NNABIS A C N E M O W IN
Mary carniglia
Like many women who enter the cannabis space, Mary Carniglia strives to reverse the negative stigma associated with the plant, and as Patient Educator and Administrative Coordinator for a cannabis evaluation clinic in Denver CO, she gets plenty of opportunity to do exactly this. But her motivations have even deeper roots. One day, Mary learned through a cousin that her great-great uncle Harry Anslinger had taken a major role in cannabis prohibition. “All I could say was, WHAT?!” Mary says. “At that point, I felt an obligation to be a part of un-screwing-up what he screwed up.” Mary’s first experiences with cannabis came suddenly, and with some unexpected sideeffects. While waiting for a friend to arrive home, she was offered a gravity bong hit by her friend’s husband. “I fell asleep before 16
“
ALL I COULD SAY WAS,
WHAT?!
AT THAT POINT, I FELT AN OBLIGATION TO BE A PART OF UN-SCREWING-UP WHAT HE SCREWED UP.
”
my friend came home,” Mary muses. “At that point, I began to unravel what I had been told about cannabis vs. what it was really like.” Over the next several years, Mary began exploring cannabis more actively and found her life enriched more and more. From the long, dynamic conversations she had with her boyfriend shared while on medicated walks, to the nausea relief she experienced during occasional migraines— cannabis was becoming an important and positive part of
Mary’s life. She was eager to speak out about how it was helping her and others around the world, until her voice was stifled by an unsettling experience. After being pulled over for having out-of-date plates, Mary was illegally searched by a police officer who found a leftover joint in her purse. The officer forced her into the back of his police car, took $80 out of her wallet, and threatened to assault her if he ever caught her again. Mary walked away from the experience physically unharmed but frightened for her rights and well-being. “After that, I clammed up. I was terrified of letting anyone know I consumed or supported. It was unsafe on a completely different level than I had ever imagined,” Mary says. “So, I decided to bide my time.”
