As CBD continues its exploding popularity in the US, it’s clear that at least a part of the reason why it’s such an in-demand commodity is due to the media coverage surrounding the cannabinoid.
Seeing as how hemp oil/CBD products are rapidly emerging as the go-to choice for many Americans, the media is, at times, struggling to identify the issues that need to be cleared up before its final report.
One of the areas which seems to be causing confusion in the mainstream press has got to do with legalization. To be fair, the rules and regulations surrounding the use of hemp oil/CBD have always been complicated and confusing. A major reason for this is that while the government has approved the use of hemp-derived CBD in all 50 states of the US, the FDA still classifies CBD as an illegal substance. This means that manufacturers of CBD-infused products first need to get permission from the FDA for the sale and distribution of CBD products.
To make matters worse, the laws governing the use of CBD also vary according to the city and state. This makes the whole process of legalizing extremely confusing for a lot of people to wrap their heads around. It’s important to note that when it comes to the legalization of hemp oil/CBD products, the FDA approves products which don’t contain any THC due to its psychoactive effects. Furthermore, the FDA states clearly that all CBD products need to be derived from hemp and need to contain less than 0.03% of the THC compound.
The CBD craze has naturally attracted many journalists who are moving in to fill the gap in hemp reporting, one area that has remained largely unexplored.
Keeping in mind the dearth of information regarding the hemp oil/CBD industry—and CBD in particular—it’s best for those who are planning to use hemp oil/CBD and extracts to first do their own research and review CBD products to find one that best suits their needs.
Of course the internet has completely transformed the way we consume news. Such is the power of the internet. But, as newspapers and television news outlets make their slow journey going the way of the dodo, one area that’s continuing on its upward trajectory is hemp journalism.
The expanding hemp industry in the US has made quite a few strides in the right direction, one of them being creating thousands of jobs for the new hemp industry that’s still relatively in its infancy. The CBD craze has naturally attracted many journalists who are moving in to fill the gap in hemp reporting, one area that has remained largely unexplored.
The new-found interest in hemp journalism comes at just the right time not only in the US, but also our neighbor, Canada, where the hemp industry is flourishing.
As interest in hemp and hemp-related products continues to grow, more people are turning towards reliable sources for news updates. This has led to many network news divisions creating new specialized beats for hemp oil/CBD in an attempt to keep up with the ever-changing news in the industry.
While hemp and hemp oil/CBD journalism has become more popular these days, these three journalists stand out in this budding new industry.
Alex Halperin
Alex Halperin is another reporter in the cannabis world who’s demonstrated his dedication to the industry. Halperin is an editor at Weedweek.net, a Los-Angeles based news-centric destination that exclusively covers the hemp industry. Halperin left a career as an editor at Salon to become a freelancer for news publications such as The Guardian and other hemp-related news sites.
Mona Zhang
Mona Zhang is a New York City-based journalist and regular contributor to Forbes who was quick to fill the void in the hemp beat. Zhang is also the creator of Word On The Tree, which is a news outlet that’s dedicated to the hemp industry. She recently joined POLITICO as a cannabis policy reporter.
Solomon Israel
Solomon Israel was a writer and producer at CBC News in Canada before making the move to Leaf News that exclusively covered the cannabis industry. The journalist joined MJ Biz Daily in March and reports on every hemp-related issue from health and medicine, sports, science and politics.