108 Professionalizing Cannabis through Journalism Objectivity with Chris Walsh of MJ Biz

“What we felt would help legalization and move the needle with cannabis was sticking to some key tenets her and it's objectivity. It's professionalism. It's journalism ethics.” - Chris Walsh

Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Chris Walsh of MJ Biz to talk about the impact of media in the fight for legalization and how it shapes not only the opinions of the consumers but also of the policymakers. He also gives his take on the resistance against mainstreaming cannabis and the importance of supporting the small players in the market.

[00:00 - 11:13] Establishing a Cannabis Media Brand

[11:12 - 19:41] The Cannabis Industry Then and Now

[19:42 - 26:57]  We Need Professionalism to Survive

[26:58 - 34:30]  The Path Forward is Incremental Change

[34:31 - 43:20] Influencing Conversations Through Media 

[43:21 - 55:46] Pushing for Social Equity and Empowering Small Businesses

Chris served as the founding editor of Marijuana Business Daily during the company’s launch in 2011, becoming the first journalist in the United States to focus exclusively on covering the business of cannabis. As CEO, he now guides the strategic vision of the company and its sister publication – Hemp Industry Daily – while educating mainstream industries about the marijuana and hemp sectors. Chris has been quoted as one of America’s foremost cannabis industry analysts by dozens of media outlets, including Harvard Business Review, NPR, CNBC, and the New York Times. He earned an MBA in international business from Regis University.

Connect with Chris!

Check out the MJ Biz and MJ Biz Daily!

Shayda Torabi has been called one of the most influential Women in WordPress and now she’s one of the women leading the cannabis reformation conversation building one of Texas’ premier CBD brands. She's currently the CEO and Co-Founder of RESTART CBD, a female-run education first CBD wellness brand. And has formerly held marketing positions at WP Engine and WebDevStudios. Shayda is the host of a podcast for cannabis marketers called To Be Blunt, where she interviews top cannabis brands on their most successful marketing initiatives. When Shayda's not building her cannabiz in Texas, you can find her on the road exploring the best hikes and spots for vegan ice cream. Follow Shayda at @theshaydatorabi

Key Quote:

“Our approach has been to really shed light on the bad parts of the industry, and we've got people that don't like us because guess what? This company did something and it was bad. And it created a huge issue in the industry. And so we'll write about the issues. We'll discuss them at our conference. It's not all rosy, right?” - Chris Walsh

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