2 Minutes With Elise McDonough, Director of Marketing at Grön

On brands and products designed for women

A veteran of the cannabis industry, Elise is currently director of marketing at Grön, responsible for brand activities in Arizona, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and Oregon. Previously, she launched beverage brand Gem + Jane and managed Satori Confections for CannaCraft, one of California’s largest cannabis manufacturers.

Elise is the author of the Bong Appétit cookbook and other titles. Her publication credits include Vice, Cannabis Now, Green State and Sensi. She serves as the first edibles editor at High Times magazine and judged the Cannabis Cup competitions (2002 – 2017).

We spent two minutes with Elise to learn more about her background, her creative inspirations and recent work she’s admired.

Elise, tell us… 

Where you grew up, and where you live now. 

I grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. I just moved to Portland, Ore., to join the team at Grön after living in California for 15 years. It’s been rewarding seeing my home state finally legalize it! 

How you first got interested in cannabis. 

One of my first jobs was working at the Cleveland Food Co-op, and that’s where I learned about healthy eating as well as cannabis. The first weed I ever smoked that had a name was Northern Lights. 

One of your favorite projects you’ve ever worked on.

I wrote the Bong Appétit cookbook with Vice Media, based on the TV show, and it remains one of my favorite projects. I developed and tested recipes and assisted with food and prop-styling for the photo shoot.

A recent project you’re proud of.

Launching the Gem + Jane beverage brand with Angela Pih while we were at CannaCraft.

The biggest challenge cannabis marketers face today, and how to approach it. 

Beyond censorship on social media, the biggest challenge is building brand loyalty in a marketplace where most customers are shopping based on price and buying whatever’s discounted. There’s a lot of customer education that needs to be done on quality and product differentiation.

One thing about how the cannabis industry is evolving that you’re excited about. 

I’m excited to see more women speaking up about sexism in the industry and creating brands and products designed for women. Cannabis flowers are the product of the female plant. So, I believe that it’s important to honor the divine feminine when we work with the plant. 

Someone else’s work, in cannabis or beyond, that you admired lately. 

I enjoyed seeing Courtney Zalewski’s work on Devil’s Lettuce. The concept is fun, while being a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement of the past demonizing of the plant and its users. I’ve been a fan of Courtney’s since seeing her work for Lowell’s and the OG Cannabis Cafe—she’s so incredibly talented.

I also got a kick out of the 420-themed BarkBox. It was cute and clever, while being controversial enough to get noticed. 

A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring. 

There’s a documentary about the life and work of Nan Goldin that I found incredibly inspiring: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. Seeing Nan use her art for activism around opioid addiction and calling out the Sackler family is very powerful.

A visual artist or band/musician you admire. 

I love the work of visionary artists including Chris Dyer, Hannah Yata and folks who use found material like Shrine and Patrick Amiot. 

Your favorite fictional character. 

I have been enjoying Jean Smart’st character Deborah Vance on HBO’s Hacks.

Someone worth following on social media. 

Liz Udell, for her insights on social media strategy. As far as content creators, I support the work of the next generation of culinary influencers including Jamie Evans, Christina Wong, Wendy Zeng and Rachel Burkons. I follow journalists Lindsay Bartlett, Mary Jane Gibson, Ellen Holland, Mary Carreon and Jackie Bryant.  

Your main strength as a marketer/creative. 

Originality. I want to create work that has a unique perspective and not just follow trends.

Something people would find surprising about you. 

I love playing pinball and visiting arcades.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in the cannabis industry. 

I’d be rescuing, re-homing and caring for dogs.