SYNOPSIS: While much of the U.S. has given a green light to cannabis, the South remains mostly hostile to legalization. This week we look at recent moves in three states to restrict hemp-based THC products — and why Virginia still doesn't have a commercial weed market, even though marijuana is legal. In our conversation, we talk with Ilham Askia, CEO of the East Lake Foundation in Atlanta and co-founder of the nonprofit Gideon's promise. She has worked in both criminal justice reform and community development, and she talks about the connections between the two. We also check in on a special production of the play The Miracle Worker — staged every year at Helen Keller's birthplace in Tuscumbia, Alabama.

SHOW NOTES: "Tennessee Governor Signs Hemp-Killing Legislation" Cannabis Business Times "Game Over in Texas" Cannabis Business Times "Alabama Governor Signs Bill to Regulate THC Products" Cannabis Business Times "Legality of Cannabis by U.S. Jurisdiction" Wikipedia "Youngkin's Vetoes Take Another Hit on Cannabis Reform" Virginia Mercury "Grassroots Support for Legalizing Marijuana Hits Record 70%" Gallup East Lake Foundation Gideon's Promise 'The Miracle Worker' at Ivy Green CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764