The recreational cannabis business is set to roll out in the new year in Santa Barbara and across the state. But - what are the health implications of making marijuana more accessible to adults who want to use it?

Santa Barbara area health and substance abuse professionals attended a conference to find out what lessons have been learned in Colorado, where cannabis has been legal for a few years. County health officer, Dr. Charity Dean, was an organizer and presenter of the conference. KCSB’s Justin Lamb spoke with Dr Dean to learn more about the event - and its big takeaways.

The current tax overhaul passed this month through the House of Congress is expected to be voted on in Senate soon. The bill raises questions as to when it will finally pass and what it means for higher education. KCSB's Jack Shea spoke with John J. Pitney, professor of American Politics at Claremont McKenna College to find out more.

The US response to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria has been considered inadequate by many. How has Puerto Rico's history of colonization informed this response? KCSB's Tania Colón Morales has the story.

An invasive species is approaching. KCSB’s Angela He has the story.

Living in Isla Vista there's a lot to be grateful for! On this week's show, KCSB's Lisa Osborn speaks with filmmaker Michael Love about his documentary about the Devereux Slough.

Also - Isla Vista youth share what they are thankful for (along with their favorite Thanksgiving foods!). Then, a conversation with LuAnn Miller, executive director of the Isla Vista Youth Projects.

There's a lot to be thankful for in Isla Vista this Thanksgiving week. KCSB's Erin Wetherly spoke with students at the IV Youth Projects after school program to find out what they appreciate about their school, family and living in Isla Vista.

Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to move forward on an expensive and controversial plan to modernize the Taigas Landfill on the Gaviota Coast. To find out more, KCSB’s Lisa Osborn spoke with Mark Schleich, deputy director of the Santa Barbara County Resource Recovery & Waste Management Division, and Phil McKenna, board member with the Gaviota Coast Conservancy, an environmental non-profit which opposes the plan.

The community policing model originated in Isla Vista around 1970. In this episode, Lt. Mark Signa with the UC Police Department speaks with Matt Stern with the UCPD about community policing.

Exoplanets, or planets outside the solar system, show researchers more of what it means to be human. New research from Yale suggests that there are other worlds similar to Earth that potentially have complex societies and cultures. KCSB’s Jack Shea spoke with Doctor Lisa Messeri on her new research.

Image by Dylan O'Donnell, deography.com [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

UCSB is taking steps toward reducing food waste with a couple of new initiatives. Emily Hall with the UC Global Food Initiative has more on the new club called "UCSB's Food-Cycling," as well as the new UC-wide initiative called "My Last Trash."

Image courtesy of the University of California