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1971
The Waldos start popularizing the term “420”
As the legend goes, a group of Marin County high schoolers found a map where a US Coast Guard allegedly hid his stash of cannabis. Though they were never able to find it, the group had planned to meet at 4:20p after school to do a proper search, leading to the shorthand of “4:20” as their code for cannabis. One of the boys later became a roadie for The Grateful Dead, who helped popularize the terminology on a whole different scale and led to the making of an unofficial national holiday.
President Nixon declares a War on Drugs
1971
Anti-drug political crusaders may now seem a dime a dozen, but it all started at the White House back at the start of the 1970s. During a summer address to Congress, Nixon called drug abuse “public enemy number one” and asked the government to commit $84 million towards “emergency measures” as part of the fight. In retrospect, even if the idea had some merit, its implementation did not. Decades of hardline policies around criminalizing drugs and enforcing harsh penalties has been brutal for the country. As former president Jimmy Carter wrote in the New York Times on the 40th anniversary of Nixon’s War on Drugs, "excessive punishment" has "destroyed the lives of millions of young people and their families." Drug policy, he said, should be "more humane and more effective."
In 1973, Oregon became the first state to decriminalize cannabis, reducing the penalty for up to one ounce to a $100 fine. The state essentially made possession akin to a traffic ticket at a time where other states were placing smokers in jail. The move inspired many other states to take similar action in the following years, including Alaska (1975), Maine (1975), Colorado (1975), California (1975), Ohio (1975), Minnesota (1976), Mississippi (1977), New York (1977), North Carolina (1977), and Nebraska (1978).
The first US wave of cannabis decriminalization begins
1973-1978
Meet the father of medical cannabis. Randall developed glaucoma in his teens, and doctors in the early 1970s predicted he would eventually go blind. Randall started growing his own cannabis to use as treatment, and he reported no glaucoma drugs were as effective as cannabis. A federal court eventually ruled in his favor, allowing Randall to use government supply. When the government cut off his access two years later, Randall eventually sued for reinstatement and won the right to smoke again.
Federal Court rules Robert Randall's use of cannabis is a "Medical Necessity"
1976
1978
Up in Smoke
This film basically invents the modern weed comedy and also launches one of the most prolific duos of all time (Cheech & Chong) into a new stratosphere of fame.
80s'
THE
GO TO
1972
The Shafer Commission recommends decriminalizing marijuana
Nixon was famously anti-cannabis, pushing legislation to make it a Schedule I drug on par with cocaine and other harder, life-threatening drugs. A year into his Presidency, he then called for this commission to look into cannabis, presumably so the findings could support the President’s hardline stance. Whoops. The Shafer Commission did its job and produced honest research, with a final report that called for marijuana decriminalization and pushed ideas to end marijuana prohibition.
Immersive Timeline Milestones
50 years of cannabis moments that mattered
America has come a long way since the days of “Reefer Madness”. In 2022, medical cannabis is widely embraced with recreational usage not far behind. Politicians not only publicly push for policy; many have publicly discussed smoking. And it feels impossible to envision any kind of pop culture where the mere mention of cannabis is taboo. Of course, this wasn’t always the case. It took a lot—both milestones and missteps—to shift the culture around cannabis to where things stand today. So, from The Waldos to White Castle and PSAs in between, we’ve partnered with Select to trace the memorable moments that built modern cannabis culture over the last 50 years.
50 years of marijuana moments that mattered
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1989
President George H.W. Bush establishes the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Richard Nixon informally named a Drug Czar to lead his War on Drugs, and nearly 20 years later George H.W. Bush made the position official. Bush established the ONDCP with the goal of making drug abuse socially unacceptable. The president named William Bennett as his first "drug czar," and Bennett has been a fervent and outspoken opponent of cannabis ever since.
Drugs classified as a Schedule I by the federal government, indicates there’s a high potential for abuse. Cannabis had been denoted as a Schedule I substance since the 1970s. But when Judge Francis Young was asked by the Drug Enforcement Administration to comment on the merits of rescheduling cannabis in response to a NORML petition, it became another instance of the agency going against the will of the president (this time Reagan instead of Nixon). "The evidence in this record clearly shows that marijuana has been accepted as capable of relieving the distress of great numbers of very ill people, and doing so with safety under medical supervision.” Young wrote. “It would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance in light of the evidence in this record."
DEA recommends cannabis should be placed in Schedule II
1988
1986
The Anti-Drug Abuse Act increases penalties for
cannabis possession and dealing
In the aftermath of some high-profile drug-related tragedies like the cocaine-related death of basketball star Len Bias, the US government passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. Its most notable aspect was the introduction of mandatory minimums, where penalties are based on the amount of drugs involved in an offense (five years, ten years, and twenty years). Where previously a judge could use reason and treat any individual circumstance with the appropriate mercy or harshness, that nuance was now legally stripped away. Including cannabis in this, led to four million arrests in about a dozen years.
1986
The “Just Say No”
campaign
This is probably the definitive pop culture moment in all of 1980s drug culture, and the First Lady at the time pushed this message as far as she could. Ultimately, the tone-deaf approach (a nuance-lacking plea for abstinence) landed “Just Say No” as a pop culture reference to dunk on for everyone from Mission of Burma to the Violent Femmes throughout the remainder of the decade.
Though legislation and government hadn’t yet come around to support it, one of the earliest areas where medical cannabis had an impact was during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. As many in the LGBTQIA community saw friends, family, and lovers succumbing to disease, people began to recognize cannabis as one of the few tools available to provide some relief. In San Francisco in particular, suddenly people who simply wanted to help loved ones with AIDS deal with pain became medical cannabis activists. Some of these medical marijuana pioneers eventually dealt with criminal possession charges, but they also helped spark Prop P, which decriminalized medical cannabis in the city, and founded the SF Cannabis Buyers Club, the first legal dispensary.
Cannabis arrests for those helping others through the AIDS crisis
1981-1990
1980
At the onset of a decade where a major drug backlash was coming, pop culture hit the headlines and reminded the world that anyone could be canna-curious. One of the biggest musicians in the world (heck, in rock music history) was arrested for possession in Japan. And stateside, perhaps Hollywood’s most iconic leading man at the time famously told People, “I still love to get high, I’d say, about four days a week. I think that’s about average for an American.”
The biggest musicians and actors in the world confirm they smoke, too
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1997
“This is your brain on drugs”
Anti-drug PSAs really became a pop culture art form in the 1980s, where everyone from Pee Wee Herman to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles told you drugs were bad. But perhaps the most infamous of these PSAs didn’t arrive until the late ‘90s, when She’s All That actor starred in one memorable ad alongside an egg and a frying pan. It’s a 30-second unsubtle metaphor-smashing spree, ending with simply asking, “Any questions?”
First, voters in SF passed Proposition P to express support for medical cannabis. Then, that small legal avenue eventually led to the creation of the San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club, which largely sold to AIDS patients. Early dispensaries like this were allowed to operate openly by the city even though they still violated state/federal laws at the time. The harrowing experiences of early dispensaries like this would later get the big screen treatment in the Oscar-nominated film Dallas Buyers Club.
The first US cannabis dispensaries open in SF
1991
Cannabis’s long, winding, and still-in-progress road to legalization started in San Francisco. In 1991, 80 percent of voters agreed that “Licensed physicians shall not be penalized for or restricted from prescribing hemp preparations for medical purposes”—aka, the proposition decriminalized medical cannabis prescriptions. Within five years, Proposition P would lead to Prop 215, which did the same for medical cannabis statewide.
The first medical cannabis legal initiative, Proposition P, passes in San Francisco
1991
1990
It took decades of searching, but in 1990 researchers finally identified the specific site on the surface of brain cells where cannabis binds. This meant the scientific community finally began to understand the mechanics of how the plant works in and with the brain. The scientific world already understood that cannabis could have a therapeutic impact on things like epilepsy or glaucoma, so this discovery was seen as a breakthrough because it could lead to the production of drugs that have the positive medical effects of cannabis without any of the intoxicated feelings.
Scientists discover cannabinoid receptors
2010s/
2020s
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2006
Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black
Amy Winehouse struggled with substances her entire time in the limelight, but her music remains a core part of the modern weed culture canon. She makes her allegiances clear in the title track: “You love blow, and I love puff.”
Williams won virtually every award he could as a star running back at the University of Texas, but his pro career kept running into red lights due to cannabis usage. The NFL had a hard-line stance on the substance, and Williams eventually received five suspensions and missed two entire seasons over the course of his playing days. Williams recently told Sports Illustrated he believes he was drug tested over 500 times by the NFL. He became the poster child for modern athletes who use cannabis but butt heads with unflinching leagues and organizations.
Ricky Williams is suspended for an entire season after breaking the NFL drug policy for the fourth time
2006
2005
Denver becomes the first city to legalize cannabis possession
Many votes and efforts to decriminalize cannabis or to allow for some medical exemptions had come beforehand, but in 2005 voters in Denver went ahead and voted emphatically (54%!) in favor of straight up legalizing possession (of up to one ounce, at least). State and federal law at the time meant the victory would be largely symbolic, but it stood as highly public evidence that everyday people’s opinions on cannabis were changing and that sentiment was not yet being reflected in public office.
Someone needed to pick up the baton for “sci-fi psychedelic rock meets old smokers” music for a new generation, and luckily Wayne Coyne and co. have stuck around. Yoshimi is the trippiest of their LPs (outside of Zaireeka, which is not the easiest to play) and it features all the noise rock you’d want to accompany the visual feast that is any live Lips show.
Flaming Lips’ Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
2002
It had been 24 years since any state had brought this matter up, but Nevada’s actions in 2001 both legalized medical cannabis and eliminated jail time and criminal records for minor infractions. Previously, Nevada had taken such a hard War on Drugs stance that it defined first-time possession of even one cannabis cigarette as a felony offense. This high profile change eventually sparked a wave of eight other states following suit in the next dozen years.
Nevada decriminalizes cannabis
2001
With apologies to PBS boasting Bob Ross and Antiques Roadshow this was the start of the first unofficial cable channel for smoking. Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim eventually created many cannabis-friendly classics—Aqua Teen Hunger Force to Joe Pera Talks To You; Tim & Eric Awesome Show to Mike Tyson Mysteries; Robot Chicken to Venture Bros.—but it also helped popularize ambient music set to nature through its promos, overnight hangouts with its oddly timed one-off specials, and more anime for a new generation.
Adult Swim debuts
2001
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2021
Legal cannabis sales in the US hit $25B amid the pandemic
Our current moment is still very much in progress when it comes to cannabis progress. The US Senate has failed to act when it comes to legalizing cannabis or decriminalizing past arrests on a federal level, meaning the drugs wars of past decades continue to drive inequity and disproportionately hurt people of color in the country. There is work to be done.
Cannabis has been around so long, and now enjoys such cultural prominence, that we’re finally getting to the point where it’s studied academically as much as it is scientifically. The most accessible text like this for the canna-curious masses happens to be a graphic novel. Cannabis is super smart about the connections it makes, approachable whether or not you smoke daily, and flat out a delight to flip through no matter how much you normally read.
Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America
2019
2021
The US finally opens the door to more medical cannabis research
Since 1968, researchers interested in cannabis have had it rough. Among the challenges like finding funding or battling popular misconception throughout the decades, researchers also had an extremely limited supply—laws allowed researchers to use cannabis from only one domestic source: a facility based at the University of Mississippi. But in 2021, the DEA announced it would be expanding the list of approved American companies to produce cannabis for research purposes. Combined with continued efforts in Congress and the Senate to pass legislation to streamline and fund the cannabis research process, a new era for scientific rigor in cannabis is underway.
As more and more states decriminalized or even legalized recreational cannabis use, that left many Americans in a weird gray area—what if cannabis is now legal but previously you had been arrested for using? Washington was at the forefront of a newly emerging trend where states—like California, Colorado, and Illinois—began to enact laws and processes for individuals convicted of cannabis-related crimes to either reduce or eliminate these records. In Washington, individuals could apply for this clearance through a simple form on the government’s website, and anyone with crimes dated back to 1998 were eligible.
Washington State pardons past cannabis law minor offenders
2019
How far we’ve come as a society: The most critically acclaimed show of the 2010s centers on a rapper and his two buddies who love smoking cannabis (and kinda, sorta fund their early music initiatives through selling). Paper Boi is an icon, and the show is both socially sharp and utterly fearless/hilarious creatively. Some of the most memorable weed adventures on screen in the last decade come from this show (“Woods,” man, woods).
Atlanta
2016
Ladies love leaf, too! Though that’s always been the case, "Broad City" finally delivered a traditional weed buddy-comedy that showed this (sometimes literally, “You just pulled a bag of pot out of your vagina," for instance). From blowing smoke in the face of health clinic protestors this is a brilliant modernization of some past weed comedy hits.
Broad City
2014
2012
The weed genre doesn’t have to center on exceedingly comic adventures or psychedelic visual stunners. High Maintenance is a character study This American Life would be proud of (in fact, Ira Glass makes a cameo), and it shows the world of cannabis has more to offer than its stereotypical pop culture iterations.
High Maintenance
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At the same time, these past few years will likely become a major footnote in the history of cannabis in the US. More than two thirds of states have legalized medical cannabis use. Of those, 18 states have legalized adult recreational use, too. Dispensaries were even deemed essential businesses in some states when the COVID-19 pandemic caused waves of businesses to shut down. That in particular showed just what kind of potential there is for cannabis to become a major, major industry.
Between folks needing activities to do at home or something to help reduce heightened anxiety, cannabis surpassed $25B in sales last year. That’s already about 1/10th of what alcohol sales are in a given year despite the comparatively small footprint. And when that kind of money enters an industry, more attention and potential for change is likely to follow.
This “one wild night” meets classic underdog story meets stoner comedy is so outrageous that it has become impervious to taste over time. It’s the rare 2000s comedy that won’t have you completely regretting what you laughed at 20 years ago.
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
2004
Top page
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1980s
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2010/2020s
1986
2022
President Biden pardons thousands of marijuana possession offenses and pushes for descheduling
Biden’s surprise announcement alone won’t right every wrong of US drug policy from the last half-century—state-level buy-in is imperative to really raise the number of pardons and combat decades of injustice, and descheduling will take time even with a willing administration. But at worst, this policy is a very public sign that US marijuana policy may finally be forever changing.
On October 6, 2022, President Joe Biden initiated what may genuinely be the end to America’s long War on Drugs. He announced an executive action to pardon anyone federally convicted on simple marijuana possession charges since the 1970s, a move that will impact thousands. The Biden administration simultaneously urged governors to do the same on a state level. Biden also called for the Attorney General to review the classification of cannabis as a Schedule 1 substance.
2022
President Biden pardons thousands of marijuana possession offenses and pushes for descheduling
Biden’s surprise announcement alone won’t right every wrong of US drug policy from the last half-century—state-level buy-in is imperative to really raise the number of pardons and combat decades of injustice, and descheduling will take time even with a willing administration. But at worst, this policy is a very public sign that US marijuana policy may finally be forever changing.
On October 6, 2022, President Joe Biden initiated what may genuinely be the start of the end to America’s long War on Drugs. He announced an executive action to pardon anyone federally convicted on simple marijuana possession charges since the 1970s, a move that will impact thousands. The Biden administration simultaneously urged governors to do the same on a state level. Biden also called for the Attorney General to review the classification of cannabis as a Schedule 1 substance.
1970s
1970s
This film basically invents the modern weed comedy and also launches one of the most prolific duos of all time (Cheech & Chong) into a new stratosphere of fame.
Up in Smoke
1978