Whether you’re intimately familiar with cannabis, only spark up socially, or have never taken a puff, chances are you only divulge your consumption habits, or lack thereof, in hushed tones around those you really trust. Despite weed being legal in 17 states there’s still a hesitation for many Black folks to openly embrace and experiment with the age old plant.

For me, growing up in Boston’s inner city under the oppressive guise of white supremacy, I was constantly blasted with stigmas about plant-based medicine that lingered subconsciously well into adulthood. Cannabis only drew connotations of nickel and dime bags, and as a gateway drug that would eventually lead you down a dark path. The generational trauma and residue caused by the war on drugs makes it so most Black folks don’t know that cannabis was cultivated and used across the continent of Africa, from Ethiopia to Egypt, for nearly 1,000 years. We’ve long had a deep awareness and reverence for its medicinal and healing properties. Yet, it wasn’t until recently I learned that Harriet Tubman used herbs and plants to help soothe and heal folks as she ushered them across state lines. Yet, when I learned of Tubman’s herbalist background, I developed a newfound sense of pride and ownership for cannabis as a Black woman. There’s a growing movement of Black women amplifying our history with cannabis and sharing the countless ways — from infusions to topicals — it can be used to soothe and heal.

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