In this episode, Sam answers a question frequently asked by listeners: is weed bad for us? After giving a full-on history lecture about the origins, importation, regulation, criminalization, and legalization of marijuana in medicinal and recreational capacities, she explores published and peer-reviewed research on the potential risks and health benefits of cannabis and, more specifically, marijuana.

Listen to this episode if you're a health freak who's curious about the impact of marijuana on your wellness journey, or if you sometimes wonder whether you're using weed just a littttttle bit too much.

Key moments:

02:26 Sam’s first time smoking weed lols

07:05 Why we’re doing an episode on weed

09:12 What is marijuana? What’s it made of?

09:29 THC (also known as Delta 9)

10:08 CBD and hemp

11:02 The difference between cannabis and marijuana

11:38 The history of marijuana in medical and recreational applications

12:13 The first recorded use of cannabis

14:55 How cannabis came to the west (as medicine and an intoxicant)

15:41 Early criminalization and regulation of weed in America

17:08 The back and forth between legalization and criminalization between the 1940s and 1960s

18:40 Minimum mandatory sentences are introduced for drug-related offenses, including marijuana

18:59 Counterculture pro-marijuana movements and the Controlled Substances Act

19:38 How weed is classified in the Controlled Substances Act…has legit not changed since the 1970s???

20:59 Decriminalization in medical and recreational applications

22:26 Joe Biden’s effort to reclassify weed

22:59 The debate on marijuana

23:54 How many US adults smoke weed

24:33 Factors that influence how marijuana affects you

25:06 Important for weed users: Major increase in THC potency over the past few years

25:45 The same weed can affect you differently every time

26:07 How long it takes THC to hit (smoking vs. gummies)

26:53 How THC actually affects your brain

27:17 Anandamide, addiction, and behavior reinforcement

27:56 Short-term effects of marijuana

29:58 Long-term effects of marijuana

32:06 Marijuana use during pregnancy

32:25 The “smoking” part of smoking weed lol

33:20 Emerging research about short and long-term effects of marijuana use (good and bad - a lot more good here)

35:03 Is weed addictive? (Bad news lols)

35:19 Surprising rates of cannabis use disorder among adult users (and comparison to alcohol)

36:17 A quick self-test to determine whether you have cannabis use disorder (please still consult a doctor though bc I am not one)

37:56 Marijuana withdrawal

38:25 Can you overdose on weed?

40:05 My personal position on marijuana, after doing all the research

40:33 To legalize or criminalize?

42:33 Benefits (proven and potential) of CBD

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