Ask a Stoner: William Breathes Puts Down the Pot Pipe

Dear Stoners: Time flies when you’re having fun. Time flies even faster when you’re half-baked and have the greatest job in the world. After two-plus amazing years of answering your (often hysterical) questions about cannabis and five-plus unforgettable years as the nation’s first newspaper cannabis critic, I’ve decided to hang up my bandanna, sunglasses and Rockies hat and put down my critic’s pipe.

It’s all gone by in a flash, and I’m ready to slow things down.

There are several reasons I’m bowing out, but in the end it really comes down to time: I just didn’t have the time to devote to marijuana coverage that the beat deserves. On top of that, I found myself wanting more time with my family (and with toddlers, that rarely involves pot), and increasingly interested in things outside of the amazing (and often frustrating) world of cannabis culture and news. What is important (to me, at least) is that I get to spend more time at home with my family.

The time came for me to make a choice, and while it wasn’t an easy one to make, the time is right.


Am I done with cannabis? Not at all. I’ve been in love with Mary Jane for more than twenty years, and she’s still going to be a part of my life. I just won’t be telling you about the ripe, pungent, rubbery tartness of my Sour Diesel in a dispensary review at westword.com or answering your questions about cannabis in this space every week. I will still be nerding out over amazing cannabis, though, growing a few plants and enjoying the freedoms we’ve gained over the past few years to the fullest.

I feel sad and excited to move on. Westword has been a great home for me, and I’ve always felt lucky to write for the paper I’ve admired for as long as I can remember. It’s hard to leave home. But even as I leave, I’m proud about what we’ve built here at Westword, and proud to know that the paper, the bimonthly Chronicle and the website will keep up the amazing coverage we’ve established over the past half-decade.

Mostly, thanks to all of you for reading. It’s why any reporter does what he does, and I’ve been a lucky man to be able to keep this community informed.

It’s been the time of my life.

Want to be our next Stoner? Tell us in 420 words or less why you think you’re the right person for the job, and describe your favorite marijuana dispensary (recreational, medical or both). Then send your response, along with a resume (if you have one), ASAP to [email protected]. Fair warning: This is a very part-time position, open only to Colorado residents.