Marijuana

National

More Washington Drivers Use Pot And Drive; Effect On Safety Disputed

12:47pm August 20, 2015

by Martin Kaste

Does legalization of marijuana mean more drivers will have the drug in their system? New data from Washington state says yes, but does that mean pot has caused more accidents? The answer is unclear.

Queue Listen Now

Its legal status and wide range of uses make marijuana a tough plant to regulate â or even to advise farmers about. Here, young marijuana plants are seen at a growing facility.

National

Marijuana Growers Hit A Snag: Toxic Pesticides

10:27am July 22, 2015

by Bill Chappell

Attempts to regulate chemicals in marijuana production often hit another problem: The plant's wide range of uses sets it apart from many traditional food crops.

Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, speaks about taxes on marijuana outside the Capitol in 2013. "Any industry that is heavily regulated by the government has to have an active voice," the group's deputy director

Pot Politics: The Marijuana Business Comes To Washington

7:03am July 11, 2015

by James Doubek

"We're going to be making sure that [members of Congress] know their constituents care about this stuff," said one industry representative.

Marijuana at a medical marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana.

Medical Marijuana Is Often Less Potent Than Advertised

3:59pm June 24, 2015

by Ina Yang

The pot brownie you bought to help your sleeping disorder may have a lot less active ingredient than promised, a study finds. And a review of other studies finds scant evidence of medical benefits.

An Aka man smokes hemp while hunting in the Central African Republic.

Pot For Parasites? Pygmy Men Smoke Out Worms

5:32pm June 23, 2015

by Michaeleen Doucleff

When it comes to reefer madness, nobody can top a group of traditional hunter-gatherers in the Congo Basin. About 70 percent of men smoke cannabis. The drug could be doing more than getting them high.

National

Concern Grows Over Unregulated Pesticide Use Among Marijuana Growers

7:19am June 17, 2015

by Luke Runyon

Regulators in the 23 states where medical or recreational marijuana is allowed are having a tough time making sure pot buyers don't ingest harmful pesticides.

Queue Listen Now

Black Cherry Soda. Smell/taste: cherry, creamy, berry. Common effects: relaxed, euphoria, lazy. Top medicinal uses: stress and pain.

Looks Good Enough To Smoke: Marijuana Gets Its Glamour Moment

8:15am May 21, 2015

by Meredith Rizzo

Aficionados of fine weed describe the effects as if they're talking about vintage wine. But how to know which medicinal or recreational strain to choose? This field guide cuts through the haze.

World News

Dog Didn't Bite Man, Blind Pot Customer Tells French Court

7:49pm April 10, 2015

by Bill Chappell

A blind man who was sold actual grass instead of the grass he was looking for has told a French court that it was he, and not his guide dog, who bit a deceitful dealer.

Politics & Government

Medical Marijuana Bill Killed By House

5:13am March 26, 2015

by Michael Burke

Efforts to allow medical marijuana in the state have come to a halt. North Carolina legislators are stopping efforts to legalize marijuana to treat medical conditions.

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Quality-Testing Legal Marijuana: Strong But Not Always Clean

4:52pm March 25, 2015

by Poncie Rutsch

Early efforts to test legal marijuana are finding that it's got lots of buzzworthy THC. But it can also have fungus, chemical residue and bacteria. What that means for health and safety isn't clear.