The New Chardonnay

The Unlikely Story of How Marijuana Went Mainstream

By: Heather Cabot

Narrated by: Heather Cabot

"The inside scoop on how marijuana landed on Main Street...and why it’s coming soon to a city near you." (Katie Couric)

From gleaming dispensaries stocked with elegantly wrapped edibles to the array of CBD lotions and oils for sale at your local drugstore to tastemaker Martha Stewart cooking up marijuana munchies on prime-time television, one thing is clear: Pot has fully shed its stoner image.

In this deeply reported journey into the new world of legal cannabis, award-winning reporter Heather Cabot takes listeners on the road with Snoop Dogg and his business partner, Ted Chung, as they roll out the star’s own brand of bud; to California wine country, where chefs and vintners are ushering in a new age of elevated dining; on wild adventures with marijuana mogul Beth Stavola, for whom fending off shady characters is just another day at the office; and to rural Canada to meet the Willy Wonka of Weed.

Drawing on exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the world of cannabis, Cabot’s book explores the confluence of social, economic, and political forces that have brought marijuana into the mainstream. Among them, outrage over the racial injustice of US drug laws, the booming self-care industry catering to stressed-out professionals and busy parents in search of better sleep and more sex, seniors clamoring for natural alternatives to opioids to manage their aches and pains, and tens of millions of investor dollars fueling a frenetic "green rush" mentality.

The story of an astonishing rebranding, The New Chardonnay explores how a plant that was once the subject of multimillion-dollar public service announcements came to spark new culinary trends; inspire new uses for health, beauty, and wellness; and generate hundreds of thousands of jobs and untold tax revenue - all while remaining federally illegal in America.

©2020 Heather Cabot (P)2020 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"The recasting of the cannabis consumer from stoner on the sofa to yoga-mat-toting Whole Foods shopper is delightfully chronicled in Heather Cabot’s book The New Chardonnay." (Financial Times)

“Filled with thought-provoking interviews and a cast of characters including Snoop Dogg and his business partner Ted Chung...this fun and enlightening read accurately summarizes the forward momentum that the cannabis industry has enjoyed these past few years, and provides an in-depth look at the movement's influence on social justice, modern cultural norms, and politics.” (Booklist)

"The New Chardonnay reads more like a novel than investigative journalism as Cabot presents the fascinating tale of how cannabis went mainstream. From ruthless Las Vegas kingpins vying to open the first pot shops in the state to the senior citizens riding a cannabis shuttle to stock up on staple and THC tea parties for Bay Area mommies, this well-researched story of how the once ‘evil weed’ became a multibillion-dollar industry is a page-turner.” (Lee Woodruff, New York Times best-selling author of Those We Love Most)

Incredible story about the growth of the cannabis industry

Great book on the rise of the cannabis industry and its pioneers in the US and Canada. Heather is proven again to be a wonderful storyteller.

Great to hear the stories behind this booming, complicated market

I didn’t know much about the business of cannabis when I decided to read this book. What works really well is Cabot’s combination of journalistic style along with her great storytelling ability. The book has everything from celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart to unknown entrepreneurs who go from zero to billions. Really engaging stories. I listened to the audiobook which made it even better.

Interesting but badly narrated

It is an interesting book if you dont know anything about Cannabis, but the Narrator was driving me bunkers.