This September we've got a new host, a new season, and new podcasts!

We're back from our summer break to bring you the most exciting new podcast releases. But first, some news...

Our former host Lindsay Michael has been away on maternity leave, and we're sad to say she has taken a job outside the CBC and won't be rejoining us. We've had so much fun with interim host Elamin Abdelmahmoud, but his time with us was only supposed to be temporary. (And he's busy hosting some other great shows and even writing a book!) So, all this to say...

We have a brand new permanent host taking over! Co-host of The Secret Life of Canada Leah Simone Bowen is the new voice of our show! Along with podcasting, Leah is also a playwright, writer, theatre director and producer. We're so excited to have her on board, and to introduce you to her all-time favourite podcasts (coming soon). But for now, let her take you through this month's best new releases. 

Remember when weed was legalized in Canada? It didn't get rid of the illegal marijuana market — in fact, it did the opposite. Actor Jay Baruchel (aka Seth Rogen's bestie) hosts a new podcast that will tell you more. Later, a new CBC Podcast examines the rise of conservative radio. Before Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Alex Jones, there was Charles Coughlin. Plus, the story of how Black jazz musician Daryl Davis met a KKK member at a bar, and ended up inspiring hundreds of people to leave white supremacist groups.

All this and more is waiting to kick off your fall. Just press play!

Podcasts featured this week:

Highly Legal: "Canadian actor Jay Baruchel (starring in the likes of How to Train Your Dragon and This Is the End) tackles all of our questions surrounding the legalization of cannabis in Canada. How has legalization changed things? And what has the rest of the world learned from this once-in-a-generation experiment?"

The Invisible Hand: "Georgina Savage returns to South Africa, where her cousin's family live deep in the bush of the Kruger National Park – fighting on the front lines of a conservation war against rhino poaching. This podcast goes behind a popular headline to document this story from a never before heard angle. With unprecedented access, Georgina immerses herself in the lives of individuals connected to the illegal trade, including the men who poach rhinos, in an attempt to understand the personal circumstances of those entangled in a crisis."

The Flamethrowers: "The Flamethrowers tracks the rise of right wing radio from fringe preachers and conspiracy pedalers of the 30s to the political firestorm that rages today. It's the story of how radio energized and then radicalized the conservative base, culminating with Donald Trump, the president who followed the conservative talk playbook all the way to the White House. Hosted by award-winning reporter Justin Ling."

A Slight Change of Plans: "When Black jazz musician Daryl Davis meets a Klansman at a bar, his life takes a sudden turn. He ends up inspiring hundreds of people to leave white supremacist groups."

Telling Our Twisted Histories: ​​In this first episode, host Kaniehti:io Horn decolonizes the word, 'discovery'. Christopher Columbus, Jacques Cartier, even Leif Erikson all claimed to have found a 'new' land. But by the time they reached the shores of the Americas, millions of people had already been living here for at least 11,000 years. The Doctrine of Discovery –a papal bull from the 1400's– justified the dispossession and displacement of the First Peoples from their Lands. Together, we'll explore words that are now helping us to rewrite our history.

Have a favourite new podcast? Share it with us! Email, tweet us @PodcastPlaylist, or find us on Facebook.

For more great podcasts, check out CBC's podcast portal, subscribe in Apple Podcasts.