celebrate 4/20 with 'the garden!'
it's my baby's first holiday, so i expect audience engagement!! plus, a rant on the word "marijuana"
🗣Calling all gardeners!🗣 I want you all to mark your calendars for April 20, from 4:20 p.m. PT to 5:20 p.m. PT, when I’m going to be trying something new — a discussion thread to talk about all things weed. I’ll be logged on and available for the entire hour (and then some, if it goes over time) to chat with you all about all things weed!
I know, I know — with Zoom classes and virtual meetings, a discussion post is the last thing you want to do, but I promise this will be fun! Feel free to light up (or not, up to you and whatever you have going on that day) and drop a comment, question, recommendation, discovery, etc. etc. and chat about what’s on your mind. I expect everyone (yes, you!) to contribute! Topics will include cannabis (duh) and its intersection with literally anything (pop culture, Gen-Z, beauty, to name a few).
Now, without further ado, let me dive into today’s topic, which is just a fancy way to say “this has been on my mind lately and I need an outlet to explore it lest I combust.” The subject? Why there’s no comprehensive AP Style Guide for cannabis.
i want news outlets everywhere to get rid of the word “marijuana” from their lexicon immediately
For my non-jounalists, AP Style is a guide put out by the Associated Press that dictates (or advises) how journalists should refer to things, people and concepts. It governs everything from basic grammar rules to punctuation to how to avoid stereotyping marginalized communities when reporting on them.
As any institution, it’s slow to change. As an example, the National Association of Black Journalists had advised, time and time again, that “Black” should be spelled with a capital “B,” but this change was only implemented into the guide last summer, on the heels of international Black Lives Matter protests.
Given this lag, journalists and news outlets are left to independently grapple with style issues, often relying too heavily on journalists of color or underrepresented folks in the newsroom to advise on how to proceed when reporting on a given subject. Now that cannabis news and updates are beginning to dominating the news cycle (and honestly, have been for a while), it’s almost mind-boggling why there are still so many loose ends when it comes to accurately and justly reporting on weed.
When searching the AP Stylebook, there is only one entry dedicated to cannabis — listed under the term “marijuana.” The entry reads: “Use marijuana on first reference generally; pot and cannabis are also acceptable. Cannabis is the usual term outside North America. Some prefer cannabis because of arguments the term marijuana was popularized in the United States in the early 20th century to stoke anti-Mexican sentiment.”
In my opinion, classifying the marijuana vs. cannabis discourse as an “argument” is definitely a choice because decades of reports, documentaries and general common knowledge and wisdom on the subject, led by activists of color, have shown that the word is significantly loaded and has a racist connotation à la Harry Anslinger, the architect of the War on Drugs.
And in an era that is likely to bring legalization sooner rather than later, it is incredibly irresponsible for journalists to be utilizing language that connotes stigma, stereotypes and plain ole fashioned racism against Latine and Black communities. When every other headline about cannabis news includes that word, what we as journalists are saying is that we don’t know the first thing about the substance nor its history of criminalization.
It’s also clear that the term “marijuana” is often only used by people who are anti-legalization (cue former Attorney General J*ff S*ssions, who said and I quote: “Good people don’t smoke marijuana”). While there is definitely room to consider nuanced arguments surrounding the term’s usage and the fact that it can be reclaimed by the communities it is used to demonize, it’s also fairly clear that the term doesn’t really have anything to do with the drug itself. Cannabis, while not entirely accurate to distinguish between THC vs. CBD strains, is a more scientifically correct term. And when we have words like pot, weed, ganja and more, why settle for any less? It’s not like the word “reefer” is still in our vocabulary.
about the silly little walks we take to keep ourselves sane during the pandemic
and now, a song (and a show!) to light up to
A no-brainer really.
HBO Max is slowly but surely becoming the streaming service to beat with its release of all six seasons of “The Nanny.” Revisiting old favorites through the lens of young adulthood (where you actually understand the raunchier jokes that flew over your head) and while high is, I’m convinced, the true meaning of self-care. So crack open a new joint pack and get ready to sing along to one of the most iconic theme songs in sitcom history.
further reading
“How weed affects painful sex” — Mashable
“Marijuana will be legal in Virginia on July 1, years earlier than planned” (The Virginian-Pilot) — This is a huge win for federal decriminalization efforts, as Virginia becomes the first Southern state to legalize
“Schumer: Senate will act on marijuana legalization with or without Biden” (Politico) — OK, I’ll bite, but it better not play out like this
“Is it Possible to Create an Ethical Psychedelics Company?” — A really interesting read courtesy of Vice, exploring how psychedelics juggernauts would inevitably put the bottom line over patient responsibility
Developments in New York: CBS News’ feature on the importance of automatic record expungement, according to cannabis activists in the state and Axios’ explainer on the state’s impact on the global market
as always
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your bud, Natalie