Leland Radovanovic
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Communications strategist
Grasslands
Of all the marketing campaigns Leland Radovanovic has worked on, the world’s largest pot brownie remains one of his favorites because it taught him a big idea outweighs a big budget.
“The idea to create the world’s largest pot brownie was a wacky idea, but their kitchen team (at MariMed Inc.) worked day and night to create it, and my PR team at the time worked in overdrive to launch it,” Radovanovic says. “Our teams won several awards for what was essentially a spend of well under $10,000 to get Super Bowl levels of recognition.”
Radovanovic, a communications strategist for the PR firm Grasslands, has spent a decade working in cannabis communications fields including social justice, advocacy, governmental relations and CPG campaigns that have won CLIO and Stevie awards. His advocacy efforts started in college where he founded a campus chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a student coalition to change cannabis laws at City University of New York. The coalition gained the attention of the Cannabis and Hemp Association, where Radovanovic interned and learned the ropes of covering, reporting and promoting events in the cannabis industry.
“I was a lost soul at the time, but that success gave me confidence that there was a sliver of a chance I could turn this into work that supported me,” he says. “A lot of my advocacy efforts fueled my ultimate switch to go into public relations.”
Q&A
When did you first start doing cannabis PR and why has it become a focus?
When I started a chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy at CUNY Baruch in New York City to try to build a student coalition to change the cannabis laws in the state, a small organization called the Cannabis and Hemp Association reached out to get event space at the college. I eventually went on to intern with them to promote their events and used the skills I heard learned in some of my classes about reporter research, press release development, etc to get coverage, and I did. I was a lost soul at the time, but that success gave me confidence that there was a sliver of a chance I could turn this into work that supported me.
It ultimately became a focus because it bridged my passion for changing our drug laws, the wave of legalization starting to sweep the U.S. and these skills that I was learning I was pretty good at.
I saw in your bio that you supported numerous cannabis campaigns – can you tell me a little more about what was done?
A lot of my advocacy efforts fueled my ultimate switch to go into public relations. In 2014-2016 I phonebanked and lobbied for New York’s medical marijuana bill and several state legalization bills, including Maine. Once the MRTA was put forward in New York, I phonebanked, went on lobby days and called and emailed my legislators to pass that bill, both as an individual and a member of the 501c3 non-profit Cannabis Cultural Association. In Los Angeles, in 2017, for Prop M, I was part of the communications team for one of the two advocacy groups behind it, and we ultimately got the Los Angeles Times editorial board’s support, which was a game changer.
What are your hindsight thoughts on New York?
I have massive love for everyone who was a part of the coalition that made MRTA happen, especially the organizing force of the Drug Policy Alliance. But, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. In hindsight, the regulators chosen to regulate in New York, should have been folks with some regulatory experience, and not just the biggest voices or leaders in making the bill happen.
The reality is that New York isn’t facing a unique challenge with illegal shops, but feels like it isn’t using the wisdom from the states that legalized before us to deal with the issue. Licenses, even temporary, need to come thoughtfully and fast, farmers need direct access to retail. The farmers markets were such an awesome idea, that I was disappointed that they didn’t continue. You could meet the farmers, buy their products at fair prices, and not feel like a criminal with arduous intake processes.
What has been your favorite campaign thus far? Why?
My favorite cannabis campaign was not a political one, but rather a brand campaign to support a small product drop for the Massachusetts-based MariMed. The idea to create the world’s largest pot brownie was a wacky idea, but their kitchen team worked day and night to create it, and my PR team at the time worked in overdrive to launch it. Our teams won several awards for what was essentially a spend of well under $10,000 to get Super Bowl levels of recognition.
It taught me that big ideas don’t have to have big budgets (thought it helps) and that photos are truly worth 1,000 words.