Rebranding Weed: The Implicit Associations of Cannabis
Written By Rudy Brown
The roots of cannabis criminalization come from racially charged narratives in the early 20th century. Back then, the plant was deliberately associated with communities of color to justify legal restrictions. In the 1930s and 1940s, media outlets like the New York Times published over 50 articles linking cannabis to violent crime, crafting a fear-driven narrative filled with harmful stereotypes. This stigmatization fueled harsh penalties, disproportionately affecting marginalized people and leading to the mass incarceration of nonviolent cannabis offenders.
The Case for Genuine Cannabis Legalization: Confronting History and Embracing Equity
Written By Dustin Hoxworth
At the heart of cannabis prohibition lies a truly disgusting history filled with misinformation, fear, and racism. The illegal status of cannabis was not born out of legitimate concerns for public health or safety, but rather from a calculated campaign to demonize a plant and the people associated with it. The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 is a prime example, rooted in the racist rhetoric of the time that equated cannabis use with violence and moral decay, particularly within Black and Latino communities.
Getting High: From Stigma to Empowerment, Misunderstanding to Mindfulness
Written By David Kooi
In my experience with cannabis, I have often avoided using the term "high" in favor of fostering a new conversation around cannabis— one that is grounded in purpose, wellness, and evidence-based understanding. My mission since entering the industry has always been to empower individuals to improve their lives through purposeful cannabis consumption, and to dispel the myths that have long plagued the cannabis plant.
Canna-Creatives and the Unproven Link
Written By Mary Ellen Lorello
As my cannabis journey unfolded, I found myself following the Grateful Dead to participate in those magical live music experiences where the audience, the band, and the music all became one. The unscripted notes the band was playing became almost predictable to some part of me, and I remember my body moving in synchronicity with the music and the entire crowd. It was an experience of momentary unity, community, and unconditional love, brought about by the power of music and enhanced, for me and most others in the crowd, with cannabis.
Cannabis History In The United States: Reviewing The 100-Year Timeline Of A Plant
Written By Deborah Agboola
No one knows when exactly cannabis came to America. What we do know is cannabis existed in the U.S. over 200 years before William O’Shaughnessy brought in the idea of medicinal cannabis. Unfortunately, when anti-cannabis proponents finally found the most questionable way to criminalize cannabis, they took it!
Cannabis in Malta Part I: Market & History
Written By Nigel Despinasse
While governments worldwide are engaging in debates and decisions regarding their stance on cannabis, the future of cannabis innovation looks bright in Malta.
Malta is a pioneering country that legalized medical cannabis in 2018 and became the first in the EU to legalize recreational cannabis in 2021.
With strategic geographical positioning in the Mediterranean and the potential for growth in the European market, Malta's cannabis industry presents numerous investment opportunities and prospects for economic growth.
Read on for an enticing overview of Malta's cannabis industry, including its historical background, legal framework, and the landscape of medical cannabis.
4:20 to 4/20
Written By OG Razor
The legends and myths of cannabis are still being unraveled as we speak, but the origin of what was a daily meeting time to smoke eventually led to an almost sacred day of recognition for the benefits of using cannabis. It all began with the Waldos in Marin County, Northern California during the start of the 1970s.
Whether celebrated to invite new consumers to experience the plant’s benefits, or to simply partake in a yearly tradition, this day has evolved into a grand advocacy and marketing platform which often eschews the cannabis culture itself.
Black Hempstory Month: Origins of Western Prohibition
Written by Dan Isenstein
There seems to be no end to shameless conspiracy theories about the origins of cannabis prohibition. Among the most disseminated are that William Randolph Hearst wanted to ban hemp to protect his vast timber holdings and that the DuPont corporation wanted to eliminate competition to their newly patented thermoplastic - nylon. The evidence supporting both sounds better when you’re high.
No, racism is inarguably at the root of reefer madness and ultimately cannabis prohibition. And, if racism was not the motivation for the making of cannabis illegal initially, then the execution of the law, which saw blacks and people of color arrested and incarcerated at more than double that of whites and sentenced to much longer jail terms, certainly provided the law with plenty of racist cred.
This Black History Month open your eyes, and your mind, to the reality that the easiest explanation is often the truth. Was cannabis prohibited because DuPont and Hearst conspired to protect their own self-interest or did the United States, which has been racist AF since its inception, pass a law to preserve the dominant social order?