David Downs - Journalist Profile | Connect with top journalists

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Biography

DAVID DOWNS is an award-winning freelance journalist and best-selling author based in San Francisco. A Medill School of Journalism Fellow, Downs has written for WIRED, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Downs is the contributing author of the best-selling 2014 title Beyond Buds, and in 2016 co-authors Marijuana Harvest by Ed Rosenthal and David Downs. A syndicated columnist, and editor, Downs is considered a national expert on cannabis science, policy, and culture and has appeared on NPR, and lectured at University of California Berkeley.

Content

Total articles 1543

• Available on paid plans

  America’s coolest carts and pods of 420 2025

  By David Downs Verified

  Apr. 09, 2025

• Available on paid plans

  Best cannabis strains of spring 2025: A 9-strain review

  By David Downs Verified

  Mar. 21, 2025

• Available on paid plans

  Vintage Blacklight Poster Exhibition

  By David Downs Verified

  Mar. 14, 2025

As seen in

Company Info

Leafly

Leafly is a prominent cannabis information and e-commerce platform, founded in June 2010 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The company started as a project by three engineers aiming to create a comprehensive cannabis strain database. Since its acquisition by Privateer Holdings in 2011, Leafly has grown significantly, becoming publicly traded in 2022. It attracts over 120 million annual visitors and supports more than 4,500 retailers and 8,000 brands worldwide. Leafly offers a variety of services, including a cannabis strain database with over 5,000 verified strains, educational resources with over 9,000 articles and guides, and e-commerce tools for retailers. Their mobile apps allow users to browse products, read reviews, and place orders for pickup or delivery. Additionally, Leafly provides targeted advertising solutions for brands and dispensaries to effectively reach their audiences. Under the leadership of CEO Yoko Miyashita, Leafly continues to focus on regulatory compliance and market expansion.