A news reporter at the CBS affiliate in Anchorage, Alaska, quit her job during a live broadcast Sunday night after revealing herself to be the owner of a medical marijuana business.
KTVA’s Charlo Greene had just finished a report on the Alaska Cannabis Club when, during the live in-studio shot, she shared that she actually is the owner of the business.
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“Now everything you’ve heard is why I, the actual owner of the Alaska Cannabis Club, will be dedicating all of my energy toward fighting for freedom and fairness, which begins with legalizing marijuana here in Alaska,” Greene said. “And as for this job, well, not that I have a choice but, f— it, I quit.”
Greene then walked offcamera, and the broadcast cut to stunned anchor Alexis Fernandez, who apologized for the incident.
KTVA executive news director Bert Rudman also apologized to viewers in a statement posted on the station’s website: “We sincerely apologize for the inappropriate language used by a KTVA reporter during her live presentation on the air tonight. The employee has been terminated.”
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Greene told Alaska Dispatch News that she hadn’t planned to quit on the air so abruptly. Asked what prompted her decision, she replied: “Because I wanted to draw attention to this issue. And the issue is medical marijuana. Ballot Measure 2 is a way to make medical marijuana real. … Most patients didn’t know the state didn’t set up the framework to get patients their medicine.”
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The measure, which would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Alaska, goes before voters Nov. 4.
Greene added that her bosses didn’t know she owned the business.
“If I offended anyone, I apologize, but I’m not sorry for the choice that I made,” she said.
Update: Greene posted a video on YouTube titled “Why I quit” in which she makes her case for legalizing the use of marijuana.
