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    Short WaveWhy Legal Weed Isn’t Always Safe
    14 min

    Why Legal Weed Isn’t Always Safe

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    Marijuana is decriminalized or legal in some form in multiple states. But, because it’s illegal on the federal level, states have had to build their own regulatory infrastructure. Without a centralized body to guide them, regulations in one state can look vastly different from those in another. For more on the scope of the issue, Short Wave host Regina G. Barber talks to independent science journalist Teresa Carr and NPR pharmaceuticals correspondent Sydney Lupkin.

    Read more of Teresa’s reporting on state marijuana testing, and more of Sydney’s reporting on the ways California is trying to make weed safer.

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    © NPRLength 14 min14 October 2025ScienceFactsEducationalUSAEpisodic

    Introducing Short Wave

    Introducing Short Wave

    This is an episodic podcast, so you can listen to it in any order, but episode one is a great place to start.

    Listen to episode one here
    11+ScienceFactsEducationalUSAEpisodic14 October 2025© NPR

    Marijuana is decriminalized or legal in some form in multiple states. But, because it’s illegal on the federal level, states have had to build their own regulatory infrastructure. Without a centralized body to guide them, regulations in one state can look vastly different from those in another. For more on the scope of the issue, Short Wave host Regina G. Barber talks to independent science journalist Teresa Carr and NPR pharmaceuticals correspondent Sydney Lupkin.

    Read more of Teresa’s reporting on state marijuana testing, and more of Sydney’s reporting on the ways California is trying to make weed safer.

    Interested in hearing more science behind consumer products? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org – we may feature it on an upcoming episode!

    Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.

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