On Something is a phrase that is
often used to describe a person who is under the influence of a drug, regardless
of whether the drug is legal or illegal.
It is also the name of a new series of podcasts from Colorado Public
Radio (CPR) and PRX.
The
premise of On Something [link] is to
explore the political, legal and cultural effects of marijuana legalization.
The show uses first-person storytelling to convey how people and pot intersect
in places where the recreational and medical use of cannabis is legal.
 |
| Ann Marie Awad |
Host
Ann Marie Awad opens the first episode of the 10-part series by describing her
first day living in Colorado and her first trip to a retail pot dispensary.
Awad is certainly no stranger to pot, but buying it legally over the counter is
a new experience for her.
She shares her I
can’t believe this is happening feeling with the listener.
Awad
is the perfect choice to be the listeners guide for On Something, because her approach is both professional and personal.
She was recognized earlier in 2019 by SPJ Colorado for the Best Marijuana General Reporting in the state. First
and foremost, Awad is a journalist who reports the facts. The goal is to
increase understanding how legalization affects communities in Colorado and the
nation.
The
first episode of On Something (which you
can hear here) includes stories on
how marijuana became illegal in the first place and how states are addressing
old cannabis-related convictions for crimes that are in many cases no longer
illegal.
 |
| Legal marijuana grown in Colorado |
As
Awad leaves the pot dispensary in Denver she puts things in perspective by
telling the listener:
“They sent me out the
door with a free lighter and rolling papers and said ‘welcome to Colorado.’ The
beauty of dispensaries is I can walk in and get my ‘eight’ [of an ounce] and
not have to worry about it. But in a bunch of other states and to the federal
government this is illegal.”
This
dichotomy is at the heart of On Something.
We highly (no pun intended) recommend this innovative series of podcasts.
On Something was developed through Project
Catapult, a podcast accelerator program run by PRX with funding
from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
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