BBC Radio 4’s Today programme is known for many things, but encouraging its listeners to spark up a spliff is not necessarily one of them.
The esteemed morning news programme, with around 7 million listeners a week, is being investigated by media regulator Ofcom after it featured an item about a Seattle-based private equity firm that struck a deal with the estate of Bob Marley to launch a global cannabis brand with the singer’s name, Marley Natural.
Ofcom was concerned about the content of the report, broadcast on 19 November, particularly at a time when younger listeners may have been tuned in.
A spokesman for the regulator said: “Ofcom is investigating whether this news item, about an American company launching a range of cannabis products, condoned, encouraged or glamorised the use of illegal substances.”
The pre-recorded item was included in Today’s business news round-up, fronted by a familiar voice on the programme, business journalist Simon Jack.
Packaged up in a light-hearted fashion designed to give listeners a respite from the heavier news of the day, it featured some of Marley’s music and was even referred to on air as a “puff piece”.
The presenter made clear at the end of the report that it is illegal to buy cannabis in the UK, but it is understood the BBC will concede that the report fell short of its own producer guidelines and should have done more to reflect the social impact of the drug.
Coming up next on Today: how to roll a Camberwell Carrot. Turn on, tune in, drop out.
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