Weed has gone mainstream, and it's been rebranded as a wellness drug that you can customize to fit your needs. Want to feel relaxed? Well, you'll need a kind of pot called Indica. Want to get pepped up? Go for Sativa. But what can weed really do for us? We’re going to pack a bowl full of science facts, sit back, put our feet up and find out: Can cannabis really improve your mental health? Does it matter what strain you take? And how safe is it – can it mess with your memory? To find out, we talk to agricultural scientist Dr. Sean Myles, psychopharmacologist Dr. Amir Englund, and psychologist Dr. Carrie Cuttler. 

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsCannabisTranscript 

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) A New World of Weed

(05:32) Can Different Strains of Weed Do Different Things for You?

(13:18) Can CBD Give You a More Mellow High?

(22:46) Can Weed Help with Anxiety or Depression?

(24:55) What Are The Risks of Using Cannabis?

(35:30) What’s the Safest Way to Use Cannabis?

(38:25) Can Weed Boost Your Creativity?

This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, and Joel Werner. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Professor Ryan Vandrey, Professor Christopher Barnes, Dr. Siqi Xue, Professor Susan Tapert, Dr. Michael Dunn, Dr. Linda Parker, Professor Deepak D'Souza, Professor Vikaas Sohal, Professor Loren Frank, and Dr. Ethan Russo. Also thanks to Jill Conforti, the Zukerman Family, Joseph Lavelle Wilson, Bernadette Sciandra, and Chris Suter. 

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