Summary: In recent years, marijuana has been the subject of much debate as states across the country consider decriminalizing and/or legalizing the drug for recreational use. In today’s episode, we discuss the history of marijuana in the United States (20:25) and the roles of race and money in the rise of marijuana drug laws (21:45). We also address the question of whether marijuana is a gateway drug (27:00) and how it compares to other drugs, such as alcohol, tobacco, and opioids (32:46). We then discuss the billion dollar business of marijuana (40:05), race and the corporatization and monopolization of marijuana (45:40), and the rules and repercussions of smoking weed in the era of legalization (58:40). We close by discussing the potential unintended consequences, myths, and realities of marijuana usage and legalization in the United States (1:02:25). Other Topics 00:30 - Catch up with Ty and Daphne 02:10 - BhD “Oh Lawd” News 07:02 - 4-20 Game: Top 10 Professions that Smoke Weed 15:53 - Classic “Friday" Clips 18:40 - Introduction of the Topic 29:18 - Race, The War on Drugs, and Punitive Approaches to Marijuana Drug Usage 52:30 - Is medicinal marijuana the answer to the opioid crisis? 55:55 - Is there a link between marijuana and crime? Resources: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/24/marijuana-safer-than-alcohol-tobacco_n_6738572.html https://www.forbes.com/sites/monazhang/2018/02/26/nevada-makes-30-million-in-marijuana-taxes-during-first-six-months-of-sales/#33bef3253a7f https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/19/benefits-legalizing-weed-by-the-numbers_n_5173785.html http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/10/12/support-for-marijuana-legalization-continues-to-rise/ http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/14/6-facts-about-marijuana/
