Raised beds with pressure-treated lumber are safe for food gardens since 2004

The concern about treated lumber leaching arsenic was valid for CCA-treated wood (banned for residential use in 2004). Modern ACQ and CA-B treated lumber uses copper-based preservatives that are approved for food-contact applications. Per the EPA and multiple university extension studies, the copper levels in adjacent soil are well within safe limits. Do not waste money on cedar or composite for raised beds if cost is a factor.