How Did This Happen

Sam Hernandez [@sam.can.do]

You might be wondering how someone transitions from a decade of nonprofit work to pursuing a career in cannabis. Rest assured, it all adds up. Our journey began with a shared passion to combat the stigma surrounding cannabis and our love for creating engaging content. In the upcoming issues, we'll delve into our experiences within the cannabis industry and address the questions we often hear from people like you. Remember, cannabis is just a plant, and seeking information about it shouldn't feel strange or awkward. We're here to create content tailored to your needs, so please take a moment to complete our survey and let us know what you're canna-curious about!

Social Impact of Cannabis Adam Chaney [@AJ_Chaney]

Adam here, As we celebrate all of the incredible benefits of cannabis, we acknowledge that cannabis is stigmatized. Cannabis use does not exist apart from its social impact. In fact, cannabis exists at the center of numerous social intersectionality issues.

For example, cannabis is racially stigmatized in the United States due in part to its association with Mexican immigrants and African American jazz musicians in the early 20th century. Politicians and media outlets used (and still use) racist rhetoric to link the plant to these marginalized groups and further demonize them. This led to the enactment of strict drug laws that disproportionately targeted and criminalized people of color. The racial stigma surrounding cannabis persists to this day, even as attitudes and laws around the drug are slowly changing.

As well, cannabis use has significantly impacted American culture at large, with its influence visible in music, art, social movements, economics, and politics. Cannabis has become increasingly mainstream in recent years, with its legalization in many states leading to new industries and consumer trends. However, its use and cultural significance remain a source of controversy and debate as entrenched stigmas persist.

TLDR: Cannabis laws have racist roots, and users should care about it

Each month, this section of the Zine will explore the cultural and social impact of cannabis in small digestible spotlights.

Legislative Update Cullen Ware [@CullenJWare]

What’s up, friends?! Cullen here, and I want to try to clarify some of the misconceptions around cannabis legalization and decriminalization. To date, 27 states in the U.S. have decriminalized cannabis, while only 19 have legalized it for recreational use and 37 states have legalized it for medical use.

The basic difference is that legalization removes all criminal charges for any level of possession or consumption of cannabis. Decriminalization means that constituents will no longer be prosecuted at the felony level for low-level cannabis possession.

While it may not seem like much more than a semantic difference, the real people that this affects are people who are currently in prison or have records for past cannabis charges. Legalization makes the way for pardoning those who were previously prosecuted much easier at the federal level. Decriminalization prohibits further prosecution, but it does not deal with those that have been previously prosecuted.

The landscape of cannabis law is quite fluid, cloudy, and difficult to understand. This section of the Zine each month will be dedicated to cannabis law and regulations to help you be better protected in your cannabis consumption and hopefully better with your rights!

Consumption 101 Josh Pinkerton [@herenowforeverjosh]

So you're curious about Cannabis and want to know how to consume it? This part of the zine aims to help you have a better understanding of the methods most people use to medicate at home.

So there are many methods of consumption, but almost all of them start with a ritual. Mine begins with breaking up the flower(the cannabis buds) using a grinder. My preferred method is smoking through glass with water cooling and filtration, such as a bong or a bubbler. It cools the smoke and provides some filtration as well. Another common way people smoke weed is to purchase special papers intended for rolling joints. I learned how to roll by watching Wiz Khalifa videos on YouTube a dozen years ago or so, but I'm sure there are better videos out there today. For people with more specific needs or who are looking for maybe a stronger high, something different, or no high at all but still some relaxing effects, there are tinctures, creams, vaporizers, extracts, and edibles, with more exciting and interesting creations as the environment changes. In the future, in this section of the zine we will further explore these topics.

Thanks for reading! now we want to hear from you. How do you consume your cannabis? What methods do you want to learn about? Feel free to message any of us on Instagram with all your cannabis