Week after week, Apple News serves me the same story about cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). The article is months old, but it still maintains a weekly spot in the ‘Top Stories’ served up by my iPhone. That makes sense to me. Negative headlines and fear-mongering sensationalism sold papers, and now they grab coveted clicks. But the coverage that has really been grinding my gears centers on culture and lifestyle.
Today, NPR and CNN captured the top headlines for cannabis news. NPR served up a well-written business profile on flavors driving trends. CNN profiled a big group of moms who consume cannabis, titled “These women say smoking weed makes them better moms.” Both stories are well-reported and valid, but cannabis media has been writing them for years. I wonder when (or maybe if) the two worlds will ever meet.
Cannabis media had a head start writing about the plant. It only makes sense that we share a more in-depth understanding of what is happening right now. We also write for people looking for weed stories. These outlets are speaking to the general American who may have never seen a marijuana bud in their life.
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The counterculture weed writing scene was born of necessity. It was dangerous to possess cannabis, and still is in some places. That is why High Times magazines used to arrive in opaque plastic like pornography. But those times are gone.
One might argue that mainstream coverage is the final boss of an issue, and perhaps pubs can move on into new territory. This looks like accepting that there are cannabis moms and moving on from that being a novelty. That might be good for everyone and push the envelope into more exciting, nuanced cannabis coverage for the masses.
While I may feel salty about these stories getting the coveted top Google spot over the multiple things I’ve written on the topic in the last few years–this is a good thing overall. These publications reach a bounty of people I continue striving to reach with my words. At the end of the day, I’m thankful that three talented journalists chose to lovingly tell stories about the cannabis plant.
