August 5th, 2013

Weed: Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports premieres Sunday, 8/11 8p ET

Premieres on CNN Sunday, August 11 at 8 pm ET

Once considered a more underground activity, marijuana has become increasingly popular over the years, resulting in legalization to grow, sell and smoke it in states like Colorado and Washington.  Cannabis has become one of the most controversial topics in America, but just decades ago it was a legitimate medication on U.S. formulary.  No matter the circumstance, the debate over marijuana still exists and one question remains the same.  Is marijuana bad for you or, could it actually be good for you?

In “Weed” – a one hour documentary premiering on Sunday, August 11th at 8 pm ET – CNN’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta spends nearly a year traveling the globe to shed light on the debate.

While it is part of a lifestyle for some, it is a lifeline for others including five-year-old Charlotte Figi.  Charlotte suffers from a rare condition called Dravet’s syndrome, making her prone to up to 300 seizures per week.  Like many people who use marijuana for medicinal purposes, parents Paige and Matt Figi tried every other option before resorting to this type of prescription.  Sanjay follows their journey.

Sanjay takes you to Colorado where weed dispensaries and pot cafes have become the norm.  Dealers, doctors, users – Gupta meets with various people, like the Figis, offering a raw insight to what’s been dubbed “The Green Rush.”  He also talks to experts about whether marijuana can be addictive—and whether it can contribute to long-term damage in the brain.

Sanjay’s final stops are in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem where he meets with some of the pioneers behind marijuana study, offering access to decades of innovative and cutting-edge research.

Weed:  Sanjay Gupta Reports will replay Sunday, August 11th at 11:00 pm ET and Monday, August 12th at 2:00 am ET.

About CNN

CNN Worldwide is a portfolio of two dozen news and information services across cable, satellite, radio, wireless devices and the Internet in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. Domestically, CNN reaches more individuals on television, the web and mobile devices than any other cable TV news organization in the United States; internationally, CNN is the most widely distributed news channel reaching more than 271 million households abroad; and CNN Digital is a top network for online news, mobile news and social media. Additionally, CNN Newsource is the world’s most extensively utilized news service partnering with hundreds of local and international news organizations around the world. CNN is division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company.

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