The cannabis legalization movement took major strides forward in 2023, with three more states legalizing adult-use cannabis and one more approving medical cannabis. Now we have our sights set on more promising cannabis policy reform opportunities in the months ahead. Lots of state legislatures are reconvening, and with hundreds of thousands of people still being arrested for cannabis every year, we need to stand up and double down on our mission to end cannabis prohibition nationwide. If we’re able to gather the necessary resources to sustain robust advocacy efforts, these are some of the key states where we have the best shot to secure more victories in 2024!

On the legalization front, there are several states that are on our radar. Efforts to legalize adult-use cannabis are underway in Hawaii, New Hampshire, Florida, and South Dakota. In South Dakota, activists are hopeful to make another attempt at legalizing cannabis for adult use via the 2024 ballot. In Florida, signatures have been submitted to place the question of adult-use legalization on the 2024 ballot, although the initiative is tied up in court. Meanwhile, we are engaged in a legislative push for cannabis legalization in Hawaii and New Hampshire, two states that have become islands of prohibition in recent years as surrounding states have successfully legalized cannabis. Activists are also laying the groundwork in Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, which are all possible prospects, but will likely be a multi-year effort.

There are also a handful of states that are poised to make progress regarding medical cannabis legalization. In South Carolina, a medical cannabis legalization bill will start where it left off in 2023, awaiting a Senate floor vote. Similarly, a medical cannabis bill in North Carolina will pick up in 2024 where it left off — awaiting action by the House of Representatives. In Wisconsin, Republican legislative leaders suggested they may move on medical cannabis this year, but action has been slow to materialize. In Nebraska, patient advocates and community leaders are regrouping after a series of setbacks in recent years and charging ahead with another effort to let voters decide the fate of medical cannabis on the 2024 ballot.

The MPP team has the experience and policy knowledge to help get these efforts across the finish line, but we’re counting on your support to keep driving our movement forward. Chip in today to sustain our work to change laws and change lives state by state!

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Celebrating Giving Tuesday – All November Donations Matched!

Each year, the last Tuesday of November is designated as “Giving Tuesday”, an international day of philanthropy to recognize the importance of supporting charities and nonprofits bringing positive change to the world. 

As Giving Tuesday 2023 approaches on November 28, we're excited to announce that generous donors have pledged to match every dollar donated by Giving Tuesday, aiming to raise a total of $20,000. These funds will launch the Marijuana Policy Project Cannabis Justice Fund, supporting our mission to secure just and humane cannabis policies nationwide.

This generous matching commitment means that every contribution this month will be doubled, 

giving donors the opportunity to make twice the difference as the fight to end cannabis prohibition continues. You can double your impact by chipping in right now.

The MPP Cannabis Justice Fund

The legalization movement has made incredible strides in recent years, but the failed approach of prohibition continues to inflict harm and injustice on a massive scale across the country. Cannabis is still illegal for adults in more than half of the states, and the FBI annual crime report revealed that over 250,000 people were arrested in 2022 alone for marijuana offenses. 

At the same time as the legal cannabis industry reports revenues in the billions of dollars, millions of Americans are living in fear of arrest, imprisonment, loss of employment, and other severe collateral consequences of enforcing prohibitionist policies. We refuse to stand by as the criminalization of cannabis continues to oppress Americans – particularly individuals and communities of color that have been disproportionately impacted.

Launching the Cannabis Justice Fund will significantly boost our capacity to advocate for policies that expunge convictions, reduce arrests and police encounters, invest in jobs and education, and provide robust access to opportunities for all Americans to benefit from legalization. Together, we can build a legal cannabis reality where no one is left out or left behind.

Double your donation by giving today and support the urgent priorities of MPP and the Cannabis Justice Fund.

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On November 7, 2023, Ohio voters overwhelmingly approved an MPP-backed initiative to legalize cannabis for adults! Ohio is now the 24th state in the country to legalize adult-use marijuana and the 14th to do so by a public vote. With this victory, more than half of Americans (52%) live in a legal cannabis state for the first time! Furthermore, it puts us just one state away from half of the states in the country ending cannabis prohibition!

Once the measure is certified, adults 21 and older can possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis, including up to 15 grams of concentrate, and securely grow up to six plants. Legal sales are anticipated to begin in 2024. Issue 2 also allocates funding to establish a social equity and jobs program, and to study expungement and sentencing reform. Check out our summary for more details of the new law.

MPP was proud to be a major financial supporter of the campaign. Our involvement in Ohio cannabis reform efforts dates back to 2015, when MPP joined forces with local advocates to spearhead a ballot initiative campaign to enact medical cannabis, which spurred the legislature to enact the state’s medical cannabis law.

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At a time when the cannabis policy reform movement has more momentum and victories than ever, the legal cannabis industry is booming with billions of dollars in sales, and public support for cannabis legalization and decriminalization are at an all-time high, millions of Americans are still living under harsh policies of prohibition. 

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s annual Uniform Crime Report, law enforcement officials made at least 227,108 arrests* for marijuana-related violations in 2022. 92% of these arrests were for marijuana possession alone — not for sale or manufacturing. 

Here’s a further look at some of the key 2022 cannabis arrest statistics in the report:

• 245,149 arrests for marijuana possession
• 31% of all drug possession arrests were for marijuana
• 27% of all drug-related arrests were for marijuana offenses
• 22,699 arrests for marijuana sales or manufacturing offenses
• Black Americans accounted for over 27% of all drug-related arrests despite comprising just 13.6% of the national population according to the U.S. Census Bureau

Thirty-one states and Washington, D.C. have enacted laws to stop jailing their residents for possession of small amounts of cannabis. In 23 of those states, cannabis is legal for adults 21 and older, while eight have “decriminalized” simple possession. And yet, law enforcement officials continue to waste resources on arresting and prosecuting hundreds of thousands of marijuana consumers each year, while many violent and property crimes go unsolved.

This report is a stark reminder of just how prevalent cannabis prohibition and criminalization remains nationwide. It is particularly disturbing to note that the total arrests for cannabis violations actually increased from 2021 to 2022 according to the FBI’s online database.

We know that cannabis users are not criminals, and it’s up to us to take urgent action to address this ongoing injustice. You can help continue to dismantle the failed policies of cannabis prohibition by chipping in to support MPP’s advocacy efforts.

*It is important to note that the data found through the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer represents reported crime and is not an exhaustive report — as some agencies do not report. Thus, in some instances, the number of cannabis possession arrests in a state are largely underreported.

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In August 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) formally recommended rescheduling cannabis. In a letter sent to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), HHS provided findings from their review of marijuana’s scheduling status and recommended rescheduling marijuana to a Schedule III controlled substance. 

This historic development from the top federal health agency is an encouraging step forward. Rescheduling cannabis would provide many real-world benefits, including facilitating research and reducing burdens on medical cannabis patients, providers, and the businesses that serve them. 

Given that over half the U.S. population lives in states with medical cannabis programs, and millions of Americans are finding relief through cannabis products, it is long past due for the federal government to acknowledge cannabis’ medical value. 

While MPP still supports the full descheduling of cannabis, we recognize that the Biden administration’s rescheduling proposal offers the potential for a significant improvement in federal cannabis policy. As always, MPP adheres to a philosophy of incremental progress.

History
The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 placed all illicit and prescription drugs into five "schedules" (categories). Cannabis was placed in Schedule I, which is defined as having a high potential for abuse, having no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and lacking accepted safety standards for use under medical supervision.

That definition did not apply to cannabis in 1970 and certainly does not apply today. 

Even before the enactment of the Controlled Substances Act, cannabis had already been prohibited for more than three decades in our country. Interestingly, prior to 1937, there were at least 27 medicines containing cannabis that were legally available in the United States. Many were made by well-known pharmaceutical firms that still exist today, such as Eli Lilly. The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 federally prohibited cannabis and set the United States on a course of waging an unjust and failed war on cannabis that lasted nearly a century. 

Next Steps
The DEA is expected to make the final decision on whether federal law will finally acknowledge the reality that cannabis has medical value sometime in 2024. We encourage you to sign up for MPP email alerts and stay informed on the latest developments.

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Despite the ever-growing evidence of the broad and transformative benefits of cannabis reform in states across the country, opponents of replacing cannabis prohibition with sensible laws and regulations frequently make claims that, at first blush, sound alarming. However, upon a closer examination, their key sources lack credibility and distort the truth.

Misinformation and scare tactics remain very real obstacles as we’re fighting an increasingly uphill battle to continue advancing reform across the country. Below we dispel the top ten myths that prohibitionists often perpetuate.

MYTH: Marijuana is a gateway drug.
REALITY: The so-called “Gateway Theory” has been debunked repeatedly.

Most recently, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine reported in February 2017 that there is no substantial link between cannabis use and the use of other illegal drugs.^[1]

About half of all Americans have used cannabis at some point in their lives, but the vast majority never try any other drugs^[2]. If using cannabis caused people to use other drugs, there would be far more users of other drugs.^[3]

MYTH: Marijuana makes you lazy and/or stupid.
REALITY: There is no conclusive evidence that cannabis use results in lowered IQ.

In 2014, researchers at University College London found “no relationship between cannabis use and IQ,” even among the heaviest users. They also reported that alcohol use is strongly associated with a decline in IQ.^[4]

The claim that cannabis makes people “amotivated” is a myth that has been repeatedly debunked by experts. In its comprehensive 1999 report on cannabis, the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine concluded, “no convincing data demonstrate a causal relationship between cannabis smoking and these behavioral characteristics.”^[5]

While the vast majority of cannabis users do not encounter such problems, any substance or behavior can potentially interfere with an individual’s ability to perform well at work or in school. Whether it’s cannabis, alcohol, food, or video games, too much of it can be problematic for some people.

MYTH: Cannabis leads to crime.
REALITY: Government-published data, academic research, and the experiences of many law enforcement officials indicate that cannabis policy reform does not increase crime rates.

Contrary to assertions made by some opponents of legalization, there is no compelling basis for claims that legalizing cannabis and establishing regulated markets undermines public safety. Research generally shows that cannabis — unlike alcohol — is not linked to violent or aggressive behavior. In fact, research has found that cannabis use reduces the likelihood that an individual will act violently.^[6]

Meanwhile, legalizing cannabis also frees up police time for crimes with victims. In a 2018 analysis, experts at Washington State University found that police solved significantly more violent and property crimes after passage of legalization laws in Colorado and Washington.^[7]

MYTH: Marijuana can kill you.
REALITY: There has never been a confirmed cannabis overdose death.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concluded in 2017 that no link has been established between cannabis and fatal overdoses.^[8] Meanwhile, the CDC reports an average of more than 2,200 alcohol poisoning deaths per year^[9] and prescription drugs have become one of the leading causes of accidental death in the U.S. In 1988, after hearing two years of testimony, the chief administrative law judge for the DEA determined “it is physically impossible to eat enough cannabis to induce death.”^[10]

MYTH: Legalization makes it easier for teens to get marijuana.
REALITY: Research has shown that reforming cannabis laws does not increase teen cannabis use.

A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry in 2016 found that the number of teens using cannabis — and the number with problematic use — is falling as more states legalize or decriminalize cannabis. The findings were based on a survey of more than 200,000 youth in all 50 states. Cannabis prohibition has failed miserably at keeping cannabis out of the hands of teens. From 1975-2012, 80-90% of 12th graders consistently reported that cannabis was “fairly easy” or “very easy” to obtain. For the first time since the survey began 40 years ago, high school seniors’ perception of cannabis’s availability has dipped below 80% — after states began to legalize cannabis.^[11]

MYTH: Marijuana has no medical value.
REALITY: A large and growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates the benefits and safety of treating a broad range of ailments with medical cannabis.

Although the federal government has made research investigating cannabis’s medical value uniquely difficult, a vast majority of Americans recognize the legitimate medical benefits of cannabis. Numerous medical organizations have examined the evidence and concluded that cannabis can be a safe, effective medicine. They include the American Public Health Association, the American College of Physicians, the American Nurses Association, and a number of state medical and public health organizations, among others. In 2009, the American Medical Association called on the federal government to reconsider cannabis’s classification under federal law, noting clinical trials have shown cannabis’s medical efficacy.^[12]

MYTH: Today’s marijuana is stronger, thus more dangerous.
REALITY: Like alcohol, there are more potent and less potent types of cannabis, but even the most potent cannabis is far less harmful than alcohol.

Claims of a dramatic increase in marijuana potency are commonly based on the assertion that marijuana used in the 1960s and 1970s contained only 1% THC (the main psychoactive compound in marijuana). However, these claims are based on very small numbers of samples that may have been improperly stored. Furthermore, marijuana with just 1% THC is not psychoactive — that is, it doesn't produce a "high." So if the 1% figure is true, the drug's rapid increase in popularity was based on marijuana so weak that it wasn't even capable of producing the intended effect.

MYTH: Marijuana laws are not enforced.
REALITY: There have been more than 17 million marijuana arrests in the United States since 1995.

In 2019, there were an estimated 545,602 marijuana arrests — significantly more than for all violent crimes combined. One person is arrested for marijuana every 58 seconds. More than 90% of marijuana arrests are for possession, not manufacture or distribution.^[13] It's true that most people arrested for possession do not go to prison, but they all do face potentially life-altering consequences. Many people lose their jobs or find it difficult to gain employment. Parents can lose custody of their children. College students can lose their federal financial aid. Non-citizens can be forced to leave the country. People lose their public housing benefits.

MYTH: Marijuana use can increase the risk of mental illness, including schizophrenia.
REALITY: There is no compelling evidence demonstrating cannabis causes psychosis in otherwise healthy individuals.

Cannabis affects different people differently — like many substances, it can be problematic for some people and beneficial for others. If cannabis causes psychosis, rates of psychosis should rise if cannabis use goes up, but that has not happened.^[14] Many opponents misrepresent a 2017 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which found an association between cannabis use and schizophrenia, not that cannabis use causes schizophrenia. Overall, the evidence suggests that cannabis can precipitate schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals but is unlikely to cause the illness in otherwise normal persons.^[15] It is worth noting that survey data and anecdotal reports of individuals finding therapeutic relief from depression and other mental conditions are not uncommon.^[16]

MYTH: Cannabis legalization is inevitable.
REALITY: Despite widespread popular support for ending cannabis prohibition nationwide and incredible reform progress over the past decade, this fight is far from over.

The notion that cannabis legalization is inevitable is misguided. The continuation of federal cannabis prohibition threatens all of the state policy victories we’ve achieved, and strong opposition remains focused on halting progress and perpetuating the suffering of millions of Americans still living under the policies of prohibition. With hundreds of thousands of people still being arrested for cannabis every year, we need to stand up and double down on our mission to end cannabis prohibition nationwide.

^[1] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. “The health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids: The current state of evidence and recommendations for research.” (2017).
^[2] *only 3.4% have ever tried crack, only 1.9% have ever tried heroin, and fewer than 15% of Americans have ever tried cocaine, the second most popular illegal drug after cannabis.
^[3] U.S. Office of Applied Studies, 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables. Accessed online August 28, 2017.
^[4] Mokrysc C., et al. “No relationship between moderate adolescent cannabis use, exam results or IQ, large study shows.” Annual Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP). 2014.
^[5] U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base (Washington, D.C: National Academy Press, 1999).
^[6] Hoaken, P. & Stewart, S. (2003). Drugs of abuse and the elicitation of human aggressive behavior. Addictive Behaviors 28, 1533-1554.
^[7] Makin, D.A., et al. (2018). Marijuana Legalization and Crime Clearance Rates: Testing Proponent Assertions in Colorado and Washington State. Police Quarterly. Accessed from https://doi.org/10.1177/1098611118786255
^[8] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. “The health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids: The current state of evidence and recommendations for research.” (2017).
^[9] Centers for Disease Control. “Vital Signs: Alcohol Poisoning Deaths — United States, 2010–2012.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Vol. 63 No. 53 (2015): 1238-1242.
^[10] Young, Francis L. “In the Matter of Marijuana Rescheduling Petition.” DEA Docket No. 86–22, September 6, 1988.
^[11] University of Michigan/National Institute on Drug Abuse, Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975–2019.
^[12] Hoeffel, John, “Medical Marijuana Gets a Boost From Major Doctors Group,” Los Angeles Times, November 11, 2009.
^[13] Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reports, Crime in the United States annually.
^[14] W. Hall, “Is Cannabis Use Psychotogenic?,” Lancet 367 (2006): 193–5.
^[15] Hall, W., Degenhardt L., “What are the policy implications of the evidence on cannabis and psychosis?,” Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 51(9), August 2006: 566-574.
^[16] C.H. Aston, et al., “Cannabinoids in Bipolar Affective Disorder: A Review and Discussion of Their Therapeutic Potential,” Journal of Psychopharmacology, Vol. 19, No. 3, 2005.

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Since the early days of cannabis advocacy, influential women throughout the country have been trailblazers through their activism and dedication towards advancing humane cannabis policies. These women have made great strides despite an abundance of adversity and stigmatization surrounding cannabis use and womanhood.

Here at MPP, we recognize that the progress we’ve made so far wouldn’t be possible without the immeasurable contributions and leadership of women, and that legal cannabis can’t reach its full potential without the participation of women at every level, from grassroots to the C-suite. 

We have seen women take the helm and begin to redefine what good business practices look like in the cannabis industry as it continues to expand. We’ve witnessed firsthand how women in leadership positions can exceed expectations and influence positive change as they simultaneously work towards ushering in more women to the burgeoning industry. And yet, over the past five years the percentage of executive positions held by women in the cannabis industry has remained stagnant or declined year-by-year (Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Report, MJ Biz, 2023).

In honor of Women’s History Month, we believe it is important to bring awareness to the gender disparities within the cannabis industry, and to also shine a light on some of the women making their mark in the cannabis space. To that end, MPP is proud to have some of the most influential women in the cannabis legalization movement on our team! 

Toi Hutchinson, MPP President & CEO

As the first woman to lead the Marijuana Policy Project, Toi Hutchinson is one of the most influential voices in cannabis policy in the country. She is a pillar of the legalization movement and has inspired countless others through her work. With her distinctive professional background as a legislator, administrator, and nonprofit advocate, Toi brings a completely unique perspective to the cannabis policy arena. During her time as a state Senator in Illinois, Toi helped to lead the charge for the first-ever legislatively passed law to legalize and regulate cannabis with her colleagues Sen. Heather Steans, Rep. Kelly Cassidy, and Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, later dubbed the “Marijuana Moms” by NPR.

As the President & CEO of one of the leading organizations working to end cannabis prohibition, Toi Hutchinson is leading through example. Toi understands the importance of investing in women, noting that when women have an opportunity to enter the conversation, they bring new perspectives and unique insights which is exactly what we need to understand the true potential of the cannabis industry. 

“When you invest in women, women invest in the community.” -Toi Hutchinson

Karen O’Keefe, MPP Director of State Policies

Karen has spent nearly two decades with the MPP team at the forefront of cannabis policy reform, playing a central role in replacing the failed approach of prohibition with sensible and sustainable cannabis laws nationwide. As MPP’s director of state policies, Karen has managed our grassroots and lobbying efforts in state legislatures, working closely with local allies and lawmakers to pass cannabis legislation in every corner of the country.

Karen’s track record of success includes her pivotal role in the campaigns that resulted in Vermont and Illinois becoming the first two states to legalize marijuana via legislation. She helped guide Connecticut's successful legalization campaign; medical marijuana victories in eight states; and successful decriminalization efforts in Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Without Karen’s strategic insight and steadfast determination, the cannabis reform movement would not be where it is today.

Additionally, we are proud to both recognize and celebrate the women of the MPP Board of Directors — Bridget Hennessey, Kim Napoli, and Betty Aldworth — as well as the rest of the women on the MPP staff who make our work possible: Andrea Navarro, Bridget Spiddle, Christina Beal, Daniela Jang, Natasha Olinger, Olivia Naugle, Rawan Elfar, and Violet Cavendish.

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Marijuana Policy Project is pleased to announce Brian Vicente, founding partner of cannabis law firm Vicente LLP, has joined MPP’s Board of Directors!

Vicente LLP, formerly known as Vicente Sederberg, is the country's top-ranked cannabis law firm, led by attorneys who were instrumental in developing, passing, and implementing the world’s first cannabis legalization laws. 
 
As a trailblazing thought leader and advocate in the cannabis reform movement, Brian Vicente has been helping cannabis businesses obtain state and local licenses since the inception of the legal cannabis industry — an industry he has played a significant role in shaping. He has also advised national, state, and local government officials in the development of regulated cannabis markets across the United States and around the world, including in Uruguay, the first country in the world to legalize and regulate cannabis for adult use. 

Brian was a lead drafter of Colorado's historic legalization initiative, Amendment 64, and he co-directed the successful campaign that led to its passage in 2012. In 2018, newly elected Colorado Gov. Jared Polis selected Brian to serve as a member of his gubernatorial transition team, where he sat on the Economic Development and Labor Committee. 

Brian serves as President of the National Hispanic Cannabis Council and is consistently ranked as one of the top cannabis attorneys in the nation.

We’re incredibly proud to have Brian Vicente join MPP’s Board of Directors. His expertise and knowledge will be a major asset to MPP as we continue to advance cannabis reform nationwide and build momentum toward ending federal prohibition once and for all. 

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This Black History Month, the Marijuana Policy Project proudly recognizes the countless achievements and immeasurable perseverance of Black Americans. As we honor the history of Black Americans, we must also seek to advance policies that address systemic racism and reform our criminal justice system. That includes ending cannabis prohibition.

At MPP we understand cannabis laws have frequently been fought in tandem with civil rights in an effort to make the United States a more free and fair country. At our core, we are staunchly opposed to the unfair treatment the criminal justice system has historically placed on Black Americans in relation to arrests and imprisonment resulting from cannabis prohibition.

The war on cannabis and its relation to the Black community has been a longstanding issue — one that has for decades been used as a motive to target and incarcerate communities of color. Despite Black and white Americans using cannabis at equivalent rates, the enforcement of cannabis laws have been anything but equivalent — with Black Americans far more likely to be arrested and convicted for simple possession. 

MPP is committed to addressing the racist and destructive policies of prohibition and to legalizing cannabis equitably. We strive to recognize, support, and celebrate Black Americans and will continue to fight for those who have been unfairly disenfranchised by cannabis prohibition.

We encourage our supporters to honor Black History Month this year by supporting Black-owned cannabis businesses across the country and acknowledging the work of Black Americans in the cannabis space. On that note, MPP is spotlighting some of the most influential Black folks in cannabis. Thanks to their selfless efforts, they have helped to better the cannabis industry and create paths towards a more equitable future.

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The history between the Hispanic community and cannabis can be traced back centuries. Cannabis was first introduced to the Americas when the Spanish introduced hemp to Chile in 1545. The crop then spread throughout various regions of Latin America, in an attempt to increase production. When these Spanish conquistadores taught the Mexican indigenous people how to farm cannabis, they naturally began recreational and medicinal usage of  the plant. Notably, they began to use cannabis for pain management, including even menstrual cycles, in the 16th century. Today, the influence of these ancient indigenous peoples can still be seen in Mexican society with traditional healers encouraging the rubbing of marijuana onto skin to relieve arthritis symptoms, among other recommendations. 

But the connection between the ancient Latino indigenous communities and cannabis does not end there. Historians have outlined how indigenous populations, such as the Aztecs, cultivated a history of using psychoactive plants for spiritual rituals. The most popular psychoactive substances included Nicotiana Rustica (Aztec tobacco), fungi, and cannabis. Famously, the Otomí, a Latin American indigenous group, viewed cannabis as a deity named Santa Rosa. Shamans would eat Santa Rosa (cannabis) as a ritual to determine what illness the patient has. The Otomí can still be found in Puebla, Mexico practicing these various rituals involving cannabis today. 

By the 1800s many Latin American countries began separating from their colonial rulers and declaring their independence. Although many Latin American countries were no longer under colonial rule, they still experienced tumultuous political unrest. Critically, the Mexican Revolution forced many Mexicans to migrate to the United States by the 1900s. This wave of migrants coupled with poor economic conditions culminated in anti-immigrant sentiments. Politicians and the media disparaged these Latinx migrants, and in particular, condemned their usage of “marihuana”. The word marijuana as we know it today stems from the racist anti-immigrant propaganda of the 1930s. 

Harry Anslinger, the Chief of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, was a high-profile figure at this time who was active in demonizing marijuana and its Latinx users. Besides popularizing the term “marihuana”, Anslinger is also known for his role in passing the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937. Two days after this act was passed, Moses Baca (a Mexican American) was the first federal arrest for cannabis. Decades later, it is hard to specifically calculate the impact these anti-marijuana policies have had on the Latinx community because marijuana arrests tend to be sorted by race and not ethnicity. However, states that do break down arrests by ethnicity have showcased across the board that black and Hispanic people are more likely to be arrested than white users.

It is clear, the history of marijuana and the Latinx community in the United States stretches back to its very introduction. Yet, the Latinx roots of marijuana’s origins in America are often overlooked and forgotten. As marijuana has become more accepted, a multi-billion dollar industry has developed – an industry the Hispanic community is not benefiting from. Data showcases that only 5.7% of all cannabis licenses are owned by Hispanic entrepreneurs compared to the overwhelming 81% owned by white entrepreneurs.

Furthermore, US policy against marijuana has impacted Latinx communities beyond the American border and into their home countries. In 2013, Uruguay was the first country in the world to legalize marijuana, but they have experienced many roadblocks since its implementation. Most critically, Uruguay's banks have pressured customers to stop their legal sale of marijuana in order to not violate the U.S. Federal Finance Laws and Controlled Substances Act of 1970.  Many Latin American countries - including Uruguay - depend on US banking partners for various transactions and cannot afford to lose their backing or pay hefty violation fines. Similarly, other Latin American countries are still facing roadblocks to  legalizing and destigmatizing marijuana as a result of short-minded American policies.

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