Mitchell Colbert is a freelance journalist and formerly an editor of The Leaf Online. He has written over one hundred published articles for outlets including Cannabis Now, High Times, the Wine Industry Network, About.com, AlterNet, and Burn After Reading Magazine. As a journalist and cannabis researcher, Mitchell has written on the medical effects of cannabis, the environmental issues around growing, the history of hemp, cannabis genetics, stocks, and has also written pieces outside of cannabis on the opioid epidemic, coffee, alcohol, salvia divinorum, and even 3d printing.
Mitchell was born in San Francisco, and grew up in Marin county, home of the 420’s Waldos. He began researching and writing on cannabis as an undergraduate student at San Jose State University (SJSU), where he graduated with honors on the Dean’s List, focusing on the War on Drugs and its impacts on individual freedom. While at SJSU, Mitchell was the chapter president of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), going to DC and Sacramento, as well as serving as both a regional director and campus coordinator for 2010’s Prop 19 campaign, which almost made California the first state to legalize the adult-use of cannabis. Since working for Prop 19, Mitchell has worked in support of two other campaigns to legalize cannabis in California, including last November's Prop 64. Outside of the War on Drugs, Mitchell has been very active in the struggles to refund California’s schools, defend America from NSA spying, transgender/LGBT rights, and the Occupy movement (Santa Cruz and San Jose).
After spending five years at Harborside, the world’s largest medical cannabis dispensary, Mitchell became a senior consultant for Pistil + Stigma, a boutique consulting firm focused on government compliance issues. An avid Burner, Mitchell has been everything from a Master of Games for Super Street Fire, a helping hand on 2015’s Temple of Promise, as well as volunteering with multiple regionals (SF x2, Santa Cruz x2).
TL:DR - I like to write about drugs, sea/spacesteading, and other disruptive technologies. I also take photos of graffiti and other street art , abandoned people and abandoned places are my muse.