Kira Tanaka grew up in Garberville and spent her twenties working on a family cannabis farm in southern Humboldt. When the regulatory landscape shifted and the family went legal in 2018, Kira found herself spending more time navigating paperwork than tending plants. She started documenting the licensing process for other growers, which turned into a newsletter, which turned into a career. She studied journalism at Humboldt State and joined the North Coast Journal before launching her industry coverage at California Bud. Kira covers cannabis licensing, cultivation science, wholesale markets, and the ongoing tension between legacy operators and corporate entrants. She knows the difference between indoor and dep, and she does not explain what 215 means.