High Hopes: California's Pot Experiment

When California voters legalized recreational marijuana in 2016, some hailed it as a progressive policy that would generate windfall tax revenues while others warned of a public health disaster. So far, neither of those extremes has come to pass. Nonetheless, legal pot has made its mark on California in many ways.

KPBS reporters analyzed data and interviewed city officials, police officers and doctors to gauge its impact on city budgets, public safety and healthcare San Diego. They also spoke with scientists and pot entrepreneurs about what the future holds. The result is a five-part series that separates the realities from the myths in the early years of California's recreational pot experiment.