Cannabis on the border is nothing new – for decades, weed moved north from Mexico into the U.S., an illegal trade that fueled drug cartels and drug violence. But with the legalization of recreational and medicinal cannabis in California and other U.S. states, all of that has changed. In Episode 1 of a new series from Port of Entry, we profile a Tijuana politician and activist who is pushing for the legalization of cannabis in Baja California.Port of Entry is back, this time with a series of stories on how the border can change minds.

When COVID-19 rules prevented certain people from crossing the border, “Port of Entry” cohost Alan Lilienthal’s binational, bilingual band Tulengua got separated by the wall.

Border artist Michelle Guerrero struggled with addiction for years, but a surprise pregnancy helped her straighten out her life. Eventually, she taught herself how to paint large-scale murals, in part, by painting murals on the actual border fence. These days, she goes by Mr B Baby, and she travels the West Coast and Mexico, painting huge Mexican-inspired murals in a style that is her own.

Big news: we have a new cohost! In our recurring “Tour Guide” bonus episodes, we ask transborder people to take us on a tour of a special place in the borderlands: a place that means a lot to them. Today, our new fronteriza cohost Natalie Gonzalez, along with our longtime fronterizo host Alan Lilienthal, take us on a tour of two of their favorite places in Tijuana and tell us more about their life on la línea.Today’s episode continues our new season of "Port of Entry" focused on crossborder artists and musicians who’ve turned pain into superpowers.

Victor Lebowski, better known as the artist Tijuanauta, captures the beauty of the borderlands in his art. His detailed ink drawings are often a mishmash of U.S.-Mexico icons, like Star Wars characters and taco carts, or astronauts eating carne asada. But for a long time, Tijuanauta refused to sell his art or make art his day job. Instead, he hid behind the safety of his office job and stayed inside a cubicle for a decade. But recently, Tijuanauta took the plunge. He became a full-time artist and had his first-ever art show in Tijuana over the summer.The artist is gaining traction fast, but his biggest battle is inside his own brain. A mix of lifelong anxiety and self-doubt has long stopped Tijuanauta from being the artist he's destined to be. But he’s finally fighting back.

Mexican musician Javier Bátiz could very likely have been world famous had he headed north of the border with his good friend and bandmate Carlos Santana back in the 1960s.But instead, Javier went south to Mexico City, where he built a successful career in the country he loves.In a new episode of “Port of Entry,” we look into how Javier’s life, decisions and decades-long musical career have brought him internal peace and fulfillment he says is far more important to him than reaching the high-level fame his friend Carlos found.Today’s story continues our new season of "Port of Entry" focused on artists and musicians who’ve turned pain into superpowers.

You know what they say about one man’s trash becoming another’s treasure, right? At the border, the journey from trash to treasure often involves an actual trip from San Diego to Tijuana, where things like furniture, appliances and other used or discarded objects find a second life. But, of course, those objects don’t move themselves. The whole cross-border, second-hand world involves people like Seth Sullivan, aka “Art Pusher,” one of the best-known “pickers” in the borderlands. Seth is a fireball who’s been through a lot in his cross-border life. But his struggles have only fueled him to keep going and growing.Today’s story kicks off a new season of "Port of Entry" focused on artists and musicians who’ve turned pain into superpowers.Follow Art Pusher on Instagram. ***“Port of Entry'' is written and produced by Kinsee Morlan. Emily Jankowski is the co-producer and director of sound design. Alisa Barba is our editor. Lisa Morrisette-Zapp is operations manager and John Decker is the interim associate general manager of content.This program is made possible, in part, by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

From PRX and KPBS, “Port of Entry” is back with a new season on Oct. 13.We’re bringing you stories of border artists and musicians who’ve turned pain into superpowers.

Film director and animator Jorge Gutierrez grew up crossing the border between Tijuana and San Diego almost every day.That cross-border experience can be seen in the work Jorge does today.Jorge is the director of the animated movie, “The Book of Life.” He’s also one of the creators of the hit Nickelodeon show “El Tigre.” And he’s got several new projects coming out on Netflix soon. One of those projects is “Maya and the Three,” an animated series that will be released on Netflix in October.In today’s bonus episode, which is a recording of a YouTube Live event we had over the summer, we talk to the famed animator about his new show, how his cross-border life has impacted his work and more.

In this bonus episode, meet a woman who takes people’s pets from San Diego to Tijuana for more affordable veterinary care. It’s a story about the great…