40 Under 40: Mona Zhang

A native of the Chicago suburbs who spent her high school years in Beijing and then majored in journalism and East Asian studies at New York University, Mona Zhang got her start in 2015 when she launched her electronic and cannabis-centric newsletter called Word On The Tree. And she never looked back.

The journalist freelanced for a wide range of publications including Cannabis Now, Forbes and Vice before joining Politico with the launch of its cannabis policy page. Based in New York City, she’s excited to witness the roll-out of the legal market.

“There has been a real lack of accountability and investigative journalism in the cannabis world. As legalization spreads and the industry grows, the need for such coverage only becomes more important.”

This story was originally published in the print edition of Cannabis Now.