Throughout the 19th century, news reports and medical journal articles almost always use the plant’s formal name, cannabis. Numerous accounts say that “marijuana” came into popular usage in the U.S. in the early 20th century because anti-cannabis factions wanted to underscore the drug’s “Mexican-ness.” It was meant to play off of anti-immigrant sentiments.
Jokes on them, they could’ve just called it Kush to acknowledge its Himalayanness. Americans definitely would’ve understood that
“Jazz-cigarettes”
That’s not racist, though, and this topic is about racist terms for cannabis.
What happened to “Mary-Jane”? Wasn’t that in use for some time?
Early 20th century here gets discounted because of the zero century so that’s 1900 through say 1930. Marijuana and Mary Jane both used at the same time it’s older than you’re thinking when you read the article
Call it reefer, man
I feel like it’s more racist to start calling it cannabis once it’s legal.
We called it marijuana before it was legal. Marijuana is a term that’s obviously linked to Latin communities. So while it’s illegal, we’re OK with calling it something that’s linked to a community, BUT once it’s legal, suddenly we’re trying to erase that connection. Like it’s too good for that community anymore. It would be less racist to continue calling it marijuana WHILE recognizing the historical racism and celebrating the culture that ensured the plant was still here when it was legalized. Ignoring that contribution is like appropriation. Erasing the Latin influences in marijuana culture once the plant is legal isn’t anti racist.
I like this take but it relies on a critical analysis that isn’t going to occur to most people. Most people aren’t even aware up the word’s racist origins.
I think calling it cannabis helps distance it from it’s illegal past. There’s a lot of more conservative people out there that still think of “marijuana” as something dangerous and criminal that is used by disreputable people. I think calling it “canabis” will help shed that negative connotation.
For the record, I call it “weed.”
Yup. Marijuana has always had widespread use by those from formerly Spanish-colonised cultures which are Hispanics and Filipinos.
Filipinos!? Are you sure about that? My wife is from these and is horrified at the mere suggestion of it. She doesn’t talk shit about people doing it, but having it around is a hard NO for her. She’s even leery about me getting mack on medical.
Speaking broadly, Asians have a hard line stance against drugs, figured that was her thing. Maybe she’s just worried about being an immigrant on the wrong side of the law?
And yes, they’re the Mexicans of Asia.
