More Americans use cannabis every day, or almost every day, than use alcohol on a daily basis. That's in large part because marijuana is a lot more accessible than it used to be. More than half of us live in a state where marijuana is recreationally legal.  Nearly 8 in 10 live in a county with a marijuana dispensary.

But marijuana is still illegal in the eyes of the federal government, which means legalization is being managed almost entirely by a patchwork of state policies. Doctors and scientists are starting to worry about what that means for public health. Is marijuana legalization working out like we thought it would? And where do we go from here?

Guests:

Amber Post, realtor from Owasso, Oklahoma

Yasmin Hurd, Director of the Addiction Institute at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York (https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2024/09/to-protect-public-health-federal-government-should-provide-guidance-to-states-that-have-legalized-marijuana-close-hemp-regulatory-loopholes-create-public-health-campaign)

Jonathan Caulkins, Professor of Operations Research and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/add.16519)

00:00 Introduction and Personal Story

01:31 Amber Post's Marijuana Journey

02:43 Health Issues and Discovery

05:20 Legalization and Public Perception

11:13 Medical and Scientific Insights

15:31 Cannabinoids and Their Effects

23:49 Policy and Future Outlook

25:15 The Impact of Potent Cannabis Products on Youth

26:00 The Role of Policy and Regulation in Cannabis Safety

26:51 The Need for FDA Regulation in Cannabis Products

28:21 Concerns About Vulnerable Populations

30:02 The Evolution of Cannabis Legalization in the U.S.

32:59 The Rise of Daily Cannabis Use

36:06 Challenges in Regulating Cannabis Products

43:57 The Future of Cannabis Legalization and Regulation

52:35 Personal Reflections on Medical Marijuana

53:26 Closing Remarks and Additional Resources