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

They started off as ideological enemies.

Mark Rosenberg pioneered the public health approach to preventing gun violence and opened a branch of the CDC to fund that research. Jay Dickey, the "NRA's point man in Congress", pushed a ban on CDC funding for gun violence research that lasted 20 years – and got Rosenberg fired. On this episode of Top of Mind, we tell the unlikely story of their friendship and what it can teach us about reducing gun violence in America.

Americans are split right down the middle on whether it's more important to control gun ownership or protect the right to own guns. But we agree that too many people die from firearms. They are the leading cause of death for children under the age of 19 in the United States today. Mass shootings are so common they barely capture headlines beyond a day. In 2024, about 40,000 Americans died from gun violence. More than half were suicides.

If Mark Rosenberg and Jay Dickie could come to agree on the need to reduce gun violence, while preserving the rights of law-abiding gun owners, can we do the same?

Podcast Guests:

Mark Rosenberg, MD, public health researcher, former director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCPIC at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199310073291506)

Jay Dickey, former Republican Congressman from Arkansas, gun rights advocate and sponsor of the “Dickey Amendment” (Dickey died in 2017 https://www.nwaonline.com/obituaries/2017/apr/23/jay-dickey-2017-04-23/. We hear archival tape in this episode)

Betty Dickey, former Arkansas State Supreme Court Justice, Congressman Jay Dickey’s ex-wife

Rachel Dickey Haithcoat, Congressman Jay Dickey’s daughter

Garen Wintemute, MD, emergency medicine physician, director of the Violence Prevention Research Program, University of California at Davis

Bindi Naik-Mathuria, MD, pediatric trauma surgeon, gun violence researcher

It’s been about two years since the public got a taste of ChatGPT for the first time. Now, artificial intelligence has seeped into nearly every aspect of our lives. You can use AI to check your grammar or to generate content for social media. Students use it to write essays. AI can also generate artwork, music or audio in seconds. We’re relying more and more on generative AI tools like MidJourney, DALL-E, Claude, Perplexity, and Copilot—and the more we use it, the better it gets. But can AI really be creative? What does it even mean to be creative in the age of AI?

Guests:

Kate Brunotts, freelance music producer (https://www.breakingsound.com/kate-brunotts)

Jon Cockley, co-founder of the illustration agency, Handsome Frank (https://www.handsomefrank.com/)

Lindsay Brainard, professor of philosophy at the University of Alabama, Birmingham (https://www.lindsaybrainard.com/home)

Claire Silver, AI collaborative artist (https://www.clairesilver.com/selected-work)

Links:

Letter from the Artist Rights Alliance: https://artistrightsnow.medium.com/200-artists-urge-tech-platforms-stop-devaluing-music-559fb109bbac

A 2024 Knight Foundation report found one in four college students think schools need to protect students by banning speech they may find offensive or biased, the largest share of students to answer that way since the survey first asked the question in 2016. 2024 also set a record for the number of attempts to disrupt or disinvite speaker, cancel performances, take down art exhibits and prevent the screening of films on US college campuses, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). What do these competing interests--to encourage student wellbeing and protect free speech on campus--mean for students and administrators trying to strike a balance?

Guests:

Jillian Lederman, Joseph Rago Memorial Fellow at The Wall Street Journal, 2024 graduate of Brown University ( https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/03/opinion/antisemitism-jews-campus.html)

Kaleb Bakari Autman, undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Emma Camp, assistant editor at Reason Magazine, 2022 graduate of the University of Virginia (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/07/opinion/campus-speech-cancel-culture.html)

Steve Bahls, president emeritus of Augustana College (retired in 2022), director of Presidential Mission and Vocation for the Council of Independent Colleges

More 1st Amendment episodes from Top of Mind:

Religious freedom: https://www.byuradio.org/top-of-mind-christian-or-not-unpacking-americas-religious-identity

Free Speech: https://www.byuradio.org/d47c4b86-02d4-4a4d-997b-d1510ba9048b/top-of-mind-with-julie-rose-weighing-the-pros-and-cons-of-free-expression

Free Press: https://www.byuradio.org/68e6b06a-73bb-4a0f-ace8-5f2b55bd066f/top-of-mind-with-julie-rose-can-the-news-be-trusted-americans-arent-too-sure

Links:

2024 Knight Foundation Report on Free Expression: https://knightfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Knight-Fdn_Free-Expression_2024_072424_FINAL-1.pdf

FIRE Databases:  https://www.thefire.org/research-learn?_page=1&keywords=&_limit=6&resource_type=1562

In his parting prescription for the country, outgoing US Surgeon General, Doctor Vivek Murthy writes that he is worried about how exhausted and alone Americans are. Public health experts say loneliness has become an epidemic. Research shows social disconnection is about as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and more harmful than obesity.

But loneliness in America is hardly new. Sociologists like Robert Putnam, author of the groundbreaking book Bowling Alone, have been sounding the alarm for nearly 25 years. In that time, loneliness has only accelerated, with online interaction replacing much of our face-to-face connection. What exactly is lacking for so many people in this country? What is the most useful way to think about this problem? And how can we solve it?

Guests:

Dr. Frank Clark, psychiatrist at Prisma-Health Upstate, clinical associate professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Greenville ( https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/authors/frank-clark-md)

Matt Fantastic, co-owner of Elm City Games in New Haven, Connecticut (https://www.elmcitygames.com/)

Charlotte Donlon, spiritual director and author of The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other (https://charlottedonlon.com/the-great-belonging-book)

Links:

Dr. Vivek Murthy’s Parting Prescription for America: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/my-parting-prescription-for-america.pdf

US Surgeon General’s Advisory Report on Loneliness: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf

Why is insulting someone’s intelligence such a potent put down? It’s more than saying someone lacks knowledge or book learning. It’s a statement of a person’s worth – of their potential to be successful. And for that, we can thank the IQ test. In this podcast episode, we explore how the IQ test was created and continues to shape our collective understanding of intelligence and disability. We hear from a mother struggling with the pros and cons of having her daughter with Down Syndrome routinely IQ tested at school. A school psychologist tackles common misconceptions about the nature of IQ testing. And we consider how the IQ test’s narrow definition of “intelligence” affects people with dyslexia and autism, which have historically been conflated with intellectual disability.

Guests:

Pepper Stetler, professor of art history, Miami University, author of “A Measure of Intelligence: One Woman’s Reckoning with the IQ Test” (https://www.pepperstetler.com/)

Terisa Gabrielsen, professor of school psychology at Brigham Young University (https://education.byu.edu/directory/view/terisa-gabrielsen)

Quincy Hansen, neurodiversity and autism advocate, author of “Shake It Up: How to be Young, Autistic, and Make an Impact” (https://speakingofautismcom.wordpress.com/)

Tim Odegard,  Editor in Chief of the Annals of Dyslexia, professor of psychology at Middle Tennessee State University (https://dyslexia.mtsu.edu/staff/)

More than a quarter of Americans are estranged from at least one family member. Parent/child estrangement is the most common – especially between dads and their kids. There’s a lot about modern American life that has made family estrangement more common, and younger generations are more willing to talk about it on social media. But reconciliation happens more than you might think. On this episode of Top of Mind, we explore the reality of estrangement from both the parent and the child's perspective. And we hear what it takes to reconcile.

Guests:

Charlotte Gill, author of Almost Brown: A Memoir (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/705633/almost-brown-by-charlotte-gill/)

Sheri McGregor, author of Done with the Crying and Beyond Done with the Crying (https://a.co/d/93JwJ4C)

Joshua Coleman, clinical psychologist and author of The Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622584/rules-of-estrangement-by-joshua-coleman-phd/)

Can America guarantee free expression of religion in public as an officially secular, but culturally Christian nation? Expressing religious faith in public is both protected by law and socially acceptable. As a secular nation, the US has no official religion, but since two-thirds of American are Christian, most of the displays of religion in public places we see represent one faith. For example, Christmas is the only religious holiday observed by the that’s also a federal holiday when all government services and most private businesses are closed. And some argue that, because of our history and founding, America was intended to be a Christian nation.

On this episode of Top of Mind we explore how free non-Christians in America actually feel to express their religious identity and beliefs in public? What’s the fairest way to approach the topic of religion in public places? Did the American founders intend to establish a Christian nation - and what does that complicated history mean for freedom of religion in the United States today?

Guests:

Linda K. Wertheimer, journalist and author of Faith Ed: Teaching About Religion in an Age of Intolerance (https://www.lindakwertheimer.com/?page_id=722)

Rim-Sarah Alouane, PhD in Law and researcher at Université Toulouse Capitole in France (https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/the-weaponization-of-laicite)

John Fea, professor of American History at Messiah University and author of Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? A Historical Introduction (https://www.amazon.com/Was-America-Founded-Christian-Nation/dp/0664235042)

Trust in institutions like the media, the medical system, public schools, all branches of government, and science is at an all-time low. When it comes to vaccines specifically, fewer than half of Americans think childhood vaccines are "extremely important." That's the lowest level in 25 years. The pandemic sparked new vaccine hesitancy, driven by shifting health guidelines and vaccination mandates. And it shook America’s trust, especially in vaccines. But it also taught us something about building trust in institutions.

On this episode of Top of Mind, we're taking a closer look at what happened to America's relationship with vaccines during the pandemic to see what we can learn about building - and maintaining - public trust. We'll hear a range of viewpoints exploring what it was like to gain trust, to lose it, and to try and foster it. This is not an episode about whether or not people should get vaccinated. Vaccines are just a useful lens to get at the deeper issue of how and why we trust institutions.

Guests:

Heather Simpson, co-founder of website "Back to the Vax" (https://backtothevax.com/)

Maya Goldenberg, professor of philosophy at the University of Guelph and the author of Vaccine Hesitancy: Public Trust, Expertise, and the War on Science (https://upittpress.org/books/9780822966906/)

Jennifer Sharp, filmmaker and director of the Anecdotals (http://www.jennifersharpfilms.com/)

Bill Petri, doctor, scientist and professor at the University of Virginia (https://dailyprogress.com/life-entertainment/local/wellness/dr-william-petri-lions-bears-and-covid-an-update-for-the-summer/article_e7747372-2422-11ee-a785-d3f1e0a035ef.html)

Links:

Episode on trust in elections: https://www.byuradio.org/top-of-mind-what-will-it-take-to-rebuild-american-trust-in-elections

Episode on trust in media: https://www.byuradio.org/68e6b06a-73bb-4a0f-ace8-5f2b55bd066f/top-of-mind-with-julie-rose-can-the-news-be-trusted-americans-arent-too-sure

Care work is the labor essential to life. But two-thirds of caregiving goes uncompensated. What do we miss when we don’t value care work and how does this affect care workers? If we multiplied all the hours spent in a year on unpaid caregiving in America by the local minimum wage, it would be worth one trillion dollars. Yet none of it is accounted for in the official measures of the nation's economic health or productivity. And the vast majority is done by women. Meanwhile, the paid care sector has a critical shortage of daycare staff, home health aides and certified nursing assistants. America is in a care work crisis.

In this podcast episode, we talk to a therapist and struggling mother about how she changed her mindset on care work. Then we talk to a former direct care worker about her experience in the field and her efforts to improve the paid care sector. Finally, we discuss the care economy with a mother and author who has struggled with her identity as a caregiver.

Guests:

- KC Davis, creator of the StruggleCare platform and author of How to Keep House While Drowning (https://www.strugglecare.com/)

- Diondre Clarke, former direct care worker and field organizer for the National Domestic Workers Alliance (https://www.domesticworkers.org/)

- Elissa Strauss, author of When You Care: The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Others (https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/When-You-Care/Elissa-Strauss/9781982169275)