Cannabis is living a unique moment. Half of Americans live in a state that allows legal marijuana, and 9 in 10 people in the country support some form of legalization. This marks a significant shift from just a few decades ago when prohibition was the norm across the United States. Meanwhile, if you live in Malta, Uruguay, or Canada – and perhaps soon in Germany – your entire country allows for legal recreational cannabis use. Access to medical cannabis is expanding to more countries, including the UK and Australia.
How Did We Reach This Moment of Change?
With the increasing medical and recreational use and availability, how exactly have we reached this moment of change? What has research provided us so far about how the plant produces its euphoric effects, the medical purposes it can serve, or how it can be harmful? And how might our relationship with this simple leaf change in the coming decades?
The Science of Cannabis
As marijuana and its compounds become more widely used worldwide, New Scientist explores the latest research on the medical potential of cannabis, how it’s grown, its environmental impact, how it affects our bodies and minds, and what the future of marijuana might look like.
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Episode Text
Kristi Taylor is purchasing marijuana for her job on a sunny November morning in Manhattan. Sasha Nugent, known as “Budmaster” at Housing Works Cannabis Co., says they offer a variety of cannabis-related products. The store feels completely natural as a retail shop. It has a large display of colorful products like THC and CBD-infused candies. Customer numbers range from 550 to 700 on slow days and up to 1,000 on busy days. Kristi Taylor says this ordinary experience has only become possible recently after New York State officially allowed recreational cannabis use in 2021.
Science and Cannabis
In this first episode of the three-part podcast series, Kristi Taylor and the New Scientist reporting team start from the beginning: 27.8 million years ago when cannabis and flowering plants in the Cannabaceae family diverged. One million years ago, when the Cannabis indica and Cannabis sativa strains split to become two different strains of psychotropic cannabis. And 12,000 years ago when humans domesticated cannabis for everyday use, unaware of the euphoric experiences to come.
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