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One important yet unsung aspect of the legal cannabis industry is changing the conversation around how Black people are viewed within the larger marijuana context.

“People genuinely use cannabis to have a better quality of life,” said Hope Wiseman, founder and owner of the Mary & Main medical marijuana dispensary in Maryland, citing the plant’s effective use following chemotherapy as a prime example.

The stigma of the plant has largely been overshadowed by its purpose, which, contrary to popular belief, is not just to get stoned. Marijuana propaganda combined with unbalanced media coverage over the years has for many people distorted marijuana’s therapeutical benefits.

Much of that is explained to patients as they navigate the complicated process to legally gain access to dispensaries and buy “cannabis products that have been tested and effective for their conditions,” Melinda Toussaint, co-owner of MariCare Wellness in Maryland and a family nurse practitioner, said.

Watch the third installment of The One Story’s video about women and weed to find out more how Black women are among the leaders in the marijuana industry to end the racial stigma associated with non-whites and cannabis.

READ THE ONE STORY: The Black Women Who Are Going Green

WATCH THE ONE STORY VIDEO:

Women And Weed Part I: Barriers To Entry

Women And Weed Part II: Advocacy and Activism

 

The One Story: Black Women Are Working To Eliminate The Racial Stigma Of Marijuana  was originally published on newsone.com