logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2024
16m 7s

Weed Week: Get Inside the CannaVan

SiriusXM and Atlas Obscura
About this episode
Cannabis is now legal in more than half of U.S. states, but it remains federally illegal – which makes doing research on the plant extremely difficult. Today, we meet a clever group of scientists who found their way around these laws… by literally driving around them.    Learn more about the CannaVan, and check out some of Rasha and Emma’s original reportin ... Show More
Up next
Today
The Rainmaker (Classic)
Professional rainmaker Charles Hatfield was either a scientist or a con man who had a particular influence on San Diego, CA. Curious about cloud seeding? Learn more from our earlier podcast on the Lynmouth Flood: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/podcast-lynmouth-flood-memori ... Show More
16m 22s
Yesterday
AO Mailbag: Five Friends, Three Nights, One Bathroom
Co-host Kelly McEvers and producers Johanna and Amanda answer questions about books where the setting is transportive, travel in the Middle East right now, and how to handle sharing an Airbnb with five friends but only one bathroom. If you have a question for our next mailbag epi ... Show More
20m 20s
Jun 3
Beyond the Game: Guadalajara’s Telmex Building
We visit an office building in Guadalajara, and learn how one man moved it – workers and all – exactly 40 feet. This episode is part of our ongoing coverage of the soccer world championship. In each episode, we take you beyond the stadium, and to a nearby wonder that’s off the be ... Show More
11m 49s
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
Using A Lab On Wheels To Study Weed From Dispensaries
<p>Cannabis is legal in some form or another in over half of US states. But federally, it’s illegal and has no accepted medical use. However, the Biden administration is <a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/cannavan-lab-cannabis-study/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=podcas ... Show More
17m 57s
Oct 2024
609. What Does It Take to Run a Cannabis Farm?
<p>Chris Weld worked for years in emergency rooms, then ditched that career and bought an old farm in Massachusetts. He set up a distillery and started making prize-winning spirits. When cannabis was legalized, he jumped into that too — and the first few years were lucrative. But ... Show More
40m 8s
Jun 2025
CLASSIC: Why do some people think cannabis can cure cancer?
In tonight's Classic episode, Ben, Matt and Noel dive into a decades-long, surprisingly disturbing conspiracy: with a growing number of Western countries decriminalizing or outright legalizing cannabis, the controversial plant seems set to become an acceptable alternative to some ... Show More
56m 20s
Dec 2023
Mysterious Cannabis Syndrome: was legalizing weed a mistake?
<p>Mysterious Cannabis Syndrome is on the rise. Also known as Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome, more and more people are ending up in the hospital vomiting and screaming from consuming too much weed. Today we will break down what is going on, why you should be worried and if lega ... Show More
45m 50s
Oct 2024
608. Cannabis Is Booming, So Why Isn’t Anyone Getting Rich?
<p>There are a lot of reasons, including heavy regulations, high taxes, and competition from illegal weed shops. Most operators are losing money and waiting for Washington to get out of the way. In the meantime, it’s not that easy being green. (Part two of a <a href="https://frea ... Show More
50m 50s
May 2019
Marijuana and Mental Health
On today's episode of of the podcast, I will discuss marijuana use and how it affects mental health with Daniel Binus, the chief psychiatrist at Beautiful Minds, near Sacramento, California. Also joining us is a third-year medical student, Victoria Agee. There are a few reasons w ... Show More
33m 54s
May 2024
Blunt Truths on Marijuana
The cannabis available today is much, much stronger than the weed grandma was smoking back in her day and the effects on our brains are much more significant than previously thought. Really, no really! Jason and Peter sought out Dr. Ryan Sultan an Assistant Professor of Clinical ... Show More
16m 40s
Nov 2023
So you want to sell marijuana across state lines
In the state of Oregon, there is a glut of grass. A wealth of weed. A crisis of chronic. And, jokes aside, it's a real problem for people who work in the cannabis industry like Matt Ochoa. Ochoa runs the Jefferson Packing House in Medford, Oregon, which provides marijuana growers ... Show More
23m 49s
Apr 2025
How the 'Napa Valley of Cannabis' Dried Up
When Colorado became one of the first states to legalize recreational marijuana, a community called Pueblo stepped forward hoping to become the 'Napa Valley of Cannabis'. WSJ’s Julie Wernau visited the town to explore the cannabis boom that promised new jobs and tax revenue, and ... Show More
21m 29s
Oct 2023
Strange News: Drug Cartels Ban Fentanyl, A Cure for Forever Chemicals, Bigfoot in Colorado and a Catalytic Conspiracy
Mexico's notorious Sinaloa cartel bans fentanyl -- promising gruesome consequences for anyone who doesn't comply. Traingoers may have encountered Bigfoot in Colorado. A California family is busted for running a multi-million dollar catalytic convertor smuggling ring, and a promis ... Show More
47m 7s