How to Write for Marijuana, CBD Oil, and Cannabis Companies

A billion dollar industry deserves — and pays for — quality writing

[Update log: 2020.1.31 — added Freakonomics link discussing why UK and US have different laws regarding vaping; 2020.1.16 — added source for clinical marijuana research.]

There was a time when writing about marijuana was an act of rebellion. From the cover of Vice magazine to the edgy kid in your high school speech class, a generation ago the arguments being made about marijuana were that it “isn’t that bad” and it “is less addictive than alcohol,” and, of course, “it should be legalized.”

Legal marijuana is here. Where does the path lead? For freelancers, the answer is: work. Photo by Chris Lu on Unsplash

For many of us in the United States, that day has arrived. From limited medical exceptions to full legalization, state legislatures have given the nod of approval to a wave of pro-cannabis legislation over the past five years.

The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that 33 states, along with Guam, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, have approved the medical use of THC or CBD, the active ingredient in marijuana. Many of these states approve smoking marijuana as a delivery system for these chemicals. The NCSL chart reveals that 14 states and territories allow for the full legal “adult use” of cannabis.