Cannabis Queens 7 WEED-LOVING WOMEN CHANGING THE FACE OF MARIJUANA ELISSA ESHER FOR MICHIGAN GREEN STATE When you hear the word “stoner,” what do you see? Thanks to stoner flicks (think “Harold and Kumar” or “Half-Baked,”) you probably see a twenty-something man eating sour cream and onion potato chips. But what if we told you “Star Wars’” Padme Amidala was a stoner? OK, that’s a stretch – but the actress who played her was, and many other influential women have been cannabis enthusiasts, now and throughout history. A recent poll showed a whopping 9% of women in the U.S. use marijuana, only 6% less than the number of men who use it. So, if you’re still wondering what women want, the answer might be weed. Pictured above: Maya Angelou Pictured below: Natalie Portman
We pulled seven iconic canna-queens who deserve a little respect. 1. MAYA ANGELOU For this revered poet, cannabis was a kind of cathartic therapy. Having suffered physical and sexual abuse both in childhood and adulthood, Angelou used cannabis regularly to heal her trauma and ignite creativity. So, in part, you can thank cannabis for the Maya Angelou we know and love today. In her autobiography “Gather Together in My Name” (the second autobiography in a seven-part series, the first of which is “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”), the late Angelou described her first days using cannabis with the characteristically elegant words,
Portman may not have a lot in common with stoner stereotypes, but she is a great example of the empowered, motivated, and health-conscious cannabis-consumers who exist in real life. While she says she’s “too old” for cannabis these days, Portman has spoken openly about enjoying cannabis in college. She also starred in not one, but two cannabis films – “Your Highness” and “Best Buds” – the latter of which she also produced. “I love stoner comedies,” Portman said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “I smoked weed in college, but I haven’t smoked in years… I wish I was that cool, but I’m like an old lady now.” 3. LADY GAGA This one shouldn’t come as a shock. The pop icon has been more than transparent about her passion for cannabis over the years. What may surprise you is that Gaga began using cannabis to treat fibromyalgia, a chronic illness causing intense pain and fatigue. At one point, the singer said she was smoking 15 to 20 joints a day to cope.
Pictured above: Lady Gaga Pictured below: St. Hildegard von Bingen
In a 2013 interview with Elvis Duran, she said, “I do think it’s the best of the drugs to choose from when you’re playing around and experimenting. I just want young kids to know that you actually can become addicted to it. There’s this sentiment that you can’t, and that’s actually not true because I have been addicted to it.” While Gaga still uses cannabis, she told Attitude she now only uses it for fun.
“I learned new postures and developed new dreams. From a natural stiffness I melted into a grinning tolerance… For the first time, life amused me.”
4. ST. HILDEGARD
2. NATALIE PORTMAN
If you’re not familiar with Hildegard von Bingen, you should be. Born in Germany in 1098, this medieval abbess was also
Oscar-winning actress, Harvard graduate
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and mom – typical stoner, right?
That’s right – this canna-lover is a Catholic saint.
Winter 2022| MIGreenStat
