Hi friends!

Where do I even start? I’m a photographer by trade, a creative that has somehow mastered the artistry of photographing women over the course of two decades. I photographed everything from weddings to personal branding to boudoir and fashion. I loved my work, but as a new mom, I needed to find a new path that didn’t involve me traveling for weddings every weekend.

During the time of my crossroads in 2016, I was also moving back home to California after my husband’s job brought us to Kansas City for 18 months. Looking back, this was a pivotal moment for me. Wondering how I could pick my career back up, I hosted a couple of photography retreats, attended a fashion workshop, and had a close friend encouraging me to get into cannabis photography.

“Um, no thank you.” I kept saying. As a long-time consumer, my consumption was something I hid from my professional world. I had spent twenty years building my career and reputation, surely I wasn’t going to throw it all away with weed!

My friend, knowing my love for the plant, finally persuaded me to do a photoshoot for a local brand. I remember being scared that I would get in trouble for being around more weed than I had ever been around—like 5 pounds of fluffy nugs!

The shoot was gorgeous and badass, and I definitely enjoyed myself. After the shoot, I decided, what the hell, let’s make an anonymous Instagram account, share my photography, and maybe get some gigs from it. This was a very personal passion project for me and I knew I wanted the letters “MJ” in my Instagram username. Back story—I really wanted to name my daughter Mary Jane and call her MJ. My dear husband let me believe I had a chance to name her that until she was three days old! Reading too many resumes in his professional life had him concerned with branding her with a name that comes with such a bad stigma and he just couldn’t do it. Her name is Jane Ryan which suits her perfectly.

Once I had a few shoots under my belt, I quickly realized that women were completely misrepresented in the industry and there was no one like me—a high-functioning, professional woman (& mother). For all of my adult life, I had been hiding my secret lifestyle because women were either over-sexualized or identified as a “stoner” or “druggie” for using cannabis. This is what inspired me to do something I never thought I’d do, come out of the “Green Closet.” This meant that before I do anything, I needed to sit down with my parents. They seemed disappointed at first which is understandable given the misinformation we have all been fed for decades. I explained to them that Cannabis is a conscious wellness tool and that you can receive great benefits from very small doses. Slowly they became more open to the idea—although my mom wasn’t happy that I didn’t warn her when I made it Facebook official!

“Coming Out Green” is one of the greatest things I have done for my own self. For decades I kept my consumption a secret only shared with close, personal friends. Hiding something and holding onto shame is toxic for our bodies, it was a relief to share my relationship with cannabis to my world and I was happily surprised by the response. Of course, I lost a few clients, but what I gained was far greater. Former clients, classmates, educators, and even my parents’ friends shared their support of my announcement; but even more, people reached out privately sharing their own personal experiences. It became apparent very quickly that women needed to feel free from this burden and I very much wanted to be a part of it.

I designed a lifestyle catalog to show cannabis brands the work I could produce for them. The feedback received was “Is this a magazine, and if not, it should be!”

If you haven't already guessed what happened next, I jumped headfirst into two industries I knew nothing about from a business perspective—Print + Cannabis. As word got out and I explored cannabis business events, the women I met felt like long-lost sisters. For so long, many of us have had this inner turmoil that we struggled with alone in our own minds. While many thought I was crazy for starting a magazine, the women I was connecting with instantly became part of the movement.

I believe that I had to create this magazine, my own visual interpretation of how powerful and extraordinary this plant is, and how women can integrate it into their own daily lives. It’s a fine art time capsule that educates while showcasing women who are in the trenches of cannabis legalization, making history, persevering, and crafting intentional products for purpose-driven companies.

Cannabis & Hemp legalization has been a wild ride for everyone. As a self-funded business navigating my way through both the print and cannabis industries, it has been gut-wrenching. Over the course of four years, I have endured more than I ever thought I emotionally & financially could; and while I have learned significant lessons going from Artist to CEO, the women (& some incredible men) are the reason why I continue to go the distance.

We always knew we were building much more than a beautiful print magazine, we are a sisterhood leading a vital movement. Last February MJ Lifestyle hosted our first Plant Wellness Day Retreat in Northern California and launched MJ Lifestyle’s Plant Wellness Community Membership. In addition to community gatherings, MJ Lifestyle Members receive 4 seasonal plant wellness boxes a year with 6-8 CBD & wellness products to try, plus direct access to our professional support community and endless member perks. I hope you will join us!

xx,