You may not call it cannabis when you start to grow up. You would know it as pot, weed, or trees. Regardless of the name, the plant has become largely popular as Colorado became the foremost state to pass laws pertaining to its recreational use in early 2014.
However, during the legalization era, several industry professionals have started avoiding marijuana altogether. It would be a significant aspect of a rebrand for detaching the herb from its racist roots.
The Mexican term for marijuana was originally used for highlighting the exotic quality of the drug. However, at the same time, it would take a strict step against the Mexicans who first brought it into the US for recreational use. It also separated it from the otherwise accepted medicine, cannabis, used for calming inflammations, and treating depression among the other problems.
The racism is not only the word, as marijuana continues to shut black people out of the highly profitable green rush. At the same time, it would disproportionately affect the people of color in the criminal justice system. African Americans have been nearly four times more likely to be charged with crimes pertaining to cannabis. However, the evident whiteness of conventional marijuana culture has been deemed impossible to ignore.
There had been several controversial anti-marijuana billboards raised towards youth. It would be troubling to target a community that has been more likely to consume marijuana as compared to other races. In addition, it would appear counterintuitive to suggest a substance that you were earlier rallying against has been actually cool.
Even though decriminalization efforts have been deemed a promising step towards the progress, it would not be wrong to suggest that prisons have become flooded by people on various non-violent charges apropos cannabis. Most of these people have been people of a different color.
Regardless or not, marijuana has been known to promote care about the prison industrial complex. They may not be aware of the racist terms such as marijuana has been deemed bad for business.
For marijuana to boom, meticulous word choice has been the key. However, it would also bring some kind of racial awareness to the industry that has actually shut down people of color. The people in the marijuana business would be working for restoring integrity in the industry that has been marred by historical racism. Chances are higher than it could simply be a happy by-product in the huge rebranding needs for the plant.