While celebrating his wife’s birthday, Derek Riedle had an epiphany that has since impacted his career and everyday lifestyle. Like a true entrepreneur, he took the controversial topic of cannabis and created a business opportunity. Derek Riedle is the founder of Civilized, a media company that targets successful professionals who happen to consume cannabis. They cover pop culture, policy, and entertainment, along with in-depth interviews with celebrities and legislative game changers. He has become an industry leader across North America, reshaping the stereotype portrayed through mainstream media.
Derek began using cannabis regularly in his mid-30s as a way to unwind and socialize without the hangovers and empty calories of alcohol. The night of his wife Terri’s birthday in Venice, California, he wrote a plan for a branded digital publishing platform that would elevate cannabis culture, later named “Civilized.” Though the brand is operating out of New Brunswick, Derek planned for Civilized to focus on a North American audience. “It would be a voice for the millions of productive, motivated people who choose to enjoy cannabis as a healthy part of a balanced lifestyle but do not define themselves by it.” They acquired their first investor a month later.
The perception of the use of cannabis is slowly changing. Millions of people have come forward to speak about the medical benefits, helping those with AIDS, cancer patients going through chemotherapy, and those suffering from epilepsy to name a few. Because of this, 28 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico has legalized the medicinal use of cannabis. As for recreational use, light users show an increase of 5.8 points in their IQ in a study done by CMAJ.
Derek Riedle himself is a perfect example of the target audience for Civilized. He is the founder of Revolution Strategy, a strategic communications agency in Canada, and is the co-creator of the television series Real Houses of, featuring extraordinary houses across North America. Derek founded Civilized in 2015 to refine the perception of cannabis users by offering an elevated approach on cannabis culture. “Our mission is to elevate cannabis culture – to be a beacon for millions of productive, motivated adults who choose to consume cannabis responsibly, but are not defined by it. It’s one aspect of a balanced, healthy lifestyle. Ultimately, it’s about encouraging people to live authentically.”
Civilized is working towards becoming the Vanity Fair of cannabis users, speaking to a high-end audience by offering a broad range of content. Derek is working hard to make that happen. “Working in a start-up, I don’t have a routine or anything resembling a typical day. I’m constantly moving between our offices, evangelizing the brand and meeting with investors – so I basically live out of a briefcase. With offices on either side of the continent, it can be physically tough given the time zones and travel involved. Overall, it’s challenging to keep up with the rapid pace of this industry – to get ahead of the opportunities we want to seize.” His entrepreneurial efforts have not gone unnoticed. The former group President and Publisher of Conde Nast Publications, Mitch Fox, has invested in the brand and is a board member at Civilized.
The use of cannabis is more openly accepted than ever before, and Derek plans to fan the flames towards a future where words like “stoner” and “pothead” it is no longer associated with all users. “It’s time we recognize that cannabis is not the boogie man we’ve been taught to fear. With cannabis becoming increasingly normalized, people are realizing that prohibition really doesn’t make sense – the reality is that overall, cannabis is much less harmful to our society than alcohol, which is readily available.”
