THENEWSCIENCEOFMARIJUANAShouldCaptiveDolphinsBeFreed?LivingGoddessesofNepalDryTimesAreHerefortheAralSeaJUNE2015OFFICIALJOURNALOFTHENATIONALGEOGRAPHICSOCIETYInTokha,Nepal,KumariDangolhasbeenworshippedasalivinggoddesssinceshewasababy.She’snownineyearsold.58BorntoBeWildCandolphinsreturntotheseaaftercaptivityinamarinepark?Somecan—oncetheyrelearnhowtobewild.ByTimZimmermann98LittleParkofWondersItsworld-renownedfossilbedandstunningvistasmakeCanada’sYohoNationalParkastandout.ByMcKenzieFunkPhotographsbyPeterEssick114SinsoftheAralSeaDivertedtowatercrops,whatwasonceavastinlandseais90percentgone.Canitberevived?ByMarkSynnottPhotographsbyCarolynDrake132Proof|Bug-EyedAhigh-poweredmicroscoperevealsinsectandspidereyesasmarvelsofadaptation.StoryandPhotographsbyMartinOeggerliOntheCoverCrossbreedinghasyieldedcountlessstrainsofcannabis.Thefloweringherb,commonlyknownasmarijuana,cangrowupto16feettall.PhotoillustrationbyBillMarrCorrectionsandClarificationsGotongm.com/more.30HighScienceWithmarijuana’srisingacceptancecomesmoredebateaboutitspotentialbenefitsanddrawbacks.ByHamptonSidesPhotographsbyLynnJohnson78LivingGoddessesofNepalInNepalesetraditionalittlegirlcanbecomealivinggoddess—butonlyforsolong.ByIsabellaTreePhotographsbyStephanieSinclairJUNE2015•VOL.227•NO.6FROMTHEEDITORSusanGoldberg,EditorinChiefScienceofMarijuanaPHOTO:LYNNJOHNSONAttheCannLabsfacilityinDenver,Colorado,cannabisproductsundergorigoroustestingforqualitycontrol.YoumightrememberthisTVantidrugad.“Thisisyourbrain,”saysagrim-facedguy.Heholdsupanegg.“Thisisdrugs,”hesays,gesturingtoaskilletonthestoveandthencrackingtheeggintothehotpan.“Thisisyourbrainondrugs.”Theeggsizzlesandcongeals.“Anyquestions?”Well,yes—lotsofthem.Anddecadesafterthiscrusadeaired,relativelyfewhavebeenanswered,especiallyaboutmarijuana.Nowthatnearlyhalfthestatesinthiscountryallowmedicalmarijuana,votersinfourstateshavelegalizedpotforrecreation,andamajorityofAmeri-cansfavorlegalization,researchabouthowmarijuanaaffectsourbrainsandbodiesisanurgent...
