An assortment of aromas fill the air at the District Cannabis grow facility in Hagerstown, Md. Pien Huang/NPR hide caption
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Officers with California's Department of Cannabis Control confiscate unlicensed marijuana plants in the Goldridge neighborhood of Fairfield, Calif., on Jan. 9. Officers recovered 2,001 pounds of cannabis plants and 167.56 pounds of cannabis shake from three private residences. Maggie Andresen for NPR hide caption
U.S. cannabis shoppers face market flush with illegal weed
In much of the U.S., illegal cannabis outcompetes legal weed sold in licensed shops. Officers with the law enforcement division of the California Department of Cannabis Control confiscate unlicensed marijuana plants in the Goldridge neighborhood of Fairfield, Calif., on Jan. 9. Maggie Andresen for NPR hide caption
U.S. cannabis shoppers face market flush with illegal weed
A vape pen is filled with a concentrated form of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in weed, alongside marijuana buds. HighGradeRoots/iStockphoto/Getty Images hide caption
Vaping weed is very popular, but users should be aware it carries risks
Cannabis is legal in many states but not federally. As more Americans consume weed products, concern is growing about the risks of traces of contaminants such as pesticides and heavy metals. Cecilia Sanchez/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
How safe is your weed? Patchy regulations may leave contaminants in the weed supply
A new scientific report finds that the gap between federal and state regulations on cannabis is leading to emerging problems with public health Jim Mone/AP hide caption
Lisk Feng for NPR hide caption
For decades, all research in federally funded laboratories had to use only marijuana grown at a single facility located in Oxford, Mississippi. Brad Horrigan/Hartford Courant/Tribune News Service via Getty Images hide caption
Scientists welcome new rules on marijuana, but research will still face obstacles
From left: Drake, SpongeBob, Kristi Noem Rich Fury/Getty Images for dcp; Hector Vivas/Getty Images; Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco says legalization has increased incentives for unlicensed cannabis farms and associated violent crime. Martin Kaste/NPR hide caption
Black market cannabis thrives in California despite legalization
Vice President Harris speaks at a roundtable on marijuana reform that included rapper Fat Joe and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
People walk through Amsterdam's red-light district shortly after it reopened in 2020, during the pandemic. The neighborhood attracts millions of tourists each year. Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images hide caption
Jars of marijuana line a shelf at The Flower Shop Dispensary in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Oct. 14, 2022. South Dakota's legal pot industry has started with medical cannabis, but voters are deciding whether to also legalize recreational pot. Stephen Groves/AP hide caption
A demonstrator waves a marijuana-themed flag in front on the White House. President Biden is pardoning thousands of Americans convicted of "simple possession" of marijuana under federal law. Jose Luis Magana/AP hide caption
President Biden speaks at the White House on Sept. 30. On Thursday, Biden announced that he is taking executive action to pardon people convicted of simple marijuana possession under federal law and D.C. statute. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption
Marijuana plants at Hepworth Farms in Milton, N.Y. Sixteen percent of Americans say they smoke marijuana, with 48% saying they have tried it at some point in their lives. Mary Altaffer/AP hide caption
Marijuana plants for the adult recreational market are seen in a greenhouse at Hepworth Farms in Milton, N.Y., Friday, July 15, 2022. Mary Altaffer/AP hide caption
Kenyan presidential candidate George Wajackoyah on the campaign trail in Mwea, Kenya, on Aug. 5. Nickolai Hammar/NPR hide caption
An employee displays a limeade-flavored cannabis-infused gummy candy at the Chalice Farms industrial kitchen in Portland, Ore., in June 2016. Gillian Flaccus/AP hide caption
The first customer of the day, Rittipomng Bachkul celebrates after buying legal marijuana at the Highland Cafe in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, June 9, 2022. Sakchai Lalit/AP hide caption
In this April 12, 2018, photo, a marijuana plant awaits transplanting at the Hollingsworth Cannabis Company near Shelton, Wash. Thirty states have legalized some form of medical marijuana, according to a national advocacy group. Nine of those states and Washington, D.C., also have broad legalization where adults 21 and older can use pot for any reason. Ted S. Warren/AP hide caption
Security guard Austin MacMath wears a gun on his belt while working outside Mary Mart, a marijuana store in Tacoma, Wash., on Tuesday. Ted S. Warren/AP hide caption