On Women and Cannabis
I started reading this book wanting to learn specifically how cannabis usage could be beneficial for women and it does that in a really helpful way by defining terms one might have heard and breaking options down in a really helpful way. However, I also fully expected a book about cannabis in 2018 to acknowledge how racism has played and continues to play a part in who gets to participate in cannabis capitalism or even just enjoying recreationally. Despite that jazzy cover and title, I was not the target audience for this book. I live in a state that allows for recreational cannabis use (🙌🏾) and an area that is trying to figure out what racial equity in the cannabis industry looks like given decades of racist drug enforcement policies.
I read this book deeply feeling it wasn’t for me, despite my interest in the topic. It was clearly meant for middle-aged women and/or caregivers to breakdown the misconceptions around cannabis use and normalize it for a certain group of people, but from my POV that’s already happened. How much more impactful this book could have been if the author or publisher added historical context.
I read it as a Black woman who was taught that cannabis was the Devil’s weed and a gateway to a life of debauchery and sadness. Clearly that’s wrong (even though studies do show that using cannabis too early in life isn’t great for brain development). I now use it regularly in facial moisturizer and I have to chuckle at how normal it is in my life and social circle. I’m glad I’ve grown up to learn more and that individuals and organizations are working to educate about cannabis usage. It’s just imperative that those conversations include race. I hope there’s a book in the works by a Black and or Latinx woman in the works that centers how women of color can approach cannabis into their wellness journeys.
Recommended Reading
Why Isn’t Marijuana Legalization Doing Any Good for People of Color?