Ricardo Baca (born c. 1977) is an American journalist best known for being the first full-time marijuana rights editor for a major American newspaper.[1][2][3] He was an editor at The Denver Post, producing The Cannabist for over three years until December, 2016.[4][5] He is the "central character" of the 2015 documentary film Rolling Papers.[6] He also shares his name with the first person to be convicted for the possession of marijuana after the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was put into action.

Rick Baca
Bornc. 1977 (45-46 years old)
EducationMetropolitan State University of Denver
Occupation(s)Journalist, editor
Known forThe Denver Post
Rolling Papers

Education

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Baca went to high school at Westminster High School in the Denver suburbs, where he wrote for the school paper. He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1999 from Metropolitan State University of Denver.[7]

Work

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Prior to The Cannabist, Baca worked at Corpus Christi Caller-Times from 1999 to 2002,[3] and following that, was The Denver Post's music critic and entertainment editor for more than a decade.[6][7] Baca also co-founded Denver's Underground Music Showcase in 2002.[8]

In 2016, Baca started Grasslands: A Journalism-Minded Agency, which provides PR, content, and social media marketing for cannabis businesses and others in highly regulated industries, real estate and healthcare.[9]

Personal life

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Baca has been married since c. 2015.[10]

Books

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  • Baca, Ricardo; Davenport, Jad; Schindler Connors, Martha; Wagner, Kyle (2012). Fodor's Colorado (10th ed.). Fodor's. ISBN 9780307928429.

Film

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  • Rolling Papers, 2015, directed by Mitch Dickman

References

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  1. ^ Haughney, Christine (December 8, 2013). "Quips Follow Denver Post's Naming of Marijuana Editor, but Its Intent Is Serious". The New York Times. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  2. ^ Perry, Tod (February 26, 2016). "The Country's First 'Marijuana Editor' Talks Weed". GOOD Magazine. Good Worldwide. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Patrick Coffee (September 3, 2014). "So What Do You Do, Ricardo Baca, Marijuana Editor for The Denver Post?". Adweek. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  4. ^ "Editor-in-chief Ricardo Baca says farewell to The Cannabist", The Denver Post, December 29, 2016
  5. ^ Andrew Kenney (6 June 2017). "The Denver Post's marijuana editor campaigned against drug testing for pot at the paper". Denverite. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  6. ^ a b Jones, Corey H. (May 2, 2014). "Colorado film documents Denver Post's marijuana coverage". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  7. ^ a b Wilmes, Tom (June 23, 2015). "Seeds of Change: Ricardo Baca breaks new ground as he covers one of the biggest stories to come out of Colorado in years". Metropolitan Denver Magazine. Metropolitan State University of Denver. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  8. ^ Ashley Dean (2017-07-24). "How the "underground" became the biggest show in Denver". Denverite. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
  9. ^ Rolling Stone Culture Council (2020-11-19). "Meet Six Leaders From the Rolling Stone Culture Council". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  10. ^ St. John, Colin (July 24, 2015). "The Cannabist's Ricardo Baca Totally Watches 'The Bachelorette': The marijuana editor lights up the spectrum". Inverse. Retrieved July 13, 2016.

Further reading

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