Ed Rosenthal is a researcher, writer, author, political activist, and consultant. He has written many books about marijuana cultivation and culture, including Marijuana Grower's Handbook, Marijuana Pest and Disease Control, Why Marijuana Should Be Legal, The Big Book of Buds series, and more, which have sold over two million copies combined.

He lives in Oakland, CA. Freelance journalist David Downs has covered the arts, technology, and criminal justice for publications including WIRED, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and many more. He has received and shared numerous professional honors, including a 2010 Knight-Batten Award for Innovations in Journalism.

Downs launched the "Legalization Nation" syndicated column in 2009, cofounded the prescient Marijuana Business Report in 2010, and has edited the San Francisco Chronicle blog "Smell the Truth" since 2012. He lives in San Francisco.