Cannabis Justice: Confronting Racial Discrimination Through Art

Examining the intersection of race, policy, the prison industrial complex and cannabis prohibition

Welcome to Our Exhibition

This exhibit examines how cannabis prohibition has disproportionately affected communities of color through policy, media portrayal, and criminal justice over the decades. Please keep an open mind and an open heart as you examine the Art Piece

As You make your way through this section of the exhibit, please take some time to read the questions below, and think critically about your answers to each

"The criminalization of cannabis has never been about the plant itself, but rather about who was using it."

Questions Through the Decades

1930s

  • Who was Henry Anslinger, and how did he use media to influence cannabis policy?
  • What role did racism and xenophobia play in the criminalization of cannabis during this era?
  • How were early cannabis policies used to control marginalized communities?

1940s

  • What political or social movements influenced drug policy in the 1940s?
  • How did wartime propaganda shift the narrative around cannabis use?
  • Was there a noticeable shift in enforcement patterns in this decade?

1950s

  • How did the Cold War and McCarthyism influence cannabis policy?
  • What role did law enforcement play in reinforcing cannabis-related fear?
  • What were the racial implications of drug arrests during this period?

1960s

  • How did the counterculture and civil rights movements intersect with cannabis use?
  • What kind of surveillance or targeting did these groups face?
  • How was cannabis used as a political tool in suppressing dissent?

1970s

  • How did the Controlled Substances Act redefine the war on drugs?
  • What implications did Nixon's "War on Drugs" have on minority communities?
  • Was this decade a turning point in mass incarceration?

1980s

  • How did Reagan’s policies escalate the War on Drugs?
  • What were the social consequences of mandatory minimum sentencing?
  • How did media representation of cannabis users evolve?

1990s

  • What is the connection between the 1994 Crime Bill and cannabis arrests?
  • How was cannabis used as a justification for over-policing in communities of color?
  • What role did the prison-industrial complex play?

2000s

  • How did attitudes toward medical cannabis shift public opinion?
  • Why did decriminalization start to gain traction?
  • How did cannabis laws still disproportionately affect people of color despite reforms?

2010s

  • What impact did the legalization movement have across different states?
  • How were legalization efforts shaped by race and class?
  • Why do arrest disparities persist even in legalized states?

2020s

  • What does cannabis equity look like in today's policy landscape?
  • How can reparative justice be implemented in cannabis legislation?
  • How does your community reflect or resist national cannabis policy trends?