Joel Warner

Staff Writer

Joel Warner is a Denver, Colorado-based staff writer covering the marijuana industry. Previously he was a staff writer at Westword newspaper, and his work has also appeared in WIRED, Slate, Men's Health, Bloomberg Businessweek, Popular Science, Men's Journal, Grantland and elsewhere. He is co-author of the 2014 book The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny.

Marijuana Legalization In California: Is The State’s Cannabis Industry Too Divided To Take Advantage Of It?

California’s massive marijuana grey market is poised to go legit. But those in the business can’t agree on what the new industry should look like.

Marijuana Legalization: Pot Brings Poor People To Colorado, But What’s Being Done To Help Them? [PART TWO]

With more than $135 million in taxes and fees generated by Colorado marijuana sales last year, some shelter managers would like to see a portion of the proceeds devoted to homeless services.

Marijuana Legalization In Colorado: How Recreational Weed Is Attracting People, But Spiking The State’s Homeless Rate [PART ONE]

Colorado homeless shelters say 20 to 30 percent of their new residents report they’re coming to the state because of pot. Is the state equipped to handle them?

Ben Schulz and Jamie Lee Curtis Warcraft

Leeroy Jenkins And World of Warcraft: Ben Schulz Launched The Phenomenon, Now He Weighs In On The Movie

The “Warcraft” movie is chock-full of connections to its computer-game inspiration. So why no reference to the game’s strangest hero?

Marijuana News 2016: Scientists, Frustrated By Funding Shortfalls, Launch Institute For Research On Cannabinoids

The world’s top cannabis researchers say there’s not enough money for their work. So they’ve launched a nonprofit scientific institute to fix that.

Marijuana Legalization 2016: Is The Cannabis Movement Overextended?

With 10 states potentially voting on recreational or medical marijuana reforms this year, some worry the cannabis movement is trying to do too much too soon.

Road To Rio: The Race Is On To Build The World’s Fastest Olympic Swimsuit

There’s a new swimwear-tech arms race underway — one where the difference between victory and defeat in the pool (and within a $1 billion swimwear market) can come down to comfort and a hundredth of a second.

Cannabis Legalization And The NFL: Athletes Are Embracing The Medicinal And Financial Benefits Of Marijuana, So Why Can’t The League Play Nice?

As Ricky Williams readies a marijuana gym and pro athletes dive into pot ventures, why did Laremy Tunsil tumble in the draft after a bong tweet?

After Years Of Petitions And Protests, Marijuana Group DCMJ Says It’s Meeting With Obama Staffers At The White House

Officials at DCMJ, which helped run a 2015 marijuana legalization effort in Washington, say they've been invited to the White House.

The Marijuana Holiday 4/20 Has Become Big Business, But Is That Good For The Cannabis Movement?

Pot culture’s unofficial holiday has become a global phenomenon. But have the celebration’s counterculture roots been lost along the way?

420 Meaning: The Very Odd Beginnings Of Marijuana’s Global Holiday

A secret marijuana grow, a treasure map and five young hippies who called themselves the Waldos: the unbelievable story behind marijuana’s global holiday.

Marijuana Could Soon Be Rescheduled As A Less Dangerous Drug By The DEA, So Why Aren’t Cannabis Proponents Excited?

The U.S. may soon remove pot from a list of the country’s most restricted drugs. But could the move hurt the cannabis industry?

Marijuana Startups Like Tokken Aim To Provide The Cannabis Industry With Banking Services, But Will Legal Shifts Put Them Out Of Business?

Entrepreneurs see an opportunity in the cannabis industry’s need for financial services, but are such ventures viable long-term solutions?

Activists Plan Mass Marijuana Consumption At The White House, But Some Cannabis Advocates Question Civil Disobedience

Activists planned to get high (and arrested) in the nation’s capital, but many in the marijuana movement question the move.

As A Big UN Drug Policy Summit Draws Near, Will Marijuana Activists Become Global Drug Reformers?

As the global war on drugs draws increasing criticism, the marijuana movement is facing a challenge: Should it advocate for policy reforms beyond cannabis?

Marijuana Legalization Movement Just Won Multiple Courtroom Battles, But Will That Be Enough to Quash Future Legal Threats?

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit equating the marijuana business with organized crime. Could racketeering laws still threaten the growing industry?

Marijuana Startup Accelerator CanopyBoulder Is Leading A Cannabis Industry Boom, But Some Grads Say The Program Isn’t Worth The Hype

CanopyBoulder is riding high as the first marijuana accelerator, but it’s also struggling with complaints about its contracts and the behavior of those in charge.