On Something
Colorado Public Radio
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Even if you don’t use, marijuana is changing the world around you in surprising ways. On Something is a podcast from Colorado Public Radio and PRX about how life has changed in the aftermath of marijuana legalization efforts across the United States.
Join journalist Ann Marie Awad as she explores the personal stories behind the political, legal and cultural effects of legalization.
Available episodes
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Aug 17, 2021
By Any Other Name
If you Google the question "Is marijuana racist?" there’s no shortage of articles available to try and answer the question definitively. But the racial baggage behind the word is much more complicated than a simple yes or no answer. Cannabis journalist Abdullah Saeed and cannabis historian Isaac Campos join us to unpack it all, and to figure out how this history fits into today's discussions about equity.
This story is Part 8 of 8 in a series called Fair Shake, about what drug laws and the cannabis business can teach us about social equity in the U.S.
Written by Ann Marie Awad
Reported by Ann Marie Awad, Jo Erickson
Lead producer: Matthew Simonson, Jo Erickson
Editor: Curtis Fox
Music: Daniel Mescher, Brad Turner
Executive producers: Brad Turner, Kevin Dale
Additional production: Rebekah Romberg, Luis Antonio Perez
Illustrator: Jonell Joshua
Thanks also to Kim Nguyen, Jodi Gersh, Clara Shelton, Matt Herz, Martin Skavish, Rachel Estabrook, Francie Swidler.
OnSomething.org
On Twitter: @COPublicRadio
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Aug 3, 2021
Harm, Healing and Hope
Ann first met Logan Kinamore in 2014, when she was a young journalist covering her first story about drug policy. Kinamore is a harm reduction activist based in Louisiana, who has his own history of substance abuse. That's actually how he learned about the harm reduction movement -- which advocates for more compassion and less criminalization of drug users. Now, that movement has taken hold in Oregon, where voters considered a landmark harm reduction policy in the 2020 election. In a special solutions-focused episode of On Something, we dive deep into the philosophy of harm reduction and what the Oregon measure could mean for the future.
This story is Part 7 of 8 in a series called Fair Shake, about what drug laws and the cannabis business can teach us about social equity in the U.S.
Written and reported by Ann Marie Awad
Lead producer: Luis Antonio Perez
Editors: Dennis Funk, Jo Erickson
Music: Daniel Mescher, Brad Turner
Executive producers: Brad Turner, Kevin Dale
Additional production: Rebekah Romberg
Illustrator: Jonell Joshua
Thanks also to Kim Nguyen, Jodi Gersh, Clara Shelton, Matt Herz, Martin Skavish, Rachel Estabrook, Francie Swidler.
OnSomething.org
On Twitter: @COPublicRadio
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Jul 20, 2021
Psychedelics & Safe Spaces
Psychedelics are more than just cutting edge -- they're trendy. Whether it's tech workers micro dosing LSD in Silicon Valley, or Gwyneth Paltrow discussing ayahuasca on her Netflix show, there is a cultural fixation on psychedelics beyond the breakthroughs being made in the lab. But Charlotte James and Dre Wright are working to remind people that these are not just medicines, but sacred medicines, used for centuries by Indigenous people -- who are now in danger of being written out of the next chapter of psychedelic history.
This story is Part 6 of 8 in a series called Fair Shake, about what drug laws and the cannabis business can teach us about social equity in the U.S.
Written and reported by Ann Marie Awad
Lead producer: Rebekah Romberg
Editors: Dennis Funk, Jo Erickson
Music: Daniel Mescher, Brad Turner
Executive producers: Brad Turner, Kevin Dale
Additional production: Luis Antonio Perez
Illustrator: Jonell Joshua
Thanks also to Kim Nguyen, Jodi Gersh, Clara Shelton, Matt Herz, Martin Skavish, Rachel Estabrook, Francie Swidler.
OnSomething.org
On Twitter: @COPublicRadio
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Jul 6, 2021
Left Behind
In 2012, Fred Harris watched legalization pass him by from a prison cell in Colorado. Despite being the first state to legalize recreational cannabis, the law didn't account for people like Fred, who were still serving cannabis-related sentences. That meant getting out of prison would be no easy feat -- even after his son, Arzelle Lewis, called in celebrities and NBA stars to help plead his dad's case.
This story is Part 5 of 8 in a series called Fair Shake, about what drug laws and the cannabis business can teach us about social equity in the U.S.
Written and reported by Ann Marie Awad
Additional Reporting: Allan Tellis, Rebekah Romberg
Lead producers: Luis Antonio Perez
Editor: Dennis Funk
Music: Daniel Mescher, Brad Turner
Executive producers: Brad Turner, Kevin Dale
Additional production: Jo Erickson
Illustrator: Jonell Joshua
Thanks also to Kim Nguyen, Jodi Gersh, Clara Shelton, Matt Herz, Martin Skavish, Rachel Estabrook, Francie Swidler.
OnSomething.org
On Twitter: @COPublicRadio
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Jun 22, 2021
Not Quite Legal
Ronnie Bell is a pot farmer in California's Inland Empire. Despite living in a state where weed is legal, Ronnie's farm is not. Since the state passed recreational legalization in 2016, counties like his have ramped up law enforcement to try and stamp out underground pot growers and dealers. But Ronnie and his neighbors say that selling legal weed has become too big of a business for them to step out of the shadows.
This story is Part 4 of 8 in a series called Fair Shake, about what drug laws and the cannabis business can teach us about social equity in the U.S.
Written and reported by Ann Marie Awad, with Stephanie Lai
Lead producers: Rebekah Romberg, Matthew Simonson, Kristy Totten
Editor: Dennis Funk
Music: Daniel Mescher, Brad Turner
Executive producers: Brad Turner, Kevin Dale
Additional producers: Jo Erickson, Luis Antonio Perez, Gary Hardcastle
Illustrator: Jonell Joshua
Thanks also to Kim Nguyen, Jodi Gersh, Clara Shelton, Matt Herz, Martin Skavish, Rachel Estabrook, Francie Swidler.
OnSomething.org
On Twitter: @COPublicRadio
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Jun 8, 2021
Funny Business, Shenanigans and Chicanery
Mildred Barnes Griggs wanted to get into the cannabis business to revitalize the economy of her small hometown of Marianna, Arkansas. But when she and her expert team applied for a license to grow, all they got was disappointment. Their application was supposed to be judged on merit, but, in this case, the meaning of merit isn’t all that clear.
This story is Part 3 of 8 in a series called Fair Shake, about what drug laws and the cannabis business can teach us about social equity in the U.S.
Written and reported by Ann Marie Awad, with Mona Zhang of Politico
Lead producers: Luis Antonio Perez & Rebekah Romberg
Editor: Dennis Funk
Music: Daniel Mescher, Brad Turner
Executive producers: Brad Turner, Kevin Dale
Additional producers: Jo Erickson
Illustrator: Jonell Joshua
Thanks also to Kim Nguyen, Jodi Gersh, Clara Shelton, Matt Herz, Martin Skavish, Rachel Estabrook, Francie Swidler.
OnSomething.org
On Twitter: @COPublicRadio
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May 25, 2021
"Black-owned"
Massachusetts won national praise for being the first state to legalize recreational weed with an eye to equity. Voters in 2016 said they wanted a cannabis industry that somehow included people who were impacted by the War on Drugs. But since then, those very people have been squeezed out of the industry -- people like Chauncy Spencer. He grew up in Boston, sold weed when he was young, and paid the price for it. When he tried to open a legal pot shop, he faced surprising competition from another entrepreneur who was quietly backed by a major corporation.
This story is Part 2 of 8 in a series called Fair Shake, about what drug laws and the cannabis business can teach us about social equity in the U.S.
Written and reported by Ann Marie Awad, with Dan Adams of the Boston Globe
Lead producers: Jo Erickson, with mixing by Matt Simonson
Editor: Dennis Funk
Music: Daniel Mescher, Brad Turner
Executive producers: Brad Turner, Kevin Dale
Additional producers: Luis Antonio Perez, Rebekah Romberg
Illustrator: Jonell Joshua
Thanks also to Kim Nguyen, Jodi Gersh, Clara Shelton, Matt Herz, Martin Skavish, Rachel Estabrook, Francie Swidler.
OnSomething.org
On Twitter: @COPublicRadio
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May 11, 2021
A Laboratory For Fairness
Welcome to Season 3 of On Something, and Part 1 of a series we’re calling Fair Shake.
This season, On Something explores the pursuit of social equity in the cannabis industry, and what it can teach us creating a fairer society.
But first of all, what does social equity even mean? University of Toronto Professor Awkwasi Owusu-Bempah is here to get us all on the same page, and remind us of the stakes. Activist Sonia Erika, who helped legalize in Massachusetts, shares her story of fighting for social equity in the first state to require it -- sort of.
Written and reported by Ann Marie Awad
Lead producer: Luis Antonio Perez
Editor: Dennis Funk
Music: Daniel Mescher, Brad Turner
Executive producers: Brad Turner, Kevin Dale
Additional producers: Jo Erickson, Rebekah Romberg
Illustrator: Jonell Joshua
Thanks also to Kim Nguyen, Jodi Gersh, Clara Shelton, Matt Herz, Martin Skavish, Rachel Estabrook, Francie Swidler.
OnSomething.org
On Twitter: @COPublicRadio
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Apr 20, 2021
Trailer: Get Ready for Season 3!
On Something is back soon, with more stories about life after legalization!
We’re calling this season Fair Shake. You’ll hear eight episodes about the the pitfalls along the path to social equity.
Maybe you think ‘life after legalization’ means we’re all living in and benefitting from the green rush. Except not everyone is enjoying the fruits of legal weed. Black and brown people have been largely left out of a billion-dollar industry. And now, in most states that have legalized, people of color are still on the outside looking in.
This summer, host Ann Marie Awad and the On Something team try to figure out why — and see what solutions might help. Subscribe now for new episodes beginning May 11!
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Jan 6, 2021
LIVE: My Family, On Something
Your favorite podcast about life after legalization recently hosted a virtual live event about awkward and unexpected tales of sentiment and substance. Six seriously talented storytellers shared anecdotes about those times when family and drugs collide. We called it “Your Family, On Something.”
This episode features three of the funniest, most surprising and most moving moments from the event. Featured storytellers:
Andrew Orvedahl, our cohost for the event, founded Denver’s live storytelling event and podcast “The Narrators.” Andrew is a comedian, writer and actor behind TruTV’s scripted comedy show “Those Who Can’t.”
Christie Buchele is a comedian, co-host of the Empty Girlfriend Podcast and cofounder of The Pussy Bros. comedy troupe.
Janae Burris is a comedian, actor, event host and former co-host of the Denver Post’s Cannabist Show in Denver, Colorado.
Season 3 is on the way in 2021, so stay subscribed! Our lead producer for this episode was Rebekah Romberg. Our editor is Dennis Funk. Our executive producers are Brad Turner and Kevin Dale. Many thanks to Kendall Smith for helping to organize On Something’s first-ever live, virtual event.
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Oct 20, 2020
The Creative Brain on Drugs
Does cannabis make creative people ... well, more creative? Turns out there's no short answer to this question. Members of the bands Tank and the Bangas and Chicano Batman share how weed plays into their process, while a neuroscientist breaks down the mysteries of the creative brain. Join us for a music-filled Season 2 finale of On Something!
By the way: On Something is a production of Colorado Public Radio. The key word there is “Public.” We are a nonprofit supported by our members. If you like what you hear on this show, and want more, become a member of CPR. It’s easy, and any amount truly makes a difference. Head to onsomething.org and take a minute to donate -- that’s onsomething.org. And as always, thank you for listening!
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Oct 6, 2020
Cannabis on the Menu
Harold Sims is a Denver-based chef who was able to ride the weed wave right into his first cooking show: Netflix's Cooked With Cannabis. He used that opportunity to shine a light on African food. On this episode, Harold shares his story and doubles as our guide to the world of infused foods.
Watch Harold prepare one of his favorite dishes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBS1uZv2uGI
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Sep 22, 2020
Pot Smuggling 2.0
It's no secret that cannabis legalization in America is a decision left to states. But it turns out that our patchwork of different laws might create new opportunities for the illicit market to thrive. Investigative journalist Chris Walker took a deep dive into a massive smuggling ring that passed itself off as a legitimate cannabis business in Colorado. Chris talks with Ann to unpack the larger impacts of this story, which he tells on his own podcast, “The Syndicate.”
Listen to The Syndicate: https://westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/the-syndicate
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Sep 8, 2020
At War with the War on Drugs
Blues artist Fantastic Negrito was raised in Oakland, California, to believe that the cops will kill you. Kassandra Frederique, head of the Drug Policy Alliance, can remember countless names of people killed by police while she was growing up in New York City. From opposite coasts, two stories about the tangled web of racism, policing and the war on drugs.
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Aug 25, 2020
A Drug Test In The Delivery Room
Gale recently had her first child. Early on in her pregnancy, she admitted to a doctor that she was still using marijuana. The next -- and only -- time it came up was in the delivery room. It set into motion a chain of events that highlight the ways legal cannabis can still clash with policies meant to protect children.
This is the third and final installment of our miniseries, "Medicine vs. Marijuana," about the ways legal weed can intersect with healthcare in America.
Note: An earlier version of this episode contained a couple of factual errors that have since been corrected. First, to acknowledge that Colorado law changed in 2020. It no longer equates a positive drug test with a finding of child abuse -- though, as we mention, that’s still true in other states. Also, Gail got access to a lawyer through an advocacy group here in Colorado that provides free legal help to those who need it.
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Aug 11, 2020
Opioids, Pot and Pain
There's a crisis in this country of opioid addiction and overdose death, and it's tied intimately with how we respond to pain. When Angela Bryan was diagnosed with breast cancer, she was keenly aware that opiates were expected to be a big part of her recovery. But she was afraid she might become dependent upon them, and turned her mind to possible alternatives. Like marijuana. Angela lives in Colorado, which is a legal state, after all.
In the second installment of our miniseries "Medicine vs. Marijuana," Angela decides to conduct a scientific experiment on herself.
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Jul 28, 2020
The Medical Marijuana O.G.
Once upon a time on this very podcast, we told you a story about how California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996. The first! Those were our words! But it turns out an unlikely deep South state was technically the first. Here’s why you've never heard that Louisiana was the first state to legalize medical marijuana (technically.)
This is the first installment of a miniseries we're calling "Medicine vs. Marijuana," about the odd ways legal cannabis can intersect with our healthcare system.
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Jul 14, 2020
Willie Nelson: America's Favorite Pot Smoker
Country music legend Willie Nelson is known for a lot of things, including his unabashed love for marijuana and his advocacy for legalization. Ann Marie sat down with Willie to talk about his decades of activism, and his hopes for the future.
We’re back for Season 2 and we’ll be releasing new episodes through October! Subscribe so you don’t miss them.
Want more news about cannabis and legalization? Subscribe to our newsletter at OnSomething.org.
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Jun 30, 2020
Trailer: We're Back For Season 2!
We’re back! It’s 2020 and cannabis is somehow legal in more states than it’s not. With a view from Colorado -- an early state to legalize in 2012 -- On Something tells stories about the people caught up in America’s state-by-state approach to drug policy. Stories that detail the unexpected ways that legal cannabis intersects with our healthcare system, our immigration laws or our modern LGBTQ rights movement. Stories that are thought-provoking, controversial and human, with a host who can make it all make sense.
Season 2 begins July 14. Subscribe so you won’t miss an episode!
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Jun 25, 2020
Got Cannabis Questions? Dial-A-Nurse
It’s hard to get good medical advice when it comes to cannabis, even in states where it’s been legal for a long time. That’s why Katherine Golden, an RN of more than 20 years, founded Leaf411. The hotline, staffed by six other working nurses like herself, launched last fall -- before the pandemic. Now, one of Katherine's nurses sees herself as a different kind of "essential worker."
By the way, Season 2 begins on July 14. Hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss an episode!
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May 12, 2020
Edible For Your Thoughts? A Pandemic Check-In
On Something is back for another bonus episode! How are you doing? We're checking in with a dealer in NYC who says a cooped up city has been good for business. An anxious listener who says weed helps to untie the knot in her stomach. And another listener who says cannabis is helping him grieve a loved one lost to COVID-19. Join us for another quick visit, we're just checking in.
Is there a substance -- legal or not -- that's helping you manage your mental health right now? Maybe it's marijuana, or maybe it's micro-dosing something else. Leave us a voicemail at [720-420-6587 ](tel:7204206587)and tell us: What are you using? Why? How does it help you? You may hear your voice in a future episode of On Something.
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Apr 20, 2020
Pot for Panic in a Pandemic
Ann's got anxiety. So On Something has come out of hibernation on 4/20, the most auspicious of drug-related holidays, to talk about self-medicating. During this pandemic, it's okay to feel like your mental state is a bit more fragile than normal. Join Ann as she delves into the complicated feelings and the science of using weed to cope.
And then, it's your turn to tell us your story. Is there a substance -- legal or not -- that's helping you manage your mental health right now? Maybe it's marijuana, or maybe it's micro-dosing something else. Leave us a voicemail at [720-420-6587 ](tel:7204206587)and tell us: What are you using? Why? How does it help you? You may hear your voice in a future episode of On Something.
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Jan 23, 2020
Live From Boston
It was a night to remember: The On Something team recently headed to Massachusetts for our first-ever live episode. Ann traded notes on legalization with three reporters from the Boston Globe’s cannabis team. The Globe’s Naomi Martin, Dan Adams and Felicia Gans want to know about dispensaries and youth use in Colorado, and Ann asks why it’s taking so long to open more than a handful of dispensaries in Boston.
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Oct 22, 2019
Medical Marijuana's Vanishing Act
There's an unexpected side effect to Colorado's billion-dollar recreational weed industry: It's no longer very profitable to sell medical marijuana. Other states have similarly seen their medical markets shrink after legalizing recreational weed. Where does that leave medical marijuana patients like 11-year-old Vincent, who uses it to treat seizures and severe autism?
Sign up for our newsletter: onsomething.org
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Oct 8, 2019
Legal Weed As Reparations?
The war on drugs is still alive and well, and the people most often caught in the crossfire are black and brown. Now that weed is legal in many states, most of the people making money off weed are white. With help from WBEZ reporter Natalie Moore in Chicago, we look at how legalization might benefit communities of color and repair harm caused by the war on drugs.
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Sep 24, 2019
CBD: The Hype And The Reality
CBD is everywhere these days, but a decade ago it was largely unknown. Martin Lee, one of the founders of the California nonprofit Project CBD, helps us unpack how the CBD craze got started, what makes CBD promising and whether the hype is justified.
We want to hear from you! Email us at humans@OnSomething.org or call us at 720-420-6587 to let us know what you think of the show.
Sign up for our newsletter: onsomething.org
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @OnSomethingPod.
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Sep 10, 2019
Legal Weed Is Gay
Meet Buck Angel, trans porn star and recent cannabis entrepreneur. His story helps explain why marijuana legalization has special meaning to the LGBTQ community and how AIDS activist and pot dealer Dennis Peron and the Compassionate Use Act paved the way to legalization in the country.
We want to hear from you! Email us at humans@OnSomething.org or call us at 720-420-6587 to let us know what you think of the show.
Sign up for our newsletter: onsomething.org
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @OnSomethingPod.
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Aug 27, 2019
Neal & Paola: A Love Story
Two star-crossed lovers from different countries hit a major roadblock in their plans to spend their lives together after a brief encounter with weed becomes an issue.
We’d love to hear from you! If you like what you hear, have feedback for us or have a cannabis or legalization story you want to share, please leave us a voicemail at 720-420-6587 or email us at humans@onsomething.org
Sign up for our newsletter at OnSomething.org
Twitter: OnSomethingPod
Instagram: OnSomethingPod
Facebook.com: /Onsomethingpod
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Aug 13, 2019
Puff, Puff, Pray
What does it mean to have a spiritual experience with marijuana? We visit a cannabis church and talk with a psychedelic therapist, and explore how more Americans are seeking enlightenment in surprising new places.
Sign up for our newsletter: OnSomething.org
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Jul 30, 2019
Shrinking Pot's Carbon Footprint
Up on a Colorado mountainside, Rob Trotter grows marijuana with a goal of producing as little waste as possible. It’s not easy. Cannabis cultivation tends to be a wasteful industry with a fairly large carbon footprint. Environmental reporter Grace Hood joins On Something to talk about Rob’s quest to make weed sustainable.
Sign up for our Newsletter: https://OnSomething.org/
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Jul 16, 2019
Neal Pollack's Addiction
Texas-based satirist Neal Pollack -- who’s written plenty of pot jokes over the years -- reveals how he became addicted to marijuana, and what he'd tell people who don't believe that's possible.
Full transcript and sign up for our Newsletter: OnSomething.org
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Jul 2, 2019
Weed's Legal Hangover
Expungement is an issue many states grapple with when they consider legalizing. Two people -- a white woman and a black man -- reflect on their own arrests for marijuana charges when they were 19, and walk us through how those convictions continue to affect their careers and lives today. Through interwoven stories, we put their experiences in the larger context of the growing movement to clear low-level marijuana convictions.
Sign up for our newsletter: OnSomething.org
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Jun 18, 2019
Why Was Weed Illegal Anyway?
Marijuana's history in the U.S. is complicated. Colorado Public Radio reporter Ann Marie Awad explains how cannabis became illegal -- and how we got from there to the start of the modern legalization movement. If nothing else, listen just to hear the phrase "jazz cigarettes."
The episode includes stories about Harry Anslinger, an early anti-marijuana crusader; how Richard Nixon pushed to classify weed alongside harder drugs; how AIDS activists in California paved the way for medical marijuana. Interviewees include drug historians Emily Dufton and Adam Rathge.
Sign up for our newsletter: [onsomething.org](http:// "On Something website")
On Twitter: @OnSomethingPod
On Instagram: @OnSomethingPod
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Jun 4, 2019
Introducing On Something
It might seem like marijuana legalization only matters if you smoke pot. But more than half of states have legalized in some form, and more are considering it every year. And each state that legalizes seems to discover that it’s not just about pot. It’s about people. Colorado Public Radio and PRX introduce On Something, a podcast about how life has changed in the aftermath of marijuana legalization. Subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode!
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