marijuana : NPR

Marijuana use is outpacing cigarette use for the first time on record

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

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Mary Altaffer/AP

Health

Marijuana use is outpacing cigarette use for the first time on record

August 30, 2022 • Cigarette use has been declining for decades, while marijuana use has been on the rise, according to a new Gallup survey in the U.S.

Young adults are using marijuana and hallucinogens at the highest rates on record

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

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Mary Altaffer/AP

Health

Young adults are using marijuana and hallucinogens at the highest rates on record

August 24, 2022 • The National Institutes of Health annually surveys substance abuse among young adults in its Monitoring the Future study.

In Kenya, promises of marijuana paradise electrify the electorate

Kenyan presidential candidate George Wajackoyah on the campaign trail in Mwea, Kenya, on Aug. 5. Nickolai Hammar/NPR hide caption

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Nickolai Hammar/NPR

World

In Kenya, promises of marijuana paradise electrify the electorate

August 8, 2022 • One of Kenya's presidential candidates is promising to legalize weed. His long-shot campaign has entertained, but it might also mark a different kind of politics for the East African nation.

In Kenya, promises of marijuana paradise electrify the electorate

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Minnesota lawmakers voted to legalize THC edibles. Some did it accidentally

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

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Gillian Flaccus/AP

National

Minnesota lawmakers voted to legalize THC edibles. Some did it accidentally

July 2, 2022 • After Minnesota lawmakers approved a measure to legalize the sale of certain types of THC edibles, at least one Republican said he didn't realize what he was approving.

Thailand decriminalizes marijuana, but not the strong stuff

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

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Sakchai Lalit/AP

Medical Treatments

Thailand decriminalizes marijuana, but not the strong stuff

June 9, 2022 • Thailand's government says it is promoting cannabis for medical use only, warning that lighting up recreationally in public could still considered to be a nuisance subject to a potential fines.

D.C. lawmakers pass a bill that would ban firing employees for failed marijuana tests

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

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Ted S. Warren/AP

Law

D.C. lawmakers pass a bill that would ban firing employees for failed marijuana tests

June 8, 2022 • Employers can still give drug tests or fire an employee if they are acting under federal guidelines, or if an employee consumed marijuana at work or while performing work-related duties.

Pot shop robberies are fueling calls for a U.S. banking bill

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

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Ted S. Warren/AP

National

Pot shop robberies are fueling calls for a U.S. banking bill

April 20, 2022 • A surge in robberies at licensed cannabis shops is helping fuel a renewed push for federal banking reforms that would make the cash-dependent stores a less appealing target.

New Mexico launches cannabis sales, within Texans' reach

Marijuana dispensary manager LeRoy Roybal, right, and bud tender Benjamin Oliver prepare on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, for the opening of New Mexico's regulated market for recreational cannabis at a Minerva Canna store in Santa Fe, N.M. Morgan Lee/AP hide caption

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Morgan Lee/AP

National

New Mexico launches cannabis sales, within Texans' reach

April 1, 2022 • New Mexico is making the sale of up to 2 ounces of recreational marijuana legal, bringing legalization to the doorstep of Texas, the largest prohibition state.

State attorneys general issue a warning for Halloween about marijuana-type treats

The six products resembling standard snack items contain THC, a main ingredient in marijuana edibles. New York Attorney General Letitia James hide caption

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New York Attorney General Letitia James

Children's Health

State attorneys general issue a warning for Halloween about marijuana-type treats

October 27, 2021 • State officials alert parents of the unregulated, illegal marijuana snacks that resemble a sober, major brand.

Marijuana vaping among teens has more than doubled since 2013

Researchers found that adolescents who say they vaped cannabis within the last 30 days increased 7-fold from 2013 to 2020. Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images hide caption

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Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Health

Marijuana vaping among teens has more than doubled since 2013

October 25, 2021 • Researchers say adolescents often think that vaping pot is safer than smoking it. But it can increase the risk of dependence, other substance use and many other health, social and behavioral problems.

As Megan Rapinoe Promotes CBD Use, Sha'Carri Richardson Sits Out The Olympics

Megan Rapinoe says she uses a variety of CBD products as part of the "all-natural recovery system" that has become part of her daily routine. Michael Wyke/AP hide caption

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Michael Wyke/AP

Live Updates: The Tokyo Olympics

As Megan Rapinoe Promotes CBD Use, Sha'Carri Richardson Sits Out The Olympics

July 28, 2021 • Critics are outraged, saying the anti-doping agency for the Games is ignoring the actions of the white athlete on the heels of suspending the Black sprinter this month.

Legal Weed Is Gaining A Little Ground Among GOP Congressmen

U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, is co-sponsoring a GOP plan that would regulate marijuana like alcohol and enable the Department of Veterans Affairs to prescribe cannabis treatments to veterans. Mark Duncan/AP hide caption

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Mark Duncan/AP

Law

Legal Weed Is Gaining A Little Ground Among GOP Congressmen

WBUR

July 14, 2021 • Marijuana is already legal in many states, and a growing number of GOP Congressmen are ready to make it the law of the land — but there's a debate over revenue.

Legal Weed Is Gaining A Little Ground Among GOP Congressmen

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After 50 Years, U.S. Opens The Door To More Cannabis Crops For Scientists

More than 30 states have medical marijuana programs — yet scientists are only allowed to use cannabis plants from one U.S. source for their research. That's set to change, as the federal government begins to add more growers to the mix. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption

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Drew Angerer/Getty Images