Washington - The Term Marijuana is Racist

[cawacko]

I'll admit, I'm not a smoker so this isn't something I'm familiar with. But for those who enjoy the partaking of MJ, were you aware of this history? Anyone go out of their way to not use the term as a result?




Lawmakers strike the word ‘marijuana’ from all state laws, calling term racist


“Pot,” “weed,” “grass,” “Mary Jane,” “flower” — there is no shortage of terms to describe cannabis. However, Washington state is taking one word officially off the table: “marijuana.”

Legislators recently passed a law that changes every Revised Code of Washington with the word “marijuana.” The change gets rid of the term, swapping it out for the word “cannabis.”

Supporters say the word “marijuana” has a long history of racism.

“The term ‘marijuana’ itself is pejorative and racist,” said Washington state Rep. Melanie Morgan during testimony in 2021. Morgan is a Democrat representing the 29th Legislative District and sponsored the bill — House Bill 1210. Morgan discussed the history of the word, which originates from Spanish.

“As recreational marijuana use became more popular, it was negatively associated with Mexican immigrants,” Morgan said.

Governor Jay Inslee signed the bill that passed unanimously into law March 11. The changes will take effect in June.

“Even though it seems simple because it’s just one word, the reality is we’re healing the wrongs that were committed against Black and Brown people around cannabis,” Morgan said.

Joy Hollingsworth owns Hollingsworth Cannabis Company with her family. The family business includes a pot farm in Shelton. They also run a hemp side, called Hollingsworth Hemp Company, which produces a line of non-THC hemp products, like candles and lotions.

She says for people of color in the industry, the word “marijuana” comes with a burden.

“It had been talked about for a long time in our community about how that word demonizes the cannabis plant,” Hollingsworth said.

Harry Anslinger, the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (which later became the Drug Enforcement Administration) played a big role in the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which banned selling or possessing weed.

“It was … Anslinger that said and I quote, ‘Marijuana is the most violent causing drug in the history of mankind. And most marijuana users are Negroes, Hispanic, Caribbean, and entertainers. Their satanic music, jazz and swing results from marijuana usage,’” said Morgan during testimony.

To explain the mentality around weed in the 1930s, several lawmakers referenced the anti-pot propaganda film, “Reefer Madness.”

“In this startling film, you will see dopesters lure children to destruction,” says a trailer of the film on YouTube. “A new and deadly menace lurking behind closed doors: Marijuana! The burning weed with its roots in hell.”

“It was used as a racist terminology to lock up Black and brown people,” Morgan said during commentary on the bill in this year.

Hollingsworth says her mother taught her about the trauma behind the word.

“She was the one who educated us on the term and how it was derogatory and we shouldn’t use it anymore,” Hollingsworth said. “We have a lot of people, especially in the Black community that went to prison over cannabis for years. That were locked up, separated from their nuclear family, which is huge,” she said.

“It’s really painful for people to hear that word and it triggers them,” Hollingsworth said.

A 2020 ACLU report found that nationwide, Black people were still 3.6 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people.

State Rep. Emily Wicks says the bill changes the conversation around cannabis in Washington.

“Although we call it a technical fix, I think it does a lot to undo or at least correct in some effort, some of the serious harms around this language,” Wicks said.

“If you have a group of people saying this word is derogatory, this word is pain, just not something we should use — we need to have a better understanding of listening to folks,” Hollingsworth said. “Just change it and move on,” she said.

Hollingsworth points out there is a lot more work to do when it comes to equity in the cannabis industry.

“We’ll take any win right? But we don’t want to get caught up on the performative equity piece where we’re just talking about words and not actual legislation and policy,” Hollingsworth said.

One change she is hoping to see is a piece of cannabis tax dollars reinvested into communities of color.

“We will feel like the industry has paid off when we see those funds get put into college scholarships. Maybe a family wanted to buy a home and they were from the Central District of Seattle, and they wanted to go back there because they were priced out. They could get a loan from those funds. Thinking about creative ways to make impactful scalable solutions in our community is what I’m looking for,” Hollingsworth said.

Lawmakers did establish the “Washington Task Force on Social Equity in Cannabis” in 2020. One change already in the works is to bring more diversity to pot shop owners. Minority applicants for cannabis licenses could receive grants and assistance that help business owners get established.


https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/law...LBA2H53CYOJXE/

[Concart]

Silly theatrical politics. Something Republicans should be intimately familiar with.

4/20 is a great day. 30% off of EVERYTHING in the store

[Damocles]

I have never, and I really do mean never, associated Marijuana with solely Mexican Immigrants. This is the first time I have ever even heard of this supposed "racism" within a drug name. Wouldn't calling it only cannabis just be "white-washing" it?

[cawacko]

I have never, and I really do mean never, associated Marijuana with solely Mexican Immigrants. This is the first time I have ever even heard of this supposed "racism" within a drug name. Wouldn't calling it only cannabis just be "white-washing" it?

Maybe I shouldn’t acknowledge my ignorance to the history of weed but if you asked me to stereotype weed or weed users the poster child would be white hippies.

[Legion]

DEMOCRAT

Washington state will prohibit the use of the world “marijuana” in official law over concerns that it is "racist".

Indeed, the DEMOCRAT-dominated state legislature recently passed a bill banning the word and DEMOCRAT Gov. Jay Inslee signed it into law, effective in June.


https://humanevents.com/2022/04/25/this-state-banned-the-word-marijuana-from-state-laws-citing-racism/

---

Remember in November.

[Concart]

Maybe I shouldn’t acknowledge my ignorance to the history of weed but if you asked me to stereotype weed or weed users the poster child would be white hippies.

Weed is like alcohol. Everyone uses it, but blacks are arrested for it at a rate far greater than whites. Stop and frisk was basically open season on blacks who used marijuana. So the use of marijuana isn't really restricted to any subset, but enforcement is. That said, recreational use of marijuana is completely mainstream at this point. It's more embarrassing to say you were really drunk than to say you were high. I have a medical marijuana card. Many of my friends do as well. Everyone from blue collar to corporate executives use it now. I hate drinking, but give me a good edible and I'm happy as a clam.

[cawacko]

Weed is like alcohol. Everyone uses it, but blacks are arrested for it at a rate far greater than whites. Stop and frisk was basically open season on blacks who used marijuana. So the use of marijuana isn't really restricted to any subset, but enforcement is. That said, recreational use of marijuana is completely mainstream at this point. It's more embarrassing to say you were really drunk than to say you were high. I have a medical marijuana card. Many of my friends do as well. Everyone from blue collar to corporate executives use it now. I hate drinking, but give me a good edible and I'm happy as a clam.

I'm well aware the use of weed is ubiquitous. (I'm a hip hop fan from Oakland, weed and hip hop are basically synonymous). I was speaking more to the supposed racist history of the term. In this case, I have no clue to the origins of the word marijuana or stereotypes attached to the term (that's why I said to me I think of white hippies).

[Concart]

I'm well aware the use of weed is ubiquitous. (I'm a hip hop fan from Oakland, weed and hip hop are basically synonymous). I was speaking more to the supposed racist history of the term. In this case, I have no clue to the origins of the word marijuana or stereotypes attached to the term (that's why I said to me I think of white hippies).

I'm honestly confused by that too. Like I said, I think it's just theater politics, something I absolutely detest. Both sides are capable of it, although it appears that it is the only thing Republicans are good at now.

[cawacko]

I'm honestly confused by that too. Like I said, I think it's just theater politics, something I absolutely detest. Both sides are capable of it, although it appears that it is the only thing Republicans are good at now.

You'll notice I never mentioned Democrats in my post because I wasn't trying to turn this into a partisan pissing match. Equity is a hot button word right now and this falls into that category. (We no longer use the term Master Bedroom, we call it the primary suite. I've read we shouldn't use the term "grandfather clause" in business because it has a racist history/connotation. There are many examples of this.) I wasn't familiar with the history of the term marijuana and was curious if I was alone in that or others knew about it.

[SmarterthanYou]

someone should make the argument that making everything about race is racist............but then the left would make THAT argument racist

[ExpressLane]

I have never, and I really do mean never, associated Marijuana with solely Mexican Immigrants. This is the first time I have ever even heard of this supposed "racism" within a drug name. Wouldn't calling it only cannabis just be "white-washing" it?

Next thing will be is that "fried chicken" is racist.

[Nordberg]

What a waste of time that was.

[anonymoose]

Next thing will be is that "fried chicken" is racist.

That will never happen, at least on this board.
I was educated by members of the blue team that a healthy diet is racist because, well, we all are supposed to know blacks' staple diet is fried chicken, chitlins and Skittles.

[Legion]

That will never happen, at least on this board. I was educated by members of the blue team that a healthy diet is racist because, well, we all are supposed to know blacks' staple diet is fried chicken, chitlins and Skittles.

https://www.theguardian.com/food/202...g-it-shamed-me

[NiftyNiblick]

This by the same idiots who think that it's OK to use "they" and "their" as singular words.
Woke is full-blown psychotic now.