Most cannabis coverage quotes whoever answered the reporter's query first with something usable. Watch the platforms where queries land — Qwoted, Source of Sources, Featured — reply within hours, credential the founder in one line, and the links follow.
Where reporters actually post queries
HARO, the old default, was folded into Connectively and then shut down entirely. The query traffic did not disappear; it scattered. Qwoted, Source of Sources, and Featured now carry most of it, and plenty of reporters just post requests directly on X. Sign up for all three services, filter alerts to cannabis, retail, agriculture, and small business, and check them like email. Cannabis queries are less common than tech or finance ones, which cuts both ways: fewer chances, far less competition per query.
Speed is the whole game
A reporter on deadline takes the first three usable responses and stops reading. Queries often close the same day they open. Set mobile alerts, keep a plain-text bio ready to paste, and treat a relevant query like a ringing phone. An adequate answer inside two hours beats a brilliant one tomorrow.
Credential the founder, not the brand
'A leading cannabis retailer' is not a source; a person is. Reporters need someone quotable: a name, a role, and a reason to trust them. One line does it — years operating, license type, state, harvest count, whatever is verifiable. Build outreach around your founder or lead grower as the named expert, and put that credential line at the top of every response, before the answer itself.
Write answers a reporter can paste
Three or four quotable sentences. No greeting essay, no company boilerplate, no offer to hop on a call as a substitute for answering. Give the actual answer, one specific detail or number, and an offer of more on request. Never demand a link — reporters notice, and it marks the response as SEO bait.
Bring numbers only you have
The fastest way from source to quoted source is proprietary data. When a reporter was working a 4/20 retail piece, one of our dispensary clients answered the query with its own point-of-sale numbers: how preroll share of the basket jumped on 4/20 against a normal Friday. The response went out ninety minutes after the query posted. The story ran with the stat, the owner's name, and a link. Nobody else in that market could have supplied the number.
Chase the mention when the link is missing
A chunk of earned quotes publish with your name and no link. That is normal, and often fixable. Set an alert on your brand and your founder's name, and when an unlinked mention appears, send a short thank-you that asks whether the name can point to the site. Some outlets decline on policy. Enough say yes to make the five-minute email one of the best-converting tasks in link building.
Key takeaways
- HARO is gone; queries now live on Qwoted, Source of Sources, Featured, and X
- Queries close fast; answer within hours, not days
- Lead every response with a one-line, verifiable credential
- Write three quotable sentences with one specific number, and never demand a link
- Ask politely for links on unlinked mentions; many convert
Frequently asked questions
Is HARO still a thing?
No. HARO became Connectively, which then shut down. The reporter queries moved to Qwoted, Source of Sources, and Featured, plus direct requests on X. The mechanics are unchanged: reporters post, sources answer, and the fastest credible reply gets quoted.
How fast do I need to respond to a query?
Within hours. Reporters on deadline stop reading once they have enough usable responses, and many queries close the same day. Mobile alerts and a ready-to-paste bio are worth more than polished prose delivered tomorrow.
Do media mentions always include a link?
No. Plenty of quotes run with a name only. Track mentions of your brand and founder, then ask the writer politely whether the name can link to your site. Some outlets have no-link policies, but enough agree to make asking routine.
What makes a cannabis source quotable?
A verifiable credential, a direct answer, and a specific number nobody else can supply. License type, years operating, and proprietary sales data turn a pitch into a quote; company boilerplate gets skipped.
Want this done for your brand?
We build cannabis & CBD search visibility with full transparency, for dispensaries, brands, and MSOs.
Get a free cannabis SEO audit ›