of broccoli, the veggie emoji commonly used as a visual representation of cannabis in marketing. The 30-second ad takes viewers through a day in the life of Brock Ollie, whose superfood identity is in jeopardy as he is repeatedly misidentified as cannabis. The ad offers a lighthearted take on the industry’s issues, such as social media censorship and a lack of clear advertising standards, which limit cannabis-related commercials during nationally televised events like the Super Bowl.

“Despite three quarters of the country having legalized cannabis and the bipartisan enthusiasm we continue to see in support for change at the federal level, the industry continues to face roadblocks that inhibit competition in the legal market and stifle opportunities to educate,” Chris Beals, CEO of Weedmaps said. “There’s an irony in the fact that the biggest night for advertising will feature an array of consumer brands in regulated industries, from beverage alcohol to sports betting, yet legal cannabis retailers, brands and businesses have been boxed out.”

The game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams will be played Sunday in L.A.

Culture

VIBES X Kaya Herb House Collab Launches in Jamaica

Published

13 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Cannabis Aficionado

PHOTO | Chris Lewinson/BUZZ

Vibes, the rolling paper brand co-founded by entrepreneur and rapper Berner in collaboration with Gnln, announces a collaboration with the Kaya Herb House for the holidays. Featuring lifestyle goods and premium rolling papers, VIBES x Kaya Herb House furthers both brands’ missions to create the ultimate experience for connoisseurs.

VIBES x Kaya Herb House marks the first common project between the two brands, which have a shared goal of educating consumers on a premium smoking experience and creating meaningful experiences around the cannabis lifestyle.

The collection’s retro graphic pays homage to the Caribbean’s smuggler planes

The Kaya Herb House franchise was founded in Jamaica by “Bali” Vaswani, who had established Marley’s Estate coffee brand in the United States. VIBES x Kaya will be available at the Herb House in Kingston, Jamaica, which features the first medicinal Ganja herb house in the Caribbean and offers locally grown herbs and straight-from-the-farm extracts line as well as a taste of world-renowned cuisine and juices at the cafe and pizza restaurant.

“This marks another milestone for the VIBES brand. We are thrilled to partner with such an industry legend, together introducing an authentic experience to Jamaica and bringing attention to the history of the industry in the Caribbean,” says Vanessa Vanjari, Brand Manager of Vibes.

The collaboration features rolling papers, apparel, and accessories for the global wellness traveller, including co-branded hemp king size skinny booklets, tee shirts, and a pizza cutter. The slogan “Build a Vibe” is stamped on the VIBES x Kaya rolling papers, a play on both a popular Jamaican catchphrase and VIBES’ signature “Catch a Vibe.”

Each piece in the collection contains a retro graphic style of a plane that pays homage to the history of cannabis in the Caribbean when smugglers flew cannabis for the black market over the coasts of Jamaica and Florida. Smuggler planes would drop packages into the water, gaining the name “Square Grouper.”

VIBES x Kaya is a month-long collaboration that launches on December 17, 2021 at the Kaya Herb House in Kingston, Jamaica.

Culture

Kate Hudson Gets High for the Holidaze In Cannabis Cocktail Commercial

Kate Hudson stars in an ad for Cann beverages—the first time an A-lister has been the face of a weed brand in a mainstream commercial.

Published

13 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Cannabis Aficionado

Cann, a California-based cannabis-infused beverage firm, has partnered up with actress Kate Hudson and her King St. Vodka brand for the holiday season. To coincide with the debut of their special bundle offering – Cann Unspiked and King St. Vodka, the trio just opened a holiday-themed campaign.

Hudson, an actor, producer, and investor in the THC-laced brand Cann, starring in a film that breaks new ground by including the popular “social tonic” as the main element in a joyful adult beverage. Hudson’s own brand, King St. Vodka, provides the alcohol in this cranberry sage-flavored cocktail. In the video, Hudson is joined by party guests Baron Davis, former NBA All-Star-turned-TNT commentator, and Darren Criss, Emmy-winning actor and singer.

Hudson and Davis play an unusual couple preparing for a sophisticated house party in the ad, which could be the first time a Hollywood A-lister has stepped up as the face of a cannabis brand in a mainstream commercial. In fact, the two have been friends for a long time and are both financial backers of Cann, as is Criss, who met Hudson on the set of Glee.

Hannah Lux Davis, known for her work with Ariana Grande, Doja Cat, Kacey Musgraves, and others, directed the star-studded holiday campaign and features music from Criss’ latest Christmas album.

According to Cann’s founder Luke Anderson, the goal of the collaborations and campaign is to show that cannabis has become mainstream enough that a celebrity like Hudson is happy to use and promote it.

“We’re equating cannabis with alcohol because at these 2-milligram levels it’s as mild as a light beer or a glass of wine,” Anderson told Adweek. “We’re saying they deserve to be on equal footing. And people have been DIY-ing this for a long time anyway.”