this 4/20, stop using marijuana.

use cannabis, pot, grass, weed, devil's lettuce — look you've got options. but the word "marijuana" isn't the original name for the plant. Worse still, the word is deeply rooted in america's racist drug war!

THREAD 1/8

"cannabis" was the word widely used to describe the plant until 1930, when harry anslinger, the first director of the federal bureau of narcotics, launched a racist campaign against the smokable form of the plant. 2/8

he's quoted as saying:
“Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind … Most marijuana smokers are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage.” 3/8

and also
“Reefer makes darkies think they’re as good as white men…the primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races.”

again this was harry anslinger, the head of the federal bureau of narcotics. im sure his views on civil rights were less savory. 4/8

in 1937, the "marihuana tax act" was passed, criminalizing the cannabis plant in every state. that day, samuel caldwell was the first person to be arrested and incarcerated for possession of cannabis under the new federal law. 5/8

in the decades since, millions have been arrested for possession of cannabis. though using at comparable rates, black and brown people are disproportionately incarcerated over weed offenses. only in the past 25 years has the country come around on the benefits of cannabis. 6/8

the cannabis industry of today has made strides since these beginnings but is still fueled by the exploitation of people of color. "equity" licenses intended for black and brown entrepreneurs are effectively held hostage in shady deals with wealthy, often white, financiers. 7/8

so support black and brown owned cannabis businesses today and every day. and celebrate cannabis legalization and decriminalization while acknowledging that the injustices stemming from the war on drugs have yet to be righted. 8/8