As national attitudes and laws around cannabis use have evolved, so have the commercially grown strains of the plant. Some marijuana varieties today contain levels of THC, the drug’s psychoactive compound, as high as 50 percent, compared to around 5 percent a generation ago. But as science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports, the effects of cannabis on the human brain are still relatively unknown.
Now that 2020 has arrived, scores of new laws are going into effect across the country. From legalization of marijuana and criminal justice reform to raising minimum wage and the cost of electric cars, state legislatures are having a major impact on the nation’s laws. The Hill’s Reid Wilson joins Lisa Desjardins to discuss specific changes as well as three broader trends to watch going forward.
Across the country, more state laws are aligning with voter attitudes about recreational use of marijuana. The wave of cannabis legalization has had a significant influence on individuals, communities and governments, and driven the development of a burgeoning commercial industry. William Brangham begins our series on marijuana with a look at what has changed in states that have legalized it.
Sixteen states have passed laws that allow patients to use medical marijuana to treat side effects of various illnesses, but now some are moving to either limit or repeal those laws. Anna Rau of Montana PBS reports.
Special Correspondent Judy Muller of KCET reports from California on how voters are navigating a midterm ballot initiative on the legalization of marijuana.
