"The Power of Positive Thinking: How to Transform Your Mindset and Achieve Success" Jane Klein, CEO of Quick American Publishing joins Susan Burns to talk about her journey in the cannabis industry. She discusses how she has always believed that cannabis users should not be stigmatized and shares her personal story about her husband, Ed Rosenthal, who was arrested in 2002 for running a marijuana operation. Produced by PodConX Bodacious Women in Cannabis - https://bodacious-women-in-cannabis.simplecast.com/ Susan Burns - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sburnslegal/ Jane Klein - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-klein-12b56213/ Quick American Publishing - https://www.overdrive.com/publishers/quick-trading-company Recorded on Squadcast
"The Power of Positive Thinking: How to Transform Your Mindset and Achieve Success"
Jane Klein, CEO of Quick American Publishing joins Susan Burns to talk about her journey in the cannabis industry. She discusses how she has always believed that cannabis users should not be stigmatized and shares her personal story about her husband, Ed Rosenthal, who was arrested in 2002 for running a marijuana operation.
Bodacious Women in Cannabis - https://bodacious-women-in-cannabis.simplecast.com/
Susan Burns - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sburnslegal/
Jane Klein - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-klein-12b56213/
Quick American Publishing - https://www.overdrive.com/publishers/quick-trading-company
[00:00:00]
Hi, this is your podcast host, Susan Burns. I'm also a lawyer in my day job in the cannabis industry. Nothing delights me more than showcasing Bodacious Women in cannabis. Today we are talking with Jane Klein and the current sort of end story is that she's the c e O of Quick American Publishing. But she has a whole, as many people do, a personal story about how she started on this journey and what adds, uh, meaning to, or punch to her publishing, I guess.
So you're really gonna enjoy this conversation. What a fascinating person. Welcome Jane.
Oh, I'm delighted to be here. Thank you for the invite.
Yes. Just really looking forward to this full-blown conversation here. So you were telling me when we were [00:01:00] talking a bit ago, Jane, about that you are now publishing in cannabis among and psychedelics, um, and that's what your publishing company does, but. There is a whole reason behind your passion for this industry.
Tell us about that.
Well, I, I, I've always felt, um, probably since my first, uh, inhalation, um, that there was no, um, reason to stigmatize. Cannabis users the way they were. Um, whether you're calling them dirty hippies or, um, you know, going back to the marijuana being a maybe a, a racial slur. But anyway, you know, there was no
Or arresting, arresting Vietnam War veterans.
And so there was no reason to stigmatize cannabis users. Um, and I was very fortunate after a series of [00:02:00] entrepreneurial ventures in, um, fashion and other marketing positions to have married into the publishing industry through my husband, ed Rosenthal Ed, in addition to being the person. That has taught, um, decades of people how to appreciate and grow, uh, quality Cannabis was a dedicated crusader who even, um, faced a federal trial, uh, when he was arrested, um, implementing the California state laws.
So can you I, as a lawyer, I have to confess I'm a little bit, my interest is a little bit peaked about the legal issue. Can you, can you explain a little bit more about
yes, it was, um, you know, it was quite a meaningful time in my life. Um,
and when was
was in, in two th Well, we're, we're getting into a 20 year anniversary now. This [00:03:00] was in, in 2002, right after Valentine's Day. Um, we had a big, a knock on our door and my ed, thinking it was a, a neighbor in need went down totally, um, bear and was greeted by, um, uh, F B I D E A, um, treasury Department.
And they thought that he was running a big marijuana. Operation because he was deputized by the city of Oakland to help implement the new state law that had come about in 1996. The California was the first major medical and marijuana law, and he, he as this deputy, um, the city felt he would have some of the immunity that a DEA agent has when they are.
Um, holding drugs usually to, um, entrap somebody. Um, but the, the feds didn't agree with that. [00:04:00] And, um, they arrested him and it turns out that his big operation was a clone factory. That he was basically growing starter plants that then he would, um, the dispensaries would then sell to patients so they could grow their own.
And his federal trial a year later became a real, um, tipping point in, um, what we called the medical marijuana, um, laws in that the newspapers, like the New York Times started to write a piece about Ed almost being like Billy Budd. Where he, he was hadn't, he was actually a positive figure, but the law said he needed to be punished.
And this was during Bush Ashcroft. And, um, as the trial went on, the Times had editorial saying that it was, this trial was a misguided, and that the war against [00:05:00] medical marijuana was misguided and cruel. And if the state, if the feds had an issue, they should take it up with the states rather than individuals.
So, um, unfortunately the judge told the jury that they, they had to base it on federal law. And, um, also we could not present any witnesses like from the city that had, um, a authorized this program. But the, um, jury came back with a guilty verdict. And when they went home and read the newspapers about this being a medical marijuana case and a real, uh, trial about California being able to implement its policy, they came out in force and repudiated their verdict
Wow,
international.
So,
that's amazing.
it [00:06:00] was very, um, it, it was a, a very, um, thing that I'm most proud of as a citizen. And, um, you know, being part, part of that and standing by my husband, my, our daughter who was 12 at the time, Um, they put a microphone in front of her and asked her what she thought and she said, my dad is sticking up for sick people.
My dad is a hero. And that went out on um, am drive. So we feel as, um, you know, that in many ways that we changed the conversation, medical marijuana was no longer like in, in quotation marks medical marijuana. And we know today that we even have very conservative states like Oklahoma, um, having very liberal medical marijuana laws.
And of course we've moved on to, um, as we mentioned earlier, Minnesota might become the [00:07:00] 23rd state to actually have adult use. And, you know, bringing back to my publishing career, I do feel that the, the books that we wrote and the, the distributors that stood by us, um, uh, You know, that actually we helped people realize that cannabis was, um, not to be stigmatized.
That they were a majority in their thinking and in their use. And, you know, and, and we've seen that in the last, um, you know, decade or more of people getting out to vote.
Yes, that's true. So now at the time of the court case and the the arrest and case and trial, were you publishing on marijuana or not yet?
No, I had actually stepped in. Um, ed had, um, been famous columnist in, in High Times before the internet Ask Ed and uh, it was his [00:08:00] column. And so, uh, we had, he had published books, um, about, um, marijuana question Ask Ed. And he had one of the leading cultivation titles at the time. Uh,
His own
All, all books. And um, and then, um, when, when I, um, came in to run the company, we started, um, producing more books, um, and marijuana, the Law on You.
In fact, when he was under trial, he had a book, um, marijuana Don't Get Busted. You know, and it talked about things like don't have fights with your girlfriend and just things, how to stay, um, under the reminders of how to stay under the radar, whether it was camouflage or, um, cultivation tips to bring your pla your plants in early.
And I remember Barnes and Noble ordering during the trial, um, ordering about 500 copies of that book, marijuana.
Nice.
get the [00:09:00] irony of it. Um, I.
So it, and so do you publish, um, is everything that you publish. Self-authored or do you publish for other authors?
we publish other authors. We've had several books of, at the time of medical marijuana, um, information books, um, that was published, written by Dale Garinger, who's the head of California normal. Um, we have a, we had a medical marijuana 1 0 1 written by, um, somebody who, um, was actually in the industry making edibles.
Um, we have cookbooks, um, we have actually a, a book now about understanding your C B D T H C ratios that was written by a, um, a PhD expert in the field. And we actually, at one point, um, Republished, uh, something that Harvard Press, um, had published marijuana reconsidered by, um, professor Grinspoon, who this was way back in [00:10:00] the, um, I think it was the late sixties, um, realized that marijuana was the only thing that was helping his young son get through chemotherapy therapy. So, uh, you know, so that's been in, in addition to Ed's books. And then, um, I guess this was about 15 years ago, we took over the publishing of a classic book about psilocybin. Um, psilocybin Magic Mushroom grower was written in the seventies by, um, uh, Dennis, um, and Terrence McKenna. Two, uh, brothers who were just the leaders in understanding, not just psilocybin, but um, the, the power of, of plants, a wide range of plants, both, uh, medically and psychologically.
And at the time, they wrote under a pseudonym. Um, and we were very fortunate in when we took over the publishing from, uh, the, the estate, Terrence had passed [00:11:00] away. Um, but right before that, Terrence had written a forward of what he would've liked to have said. And, um, We were able to include the, the, these, these modern words from Terrence in this book.
And that's actually surprisingly one of our best sellers, even though it's not, uh, it's a how-to book of how they did it in the seventies. Very old. And, um, things you would never do today. Like, like how put it shag carpet, you know, have the jars on shag carpeting.
People dunno what she carpeting is anymore.
you know, now you'd be much more aware of, of sterilization and clean surfaces.
yes.
the, um, the ethnobotany in that book and, and the, the love for what they were doing promoting, um, the access to psilocybin, it makes it a very popular little book. And I'm very pleased that we're going to be publishing in the fall.
A book called Welcome to [00:12:00] Psilocybin, which covers, um, has actually a forward by Dennis McKenna. And that is, um, shows a very easy at home method. Of growing your own mushroom stash from a, um, from somebody who's been teaching, um, a course o online, and we feel in book form we can make it a, a more permanent record with many more graphics and he produces online.
So we're, we're very excited about that.
Very nice. Yeah. So in the, um, when you started publishing, um, about Canvas, was it intended that that would be your publishing business model or were you just using it as a vehicle? To disseminate information in the beginning.
Um, I think both, but I think that definitely when, when, um, When Ed was, um, he, he was his books and [00:13:00] he had started the company. It was a dissemination of, of information and I saw it more as a, uh, they could be expanded into a, a dissemination about the culture and, um, I, I mean, if we are a very small publishing company, I, I know so many books that I could do if we, um, you know, if we had, we were committed to more staff.
There's, there's, um, I. There's much more information now, um, about, um, uh, the aroma mono molecules and turp turp, which are called terpenes. Um, there's a group called jis, which I love to promote that with, like, almost like sommelier about wine.
Yes. Yes.
you know,
And the combination of terpenes with different, you know, ICERs and all the whole thing. Yes,
How, how to have a cannabis based based wedding. [00:14:00] So, um, you know, fortunately some of that is out there digitally, so, um, you know, but, but I think just promoting the community, um, I mean, we ev we even have a business book called Branding. Bud the commercialization of cannabis. And it focuses on a lot of, um, you know, the companies and, and how they've distinguished themselves and their packaging and, and their branding.
And, you know, and, and of course I'd love to do a little bit more in the law field. Um, uh, our mutual friend, Mary Shapiro, um, puts out wonderful blogs about how to avoid things like canna and green in your trademarks.
Oh my gosh, yes. Do we need any more Canna? No.
so.
Yes, exactly. Great points. And, um, so along the way, as you've been publishing and growing your business [00:15:00] is. Would it be a fair characterization to say that your husband's arrest was like one of the major stumbling points in that journey, or have there been other challenges that you've faced that you've been able to navigate and continue operating?
Well, I have to say.
know, challenges come in. You too. You can take 'em many ways, but, uh, the most successful people take the challenge and turn it into an opportunity, which it. Sounds like you did with the trial, but I was wondering if there was something else along the journey, other sticking points that might be instructive for listeners.
No, actually, I, I think the trial was a big boost, um, for us, not just in the book, don't get busted, but, um, you know, in, in, um, I, I go to book signings with Ed, um, and, and not necessarily at bookstores, but at like cannabis, um, focused events. We just came [00:16:00] back from. Cannabis in Spain and there's the Emerald Cup here in California and it's so heartwarming to see people come up and wanna shake his hand.
Sometimes people bring their old books, things, things that, like, you wouldn't use an old computer book, so you shouldn't be using that old grow book, but they just, they wanted to sign it. Um, so it's very heartwarming for me as a, you know, first thing as his husband, but, but also as a publisher, you know, to be part of something that people, um, you know, some people say, this is the first book I read, cover to cover.
Uh, we used, we used to call it the, um, in one, one of my ad campaigns was the Ed Rosenthal literacy project.
One way to get people reading.
Um, now,
There you go.
our challenges now for all publishers is, um, you know, it is, uh, [00:17:00] well, I. Who knows what AI will mean, but is certainly with how two books is, you know, is, uh, YouTube. It, it's just, it's a tool and it's a challenge. And of course, you know, we make sure that, you know, our author and our other ED and, and our, um, I know our psilocybin o um, authors, um, have some presence.
But, um, you know, it's definitely, it is definitely, um, You know, YouTube, YouTube is the, the biggest challenge, uh, because people can just go there for instant information as compared to investing in a book.
In shorter, in shorter timeframe cuz all the shortening of tension spans, which I find myself most frustrating. Because I used to love to curl up with books and just read, read, read, read, read. And now I'm like, after five minutes, I'm like, what else can I do? It's very, it's very, um, I have [00:18:00] to work on
Yeah. And then, I mean, the other challenges, I mean, we've, um, I, I forget what, um, The name of the company was, but, uh, credit cards, I mean, we sell books. We sell books on the internet, and, um, we've had credit card services that we've been with for decades, and all of a sudden they do a review and they go even, I mean, this really happened like three years ago.
That we, um, we, the card company, uh, server that we work service that we were working with said, we can't service your credit cards anymore. And, and cannabis companies are going through this all the time still. I mean, I'm booked, so I was able to convince another company. You know, uh, I, I, my thing is censorship causes blindness.
Um, but. You know, but there's, there's companies you know, that are, um, whether it's grow equipment or, or [00:19:00] seeds or the fact that you can now ship, um, uh, certain cannabis products like C B D Interstate because of the Farm Bill, and yet they still have to always deal with banking relationships. And, and being threatened of, um, having that disruption in their business.
Ed had that during the Nancy Reagan era that, um, you know, the, just say no. All of a sudden printer, he had printers, wouldn't print his books. And I think that's a real serious warning that, um, we shouldn't put under the rug that, um, a, a, a public policy. Um, and, and, you know, inflaming the pu uh, you know, p public like that, um, can actually cause serious censorship.
His books were about growing, growing cannabis. It wasn't about, uh, putting together a ghost gun.
Yes. And you're, you're so right. That is, it can do [00:20:00] untold damage to many people who are innocent and also doing a be creating a benefit. Um, but because there's a perception or misperception on how something works, the tide turns and yes, we've seen that in a lot of different instances. How about, um, what about a benefit that's something that's happened in your journey that you were thinking, oh my God, I never in a million years dreamed that this would happen.
This is so awesome.
Uh, Ben. Well, I mean, I could, I still think some of the, the trial, you know, and the, um, the appreciation for the literature and for people's ability to grow their own. Um, I, I think that's a, a major contribution. I'm also a hobby gardener of all sorts of plants. Um, I thought it was wonderful, you know, [00:21:00] side effect of the pandemic and people isolating.
I. Um, our, our book Business Soared our, our, our cannabis, uh, cannabis, uh, grower's handbook. Because people had the time. I think it's just wonderful that they had the time to, to, to, um, to be out there and, and, and watch a plant grow and care for it because, um, it's, it's. Plants are, um, they can't wait if they have a bug or a mold, you know, you have to use your eyes and figure out that troubleshooting guide from Ed Rosenthal and solve it.
And that's also healing in and of itself, just digging in the dirt and being with plants and nature and you know, that,
Yeah.
I mean, in addition to growing something that's beneficial,
now we have some, we have some swag. A, a magnet goes out. Um, marijuana may not be addictive, but [00:22:00] growing. It is.
Ah, that's a good one. So, um, how, well, where do people find you, first of all, if they wanna order your books and look at your catalog. And then the second part of that is, What if somebody wants to publish, how would, what would they do? So let's, where do we find you in your catalog? Your extensive catalog of things?
We can't wait to read.
well that's pretty, um, we've centralized everything under our star, so it's ed rosenthal.com and we actually on the website, we have some pretty bodacious things going on. We have a seed giveaway. And, um, uh, you have to, with certain book packages, you get seeds that Ed has, um, been involved in the cultivation.
They're not, um, what we call, um, stabilized seeds that you might get. And pay [00:23:00] for from a seed company. They're, they're, um, but, uh, he encourages what's called pheno hunting. So you plant the seeds and you see this one is taller or this one, um, had, uh, attracted mold. And if you're a serious gardener, then you would take clones from the ones that you like the most.
But the seed giveaway, in addition to. Being, um, encouraging more people to garden. We also, um, give 10% of all sales, not the proceeds but the, the off the top sales to the last prisoner project, which is an organization and you can find them last prisoner project.org. And donate to them directly. And there are still many people in jail, in prison for very small marijuana offenses, and this organization is helping getting them out.
And it also has grants for when they come out and reenter. [00:24:00] Can you imagine being locked up for, for five years or more and, and come out to, um, you know, have lost the opportunity and income or. Connecting with your family or, or just knowing what the, what, what, uh, social media's all about. So, um, that's, that's one of our bodacious moves that we started last year was, was a seed giveaway and promoting last prisoner project.
Good for you. You know, I love that
Okay. It's a good one.
And what about, what about if somebody wants to publish a book? Are you accepting
Uh, yes. I, I, I'm, I, I have to put the caveat out that we're a small company, um, but I, um, they can reach me personally at, at jane ed rosenthal.com and I'm open to all suggestions. I'm opening to a bigger publisher that wants to, um, envelop our, our works and [00:25:00] expand on, um, What we're doing. Um, I think, I think Ed has a lot of, um, for auto Audi audible books.
If, um, somebody wants to take 'em on, I think his Ask Ed, um, knowledge would, would be very entertaining. Um, but I do have to admit, um, there's only so much that, that I can do at this time, uh, with a quick milk in. Please stay in touch with Ed rosenthal.com or his um, Instagram handle at Ed Rosenthal four 20.
Okay. Thank you for that. And Jane, last but not least, what is it that makes you Bodacious your unique brand of Bodaciousness?
I guess I always felt there was no other way. Um, I, I just, um, fortunately, I, um, [00:26:00] evolved at a time when my generation was challenging, um, the war in Vietnam. They, you know, and that, that segued to challenge, um, the attitude about, um, psychedelics and cannabis. So I think I was just always in my peer group given permission to question, and certainly my husband has augmented that.
I think he's the one of the original, um, uh, qu um, rebels, rebels of our time. So he's been a good, very good at mentoring me at, at um, at speaking up and challenging.
So you've had a little help along the way, but that's it everyone. This is Jane Klein, born Bodacious. Thank you so much.
you. Thank you very much for giving me a chance to, to vent. [00:27:00] Okay. Take care.
Thank you.