Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters John Diedrich and Jordyn Noennig are recipients of a 2024 Sigma Delta Chi Award for their reporting on unregulated cannabis products, such as delta-8, that are flooding states where marijuana is illegal.
The national contest, organized by the Society of Professional Journalists, honors excellence in print, radio, television and online journalism.
DIedrich and Noennig won in the category of consumer and retail reporting. The series, named “Highly Legal,” was reported in collaboration with Ashley Okwuosa of The Examination and Amy Yurkanin, formerly of AL.com.
Together, the reporters found that Wisconsin and other states have seen an explosion of hemp-derived gummies, vapes and other products that are highly potent and have sometimes sickened consumers.
Their investigation found that public health experts, regulators and lawmakers have been struggling to keep up with the new class of products.
One U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisor called the industry “a big human guinea pig experiment.”
The Society of Professional Journalists described the work as “the kind of story that gets the attention of regulators and legislators pushing for change.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters win national award for investigation into hemp products
Reporting by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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