“Cannabis” will replace “marijuana” in WA legal jargon starting August — here’s why
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The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board passed a motion to implement the 2022 legislation that would replace the word “marijuana” with “cannabis” in all state laws, Big Country News reported.
Governor Jay Inslee signed the law into law in March. With approval by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, the new rules are expected to go into effect on August 6th.
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The measure references the racist origins of the Spanish word for weed, as used by Harry Anslinger, the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, which later became the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and played a key role in getting Congress to rule Passing the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which prohibited the sale and possession of cannabis.
“The term ‘marijuana’ itself is derogatory and racist,” Democratic state representative Melanie Morgan said during testimony in 2021 on House Bill 1210, which she sponsored, according to local CBS affiliate KIRO 7 and reported by Yahoo Finance .
“As recreational marijuana use became more popular, it became negatively associated with Mexican immigrants,” Morgan noted. “While it seems simple because it’s just a word, the reality is that we are healing the wrongs that have been done against blacks and browns around cannabis.”
She referenced Anslinger’s comments: “Marijuana is the most violent drug in human history. And most marijuana users are Negroes, Hispanics, Caribbeans, and entertainers. Their satanic music, jazz, and swing result from marijuana use.”
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Jeff Kildahl, LCB’s Cannabis Policy and Rules Coordinator, agreed. “In passing the bill, the Legislature determined that use of the term ‘marijuana’ in the United States is of discriminatory origin and should be replaced with the scientifically more accurate term ‘cannabis.'” Kildahl noted that the word substitution for Title 314 of the Act will apply Washington Administrative Code.
This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.
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