Read David Downs' Resume

David Downs 

San Francisco, CA.
415.240.2742 cell
david.downs@gmail.com

EDUCATION

2004, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL., Medill School of Journalism, Academy of Alternative Journalism, Fellow

1998-2002, University of California Santa Barbara, Bachelor of Arts, English Literature

EMPLOYMENT
2018-Present
California Bureau Chief | Leafly.com
Directs news and lifestyle coverage in-state for the web's leading cannabis information resource. Manages dozens of freelancers. Reports a bi-weekly column 'The Cali Way'. Produces the monthly "Cannabis Commentary" on KRCB public radio as well as The Hash podcast.

2016-2018
Cannabis Editor | San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco, CA.
Created the award-winning lifestyle media vertical, GreenState, at the national metropolitan daily newspaper. Duties included: reporting, writing, assigning stories, editing, photography, art direction, web production, marketing and administration. Facilitated The Chronicle's rise to dominance in cannabis news on the West Coast, liaising with the Metro, Business, Lifestyle, Opinion, and Investigative teams to set story priorities and effort reporting.

2008-2016

Freelance Journalist, Author

San Francisco, CA.

Award-winning arts, technology and cannabis journalist. Best-selling author. Contributing author to Beyond Buds (2014), author of The Medical Marijuana Guidebook (2016) and co-author of Marijuana Harvest (2017). Senior Editor, Cannabis Now Magazine. Syndicated columnist, East Bay Express — "Legalization Nation". Editor, Smell The Truth on SFGate.com. Co-founder, "The Hash" podcast. Product reviewer/photographer, CULTURE magazine. Arts and technology journalism for New York Times, Scientific American, WIRED, Rolling Stone, etc. Village Voice music critic; EDM reporter, San Francisco Examiner; Music App Reviewer, Billboard Magazine.

2007 - 2008

Web Music Editor | Village Voice Media

San Francisco, CA.

Managing a national staff of sixteen including hiring and acquisitions. Digital and print reporting, writing, photography, editing, and production for a national sixteen-paper, alternative newsweekly chain. Doubled SF Weekly.com average monthly page views in eight months.

2006 - 2007

Music Editor/Web Editor | East Bay Express

Oakland, CA.

Award-winning weekly column writing for 70,000 circulation weekly newspaper. Launched East Bay Express daily web content. Editing a twenty-page weekly print music section with a staff of freelancers across the country.

NOTABLE AWARDS
2018 Scripps Howard Breaking News Award for Wine Country fires coverage

2010 Knight-Batten Award for Innovation in Journalism

2008 First Place, Technology Writing, The San Francisco Peninsula Press Club, "The Day The Music Dies"
2006 First Place, Features Writing, the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, "Roboscalper"

NOTABLE APPEARANCES
2018 International Cannabis Business Conference - San Francisco — moderator
2017 International Cannabis Business Conference - Kauai — moderator
2017 Loyola Law School - Journalist Law School — guest lecturer
2016 UC Berkeley Extension - Beat Reporting — guest lecturer