How Jeremy Berke Built Cultivated Media: Cannabis Journalism, Media Strategy & Audience Growth

Jeremy Berke, co-founder of Cultivated Media and former Business Insider reporter, joins us for a deep dive into the business of cannabis journalism, independent media, and the future of audience-first content.

In this episode of the Creator Spotlight from Herbal Profiles, we unpack Jeremy’s journey from traditional media to launching one of the most-read newsletters in the cannabis industry. He shares how he built the Insider Cannabis vertical at Business Insider, grew a 20,000-subscriber newsletter, and why he left it all behind to co-found Cultivated Media.

We cover everything from media growth strategies to advertising conflicts, audience engagement tactics, federal cannabis reform, and what most cannabis publications are getting wrong in 2025.

📌 Topics Covered:
0:00 - Intro
0:48 - Jeremy’s early career in journalism & Business Insider
3:00 - How cannabis became his beat
5:30 - Lessons from launching a cannabis vertical inside a major newsroom
7:30 - What most cannabis media gets wrong
10:00 - How to navigate advertising conflicts in independent media
13:00 - Why Cultivated is built audience-first
15:00 - Live streams, newsletters, events: Cultivated’s growth flywheel
18:30 - The future of cannabis media and building a sustainable media business
21:00 - How you can support Cultivated Media

💬 Want to know what it takes to build a respected media brand in cannabis? Looking for lessons on journalism, integrity, and content strategy? This conversation is a must-watch.

🔗 Subscribe to Cultivated Media: https://www.cultivated.news
📨 Subscribe to the Herbal Profiles newsletter: https://herbal.beehiiv.com/
🎧 Listen to more episodes from the Creator Spotlight series

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