Don't Trust the Same Authorities That Outlawed Weed To Justly Regulate It!

Social equity programs designed to remediate the damage done by the War on Marijuana have all-too-often had the opposite effect. To find out why, Abdullah and Bean share a sesh with top-drawer cannabis journalist Amanda Chicago Lewis and discuss her new article in the New Republic: "Legalized Pot Was Supposed to Help Build Black Wealth in Los Angeles. It Failed." From shady politicians to venture capital d-bags, she explains what's gone wrong, and how those lessons can be applied to legalization laws in the rest of the country—and around the world. We also discuss how Amanda's 2014 Rolling Stone article about the Pamela Anderson / Tommy Lee sex tape was adopted into the Hulu series Pam & Tommy. Also mentioned in the episode, her 2017 GQ article that blew the whistle on a secret plan to patent cannabis. For more on that subject, check out Bean's subsequent investigative series for Leafly. And for more on social equity in Los Angeles, check out Abdullah's reporting for public radio station KCRW. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our Great Moments in Weed History podcast feed for 60+ episodes of our classic format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible.