The Dinner Invite We All Want: On Meeting Chef Jordan Wagman

September 15, 2026
By Nicole Stover

This article first appeared in Volume 7 of Fat Nugs Magazine

One of my favorite things about being a journalist in cannabis is the chance to meet some real motherfuckers who are serious about making change in the world. One such person is Jordan R Wagman, the renowned chef.

Jordan started our interview sporting his red-rimmed sunglasses and taking fatty rips off of his glass pipe. I knew right away he was going to be one of my most favorite people.

An Interview with Chef Jordan Wagman

“I am building the narrative worldwide for what cannabis can be in food and beverage. That’s what I do.”

A Short Intro To Jordan Wagman

Chef Jordan Wagman has been recognized as the Rising Star of North America by the James Beard Foundation, becoming one of the very few Canadians to ever receive the honor. He is a best-selling author of four cookbooks filled with healthy recipes ranging from baby food to appetizers, and a fifth book soon to be released. Portions of the proceeds will go to Last Prison Project, PACT, NORML, and Jewish Family and Child Services.

Jordan was the host of a successful podcast called In The Weeds, available on Apple and Audible. His legendary guest list consists of cannabis industry leader Andrew DeAngelo and the dynamic duo of the Weed+Grub Podcast, Mary Jane Gibson and Mike Glazer. Razor-focused on educating and inspiring, Jordan explained to me where he felt the opportunity lies in reaching others.

“The opportunity is not, as I see it, with the people that currently consume cannabis; it is with those that don’t. All of these people that don’t, they are so curious about cannabis, and they have no idea what to do.”

Coping with Cannabis

Jordan grew up one of four siblings, raised in the bustling, beautiful city of Toronto. At age 12, he was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease psoriasis. A condition in which skin cells build up and form itchy, dry patches, Psoriasis triggers include infections, stress, and cold.

Having been hospitalized several times and experiencing the negative side effects of medications, Jordan began consuming cannabis daily as a way to cope. He didn’t yet understand the wellness benefits of cannabis, but he knew it helped him in a way that nothing else could.

“I have smoked joints every day since I was 12. I was a stoner, pothead.”

A Glimpse Of Hope

Jordan found himself in his second year at York University working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree. Feeling defeated, as he had tried every remedy available with no relief for his condition, Jordan made a radical decision.

He hopped on a plane to Israel in hopes that the Dead Sea would be his saving grace. The salty body of water is rich in zinc and bromide, which are both anti-inflammatory agents. Partnering these treatments with sunshine and a regular routine of working out, Jordan was experiencing an entirely new way of healthy living.

With his psoriasis now manageable, Jordan returned to Toronto. But life quickly resumed as normal. The flare-ups came back. Doing his best to grapple with them, Jordan continued to medicate with cannabis.

I’m Out!

One afternoon while daydreaming in Anthropology class, Jordan made another decision, one that would alter his course in a way he never imagined. Two credits shy of graduation, he headed to Florida, dreaming of a career in the culinary arts. Taking occupancy in his Grandma’s home in Pompano Beach, Jordan seized the opportunity to enjoy life with friends and finish culinary school at The Art Institutes. He spent the next 20 years perfecting his craft and learning new, unique techniques in the kitchen.

“I didn’t want to go with the grain; I never wanted to go with the flow.”

While studying under Oliver Saucy, renowned for his refreshing, balanced cuisine, Jordan honed his skills at The East City Grill in Fort Lauderdale. Upon his return to Canada, he took on the role of Sous-Chef for Mark McEwen and Brad Long at Air Canada Center, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

With years of experience under his belt and passion in his heart, Jordan went on to excel as Chef de Cuisine at Pascal Restaurant, a high-end location in sunny Newport Beach, California, and Executive Chef for Cliff House. Nestled at the base of Pikes Peak in the Manitou Springs Historic District, Cliff House is a luxurious four-diamond hotel known worldwide as one of Colorado’s premier dining destinations.

Purification of Body and Food

By age 43, Jordan had found great success in his culinary ventures, but was still fighting his excruciating battle with psoriasis. Realizing he was finally ready for a lifelong commitment to change, he sought out a Naturopath that could educate him in alternative means of healing. Within 60 days, his flare-ups were clearing, and he had lost 30 pounds.

Jordan removed gluten, dairy, and refined sugars from his diet and continued to consume cannabis with health and wellness benefits in mind. Jordan also began purifying his recipes, substituting refined sugars for things like honey, agave, and maple sugar, as well as infusing cannabis into his food. In doing so, he constructed a unique, full flower experience that his clients rave about!

“When you remove refined sugar from the equation, all of that cannabis becomes way more bioavailable. That is the hypothesis; that’s the premise in which I build all of my experiences on.”

The Dinner Invite We All Want

Our conversation continued as Jordan made his way indoors. We spoke as he stood in a large, open area that looked out onto a lush backyard. Admiring the space, I couldn’t help but tell him how dope it was!

Jordan revealed that he uses the room not only as his office and gym, but also as his dining room. He welcomes clients into his own home and cooks and serves, along with a fully trained staff, healthy, delicious food from the heart, with intent. Having served thousands of people, Chef Jordan has mastered an impeccable technique of infusing his food with cannabis.

I asked him to share what his overall approach to cooking is, “My approach is this – I buy the best ingredients that I can, I do very little to them, and I serve them, but now I do it without gluten, dairy, and refined sugar, and especially when it comes to cannabis, it makes a huge, huge, huge difference.”

The Chef’s experience consists of you and seven guests sitting down to a stunning table in a relaxing environment, where you will enjoy a 10 to 15-course meal finely curated by Chef Jordan with you in mind. Collecting your dietary restrictions and preferences prior to the engagement, Jordan creates a culinary masterpiece that includes 20 mg THC, 50 mg CBD, 25 mg CBG, raw cannabis, and terpenes. The Full Flower Experience. Literally the dinner invite we all want.

“The opportunity is not, as I see it, with the people that currently consume cannabis; it is with those that don’t.”

Educating The Canna-Curious

As our conversation started to wind down, I asked Jordan how he planned to continue advocating for the normalcy of cannabis use. His response was nothing short of amazing.

“Let’s create food and beverages that are conducive to people who are canna-curious – who really want to consume cannabis and don’t know what, don’t know how, and don’t know where.”

Jordan touched on how important education about the plant is, not only for those who consume cannabis, but for those who do not.

“People are not going to come here through combustion; they are going to come here through eating and drinking. And why? Because it’s what we know. We celebrate over food. We mourn over food. We do business over food. Everything is about food and beverage that’s in our life.”

In Closing, Just F*cking Be A Good Human

Jordan’s ultimate goal is to reach at least one person every day. Whether it be through cooking delicious food, writing books, or volunteering his time at the hospital that once treated him as a child, his efforts are put toward making a positive, long-lasting impact on everyone he comes across.

“If you just fucking be a good human, be kind to everybody, just be a good person, and it’s the easiest thing to be, and it changes people’s lives. A simple hello. A simple coffee. A simple Happy Birthday. These little bits of dopamine you inject into someone’s life- it’s life-changing for people.”

About the Author

Nicole Stover is the founder and owner of Copy Cultivated, offering creative writing services focused on cannabis wellness. She is a cannabis copywriter and product reviewer who has been advocating for the medicinal plant for over twenty years. Find her @copycultivated

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