CNN Live Report: American Journalism Gone to Pot?

What does CNN's New Year's Eve pot report say about the news judgement of the mainstream media? Watch Gary Lane's interview with Dan Gainor for some insights. 

This past New Year's Day, a new law took effect in California that legalized the growing and selling of marijuana for recreational use for those over the age of 21.

The Cable News Network marked the occasion with a live New Year's Eve report from Denver, Colorado where Randi Kaye was seen with revelers aboard a pot bus (Canibus) holding a lit marijuana cigarette. Later, she placed a gas mask attached to a water pipe to her face.

Her live report also featured a person demonstrating the proper use of a bong pipe.  

"I've got to show you how this works," Kaye reported.

Host Anderson Cooper responded saying, "this doesn't seem like a good idea."

Kaye lit the gas mask water pipe as another person inhaled deeply.

Many outraged parents took to social media wondering why CNN would feature such a report during prime-time television as children watched the countdown to the Time Square ball drop. 

Franklin Graham tweeted: " I wish this were #fakenews, but CNN seems to now be promoting drug use! Their New Year's Eve coverage of Colorado's new pot laws was disgraceful. CNN revels in pot smoke during New Year's Eve report from Denver"

"I haven't seen anything like this before, thank goodness," said Dan Gainor of the Media Research Center.

Gainor said it's not the first time CNN has "humiliated itself" on New Year's Eve.

"Last year Don Lemon appeared to get drunk and get a piercing. Previous years they had Kathy Griffin do embarrassing things that I won't even discuss on air because they were so awful."

And what does it say about the status of journalism in America today? 

Gainor replied, "The whole Trump era of journalism has gone—if you'll pardon the pun--gone to pot."