From her Instagram account, you might think that Christina Wong, CEO & Founder, Fruit + Flower Co., is a bit of a party girl. You’ll often find her at the hottest events the weed world has to offer. Events where work and play are intertwined in a haze of smoke and house beats. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll discover a savvy marketing expert, innovative content creator, and passionate advocate for the cannabis industry.
From Fruit to Flower
After a decade of work in food and hospitality, Christina was burnt out and ready for a change. She saw an opportunity in the legal cannabis industry in California, landing an in-house role at one of the Golden State’s top cannabis wellness companies. It was there that she had an epiphany, “There was a moment standing in the shadow of giant cannabis trees with warm sunlight kissing my face, when I realized that cannabis and food go hand-in-hand,” says Christina. “I combined my experience and knowledge in food and weed to create Fruit + Flower Co., a creative media company based in Los Angeles that brings together cannabis and food in intriguing and sometimes unexpected ways.”
“I started as a 'baked' baker and made beautiful infused desserts. These days, I spend my time as a writer, creator, creative consultant, and community connector. I'm a storyteller who uses food to teach people how to choose better cannabis for themselves—whether through videos and photos on social media; recipes and guides on my Substack newsletter/podcast Fruit + Flower Unfurled; articles written for various publications; or experiential events and intentional gatherings,” she explains.
Christina also assists brands with creative content campaigns, recipe development, public relations, branding, education and training, community building, and event activations. "In addition, I also co-host Mogu Magu, an AAPI culture, food, and cannabis collective, and a partner in The Clever Root, a community celebrating the best of cannabis food, beverage, and hospitality,” says Christina.
The High Life Has its Challenges
Like many creators and creatives, Christina wears (too) many hats. “The gift and curse of being a Generator. I often find myself longing for more time to let loose in the kitchen again without the pressure to shoot content, take photos, write a recipe, post on social, etc.,” she says ruefully. “I love getting high AF and letting my creativity and mistakes fly. Those moments have inspired some of my best work. It's hard running the business while simultaneously being creative,” she adds.
Despite the challenges, Christina remains committed to the cause. “I love helping people choose better cannabis and help them feel better, whether for sleep, stress, anxiety, focus, productivity, pain, or just to have fun and relax,” she says. But she realizes that there are many hurdles before cannabis can become more widely accepted for both therapeutic and recreational uses. “We have been taught to fear and demonize the plant for generations. How can we suddenly expect consumers and lawmakers who were the original architects of the war on drugs to change their mindset? It takes time, education, and positive associations. A national science-backed cannabis education campaign would definitely help,” she argues.
Representation Matters
Christina is also hopeful that cannabis will continue to become less stigmatized as people see more diversity and representation among those who use it for its healing properties. “As the caretakers of multi-generational families and households, women and people of color have an important role to play in shaping the future of this plant and who consumes cannabis. Representation matters. Seeing more diverse faces using cannabis for healing and showing positive associations will continue to shift public opinion and hopefully create positive change,” says Christina.
To that end, Christina and her partners created Mogu Magu, The Clever Root, and Fruit + Flower Co. in part, she explains, so people can “see more people like us celebrating and enjoying our cultural traditions, food, and cannabis together.”
High Hopes for the Future
In a perfect world, Christina would like to see cannabis as common and abundant as the herbs in the supermarket, or as widely grown by home gardeners. “I'd love to see it treated just like any other medicinal plant, herb, or wellness product that you can buy at the grocery store, farmer's market, or plant shop. I want to see cannabis plants in backyards and balcony gardens stretching up towards the sunlight without any shame or fear of neighbors complaining,” she says.
But Christina has concerns that the industry overall is becoming too pharmaceutical and moving too far from the recognizable plant itself. She also worries about the sustainability of the cannabis industry. “Products and packaging produce SO MUCH WASTE. We're going to die buried in a heap of dead, empty vape batteries and plastic containers,” she laments.
Level up your Knowledge with Christina’s Expert Tips and Recipes
Christina is a wealth of knowledge, which she’s happy to share with both new and seasoned cannabis users. You can subscribe to her Substack newsletter and podcast Fruit + Flower Unfurled. For the newbs, she teaches how to cook and bake your own edibles with cannabis at home in her DIY Edibles for Beginners. You can learn to be a more confident baked baker and know exactly how potent your edibles are since her Recipes include dosing amounts for low and high-dose consumers.
“If you want to support me, subscribe to my newsletter and upgrade as a paid member. I'll hook up Jane & Mary readers with a complimentary upgraded-to-paid subscription for one year, click this link to redeem." And don’t forget to follow her on Instagram. @fruitandflower.
Make Christina's beautiful Pesto Cannabis Star Bread Recipe
Donny Burger is one of my favorite unique, savory cannabis strains. The indica-dominant Donny Burger from Glass House Farms has a cheesy, peppery, sharp flavor and aroma. A cross of Han Solo Burger and GMO, which stands for garlic, mushrooms, and onion, its terpene profile is the perfect pairing for soft, fluffy Pesto Cannabis Bread.
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