On Something

Colorado Public Radio
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  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • SEMIMONTHLY SERIES
On Something

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.

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  1. A Laboratory For Fairness

    EPISODE 1

    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

    24 min
  2. "Black-owned"

    EPISODE 2

    "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

    28 min
  3. Funny Business, Shenanigans and Chicanery

    EPISODE 3

    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

    30 min
  4. Not Quite Legal

    EPISODE 4

    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

    35 min
  5. Left Behind

    EPISODE 5

    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

    39 min
  6. Psychedelics & Safe Spaces

    EPISODE 6

    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

    27 min
  7. Harm, Healing and Hope

    EPISODE 7

    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

    25 min
  8. By Any Other Name

    EPISODE 8

    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

    24 min
See All Season 3 (8)

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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.

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