Since Pennsylvania legalized medical marijuana in 2016, the cannabis industry has grown quickly—but not without growing pains. In a recent interview on WITF's The Spark, host Asia Tabb sat down with Judith D. Cassel, a leading attorney and advisor for cannabis companies, to explore how the legal landscape has evolved and what misconceptions still cloud this rapidly expanding market.

 

Since Pennsylvania legalized medical marijuana in 2016, the cannabis industry has grown quickly&mdash;but not without growing pains. In a recent interview on WITF's The Spark, host Asia Tabb sat down with Judith D. Cassel, a leading attorney and advisor for cannabis companies, to explore how the legal landscape has evolved and what misconceptions still cloud this rapidly expanding market.
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When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb starts conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb starts conversations about what&rsquo;s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

The Spark

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb start the conversations about what&rsquo;s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at&nbsp;<a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

Judith D. Cassel Unpacks the Challenges Facing Pennsylvania’s Budding Industry

Lincoln Caverns

VisonCorp 100 Years

(00:00:00)

A farmer’s accidental 1930 discovery beneath U.S. Route 22 became Lincoln Caverns, a destination that has fascinated visitors for nearly a century. 

(00:22:28)

This episode also honors VisionCorps’ 100 years of impact, spotlighting its mission and its call for the public to help preserve and uplift its history.

(00:00:00)
A farmer&rsquo;s accidental 1930 discovery beneath U.S. Route 22 became Lincoln Caverns, a destination that has fascinated visitors for nearly a century.&nbsp;
(00:22:28)
This episode also honors VisionCorps&rsquo; 100 years of impact, spotlighting its mission and its call for the public to help preserve and uplift its history.

Inside Lincoln Caverns’ Hidden History + VisionCorps’ 100 Years of Service

Dr. Leroy Hopkins

Tracie Potts

(00:00:00)

First, we look at the work of Dr. Louis S. Hopkins, whose forty years of research into Lancaster’s African American past blends rigorous scholarship with lived experience. Growing up in segregated southeast Lancaster City, Dr. Hopkins developed a deep awareness of how geography, access, and memory inform the historical record. His ongoing efforts to recover stories long pushed to the margins challenge us to reconsider how communities understand their own past.

(00:22:24)

We then shift to a post‑lecture conversation with Tracie Potts, Executive Director of the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College, following David M. Rubenstein’s recent Blavatt Lecture: “The Declaration of Independence at 250: Its Origins and Importance.” Potts reflects on the event, Rubenstein’s insights, and why examining the nation’s founding document matters as the U.S. approaches its semi quincentennial.

(00:00:00)
First, we look at the work of Dr. Louis S. Hopkins, whose forty years of research into Lancaster&rsquo;s African American past blends rigorous scholarship with lived experience. Growing up in segregated southeast Lancaster City, Dr. Hopkins developed a deep awareness of how geography, access, and memory inform the historical record. His ongoing efforts to recover stories long pushed to the margins challenge us to reconsider how communities understand their own past.
(00:22:24)
We then shift to a post‑lecture conversation with Tracie Potts, Executive Director of the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College, following David M. Rubenstein&rsquo;s recent Blavatt Lecture: &ldquo;The Declaration of Independence at 250: Its Origins and Importance.&rdquo; Potts reflects on the event, Rubenstein&rsquo;s insights, and why examining the nation&rsquo;s founding document matters as the U.S. approaches its semi quincentennial.

Recovering Forgotten Stories: Lancaster’s African American History and the Declaration of Independence at 250

If you’ve walked through Harrisburg, you’ve likely encountered the bold, vibrant work of artist Dionn Reneé — murals that don’t just brighten walls but tell stories, honor neighborhoods, and reflect the city’s spirit. A painter, photographer, designer, and community builder, Reneé is shaping the capital city’s visual identity while expanding her reach far beyond it.

and

A rare and disturbing story from Cumberland County’s past is reaching a global audience through new historical research and a BBC podcast, shedding light on the life of Cloe, an enslaved teenage girl whose words survive in court and newspaper records. “For enslaved women in the United States, there’s only a handful of women whose words were actually recorded and preserved in the historical record, and Cloe’s was one of them,” said local historian Merri Lou Schaumann. Born in 1782, Cloe was enslaved by multiple people before being purchased at age 14 by the Carruthers family in what was then East Pennsboro Township.

If you&rsquo;ve walked through Harrisburg, you&rsquo;ve likely encountered the bold, vibrant work of artist&nbsp;Dionn Rene&eacute;&nbsp;&mdash; murals that don&rsquo;t just brighten walls but tell stories, honor neighborhoods, and reflect the city&rsquo;s spirit. A painter, photographer, designer, and community builder, Rene&eacute; is shaping the capital city&rsquo;s visual identity while expanding her reach far beyond it.
and
A rare and disturbing story from Cumberland&nbsp;<a href="https://www.historicalsociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Local-Historical-Society-on-the-BBC-podcast-Lady-Killers-with-Lucy-Worsley-Press-Release.docx.pdf">County&rsquo;s</a>&nbsp;past is reaching a global audience through new historical research and a BBC podcast, shedding light on the life of Cloe, an enslaved teenage girl whose words survive in court and newspaper records. &ldquo;For enslaved women in the United States, there&rsquo;s only a handful of women whose words were actually recorded and preserved in the historical record, and Cloe&rsquo;s was one of them,&rdquo; said local historian Merri Lou Schaumann. Born in 1782, Cloe was enslaved by multiple people before being purchased at age 14 by the Carruthers family in what was then East Pennsboro Township.

Judith D. Cassel Unpacks the Challenges Facing Pennsylvania’s Budding Industry

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