Marijuana laws in the U.S. have changed rapidly over the past decade, with roughly half of states permitting adults to consume cannabis recreationally. Proponents say legalizing cannabis can reduce racial disparities in drug arrests, raise tax revenue and control cannabis purity. But the fast-growing retail market and availability of high-potency marijuana has raised public health concerns at a time when it’s difficult to assess which policy approaches are most effective. We are joined by Rosalie Pacula, a USC Price School Professor and leading expert on cannabis policy. Her research has explored the different regulatory approaches taken by states and countries to legalizing cannabis, as well as the public health outcomes on addiction, ER visits, mental health and youth smoking.

We are a month away from the U.S. presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Polls have consistently shown the candidates locked in a tight race, suggesting that voter turnout could be crucial in deciding the winner. Our guest today is Mindy Romero, director of the USC Price School’s Center for Inclusive Democracy. She has conducted research focused on turnout for voters of color, who remain under-represented at the polls despite substantial population growth. We’ll discuss her survey’s findings, what’s driving racial disparities in voter participation and how we can get more people to the ballot box.

In this episode, the PricePod goes to Hollywood. Since the turn of the century, dozens of states have collectively given billions of dollars in tax breaks for an unusual purpose: to subsidize the development of movies and TV shows. Local governments across the country offer tax breaks to attract film productions, which proponents say stimulate the economy with new jobs and spending. But are the subsidies good public policy? Michael Thom, an associate professor at the USC Price School, shares his research into whether the programs are meaningfully creating jobs and economic activity.