The Nomad Cook delivers high-end food infused with cannabis, but he's canceled his Ohio event after we looked into whether it was legal. Lanie Williams

Call it reefer madness – in reverse.

And it’s such a weird journalism story that to fully understand it, you might need your head in a cloud of marijuana smoke.

It begins with Travis Petersen, who calls himself The Nomad Cook and, since 2018, has traveled the country to host pop-up dinners and cooking demonstrations with cannabis as a key ingredient. His 2022 book, The Nomad Cook: Introduction to Culinary Cannabis, sells for $52 on the Barnes & Noble website.

“Gone are the days where infused edibles only mean brownies, cookies and gummy’s,” his website says.

He posted on Instagram that he was coming to Cleveland, catching the attention of food writer Paris Wolfe. Paris knows that anything marijuana related is hot with readers of late, with recreational sales about to be legal in Ohio. Some weeks, stories about marijuana account for three or four of our most read stories. 

So, Paris reached out on Instagram, and Petersen was eager for a story. He spent nearly an hour on the phone with her to fill in the details. The tickets cost $200 plus tips for a seat at the table for “Nomadic Night.” You could only get tickets by contacting Petersen on social media, as he posted nothing publicly or in places Google might find it. If you bought a ticket, you’d learn five days before the dinner where it would be.

Paris understands the Ohio law on recreational marijuana. Voters legalized it last November, with rigid rules. People can grow up to six plants at home, but the only ones who can sell it are those licensed by the state, and so far, no one has been. Nothing in the law allows restaurants or anyone else to serve it in paid dining experiences. That was a red flag for Paris.

Another red flag was Petersen being cagey about where he was getting his marijuana. No place in Ohio can sell it legally yet. Petersen said the weed would come from “a local brand partner” he declined to identify. 

“What we do is still gray,” he said.

Paris did what a good reporter does with red flags. She checks them out. She called state regulators for a comment of the legality of the marijuana dinners. Surprisingly, the regulators declined to answer, and Paris noted that in her story.

Paris’ story about the dinners published at 1:14 p.m. on Monday. At 1:51 Petersen sent out an email to his customers announcing he had canceled the Cleveland event “thanks to this journalist – PARIS WOLFE.”

His email noted that Paris had called regulators to assess the legality of the dinners. “With over 8 years of service, 15000 plus guest served our priority has always been guest safety and unfortunately she has put that at risk,” his email says.

So much for being a gray area. 

His cancellation announcement unleashed a series of ugly emails to Paris.

Thanks for getting nomadic dinners cancelled.  That's pretty s----y to try to hurt someone's livelihood.  Let consenting adults do what they want. Take your communist ideas to a communist country. 

Way to go “Karen”. An amazing dinner has been canceled because you’re an idiot. Hope you get fired.

I hope you’re happy with yourself for your “scoop”, blogger who thinks she’s a journalist. The weed probably came from Michigan. Or even from here, from someone who had access to local. Thanks for asking stupid questions that shouldn’t be asked. Remember how people discussed liquor during prohibition? SAME CONCEPT. FFS. There IS a grey area now. It is legal to possess and use and grow. Dispensaries here don’t have rec yet, and bringing in from Michigan is federally illegal. Until ANY of those things change, DONT ASK WHERE THE WEED COMES FROM. Just be happy that innovative people want to bring those experiences here to Cleveland and don’t be a snitchy Karen just because you don’t partake.

Petersen followed up with his own email to Paris:

I think the people have spoken. Thanks Karen  5 books sold , 3 class sign ups and a whole state who's upset with you 

Class act, there.

Here are the takeaways from this sorry affair.

First, the Nomad Cook was not operating in a gray area. He was in the red zone. And the minute he realized state regulators might be watching, he turned tail, ran away and tried to make a reporter the scapegoat for his irresponsible planning.

Second, Paris did her job – the job you expect from a responsible newsroom. She spotted an interesting story, reported it out and sought answers on some nagging questions about legal issues. Of course she called the regulators. Of course she noted that in her story. Asking questions and reporting to you is what we do here.

Third, if you were among those who sent mean-spirited messages to Paris, you are part of the problem. I’ve said it before, but I can’t say it enough: You owe it to your fellow citizens in this country to get informed. Too many are not. Too many go to social media with uninformed opinions and spread false information. 

Those who wrote to Paris are ignorant about the marijuana laws and about journalism. If they took the trouble to inform themselves, they might be grateful to Paris. They might be happy to learn they didn’t attend an event that likely was illegal, making them complicit. Paris just might have saved them from being marched out in handcuffs.

Yes, marijuana is legal in Ohio now, but it’s not a free market. Just like with alcohol, some pretty serious rules apply. As a talented journalist, Paris understood that. Because of her reporting, a lot of others now understand it, too.

I'm at cquinn@cleveland.com

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