Ann Marie Awad

Ann Marie Awad was with CPR from 2017-2021 as a reporter, the host of the podcast "On Something" and a community audio producer.

On Something Marijuana and Spirituality

Puff, Puff, Pray

What does it mean to have a spiritual experience with marijuana? We visit a cannabis church and talk with a psychedelic therapist, and explore how more Americans are seeking enlightenment in surprising new places.
Illustration of calendar turning into a rolled joint

Neal Pollack’s Addiction

Texas-based satirist Neal Pollack — who’s written plenty of pot jokes over the years — reveals how he became addicted to marijuana, and what he’d tell people who don’t believe that’s possible.
Illustration of five pairs of legs and a ball and chain

Weed’s Legal Hangover

Two people — a white woman and a black man — reflect on their own arrests for marijuana charges when they were 19, and walk us through how those convictions continue to affect their careers and lives today.
Illustration of saxophone player, hippie and woman in the 40s

Why Was Weed Illegal Anyway?

Marijuana’s history in the U.S. is complicated. Colorado Public Radio reporter Ann Marie Awad explains how cannabis became illegal — and how we got from there to the kickstart of the modern legalization movement. If nothing else, listen just to hear the phrase “jazz cigarettes.”