Go to a trunk show or flea market in DC and you’ll meet some really good people. This might be true of everywhere but I’m from here so I claim that as a bias.
I had a table next to Mike and Monique of Hood Hippies at last year’s Georgia Avenue Winter Fest and they embraced me before we even introduced ourselves properly. You ever heard someone say, “I love everything you go going on over there” and mean it? That was the feeling.
What I found out after looking them up was that I love everything they’ve got going on too. They are a couple creating a lifestyle brand which curates powerful images and words to challenge and re-script the economic, environmental, racial and gender narratives around black marijuana consumption and cultivation culture. They have been holding space in the DC Cannabis community since before last year’s referendum on legalization and created Hood Hippies in 2008 as a means of celebrating cannabis as an avenue of self expression. Their typical experience shopping in cannabis stores was that there weren’t images of people of color in or on the cool clothing and accessories that were becoming popular signifiers of the legalization movement. They also noticed that people were tight-lipped when it came to talking about the medicinal benefits that they had experienced with cannabis and that they believed could benefit their community. Their answer? Make some noise and provide a platform for other like minded people and so Hood Hippies was born.
Mike and Monique’s observations could be written off as subjective unless we understand upon what foundation the modern legalization movement was founded – The Global War on Drugs – described by Wikipedia as:
“A campaign of prohibition of drugs,military aid, and military intervention, with the stated aim being to reduce the illegal drug trade. This initiative includes a set of drug policies that are intended to discourage the production, distribution, and consumption of psychoactive drugs that the participating governments and the UN have made illegal.” [Quote and links from Wikipedia]
Even as marijuana legalization advances, that war is ongoing and has consumed over a trillion dollars to feed far-reaching political, economic and militaristic interventions into vulnerable communities and sovereign states across the globe. In its wake, millions of people, disproportionately from communities of color and poor communities, have been killed, imprisoned, had property seized or were denied access to basic resources and freedoms because of these policies. The policies were created and enforced more harshly on black and brown communities from the start in the twilight of the civil rights era to today.
I grew up in Northeast DC in the late 1980s, at the height of the so called crack cocaine epidemic, and came to know early that being from a black community came with a stigma of being criminalized via a defacto association with drug use, poverty and violence. That association was more than a notion. It had real impacts on the lived experience of black and brown people across the globe. Before “harm reduction” and “drug use as a public health issue” became the lingua franca of modern campaign politics, there were “tough on crime” policies which criminalized all sorts of activities through association with drug use or with the black market economy created by drug prohibition. Parents were stolen from families. Family homes and property were seized and a lot of money was made off the backs of poor communities.
Fast forward to today and it seems to some that the strategy towards marijuana legalization is to leave those associations behind and take on new ones without making amends for the harm done. The question that looms is one we have asked before in the context of black farmers and marijuana cultivation.“Who will benefit, socially and financially from an end to the prohibition? Who will inherit the economic and cultural windfall from the green rush?”
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Enter Monique and Mike with a straightforward concept. Create t-shirts which speak to the black experience and aspirations in marijuana culture, tap into sacred practice of adornment to create a movement aimed at healing and affirmation on a psychic and cellular level. From where I sit, seems like they are doing spirit work, healing black relationships to a place of trauma, and challenging the power structures which hoard resources from black communities under a any disguise. Watch out ya’ll, they coming for the green in more ways than one.
Let’s hear what Monique and Mike have to say about it!
GSF: We are black farmers so we’re used to being told that we’re rare when we’re not. From the outside looking in, I see a few folks of color running cannabis-related businesses in DC and wonder what the community is like. How has your relationship changed to the work since DC legalization? What are roadblocks that need to be knocked down? What aspirations do you have for yourself going forward?
Monique: This is a great question! Thank you for being farmers. I am in love with nature and farming. People don’t understand the positive effect of plant life and our relationship to nature. I’m no scientist, but the energy of plants could make DC a much better city. Anyway, to answer your question, prior to legislation I was living in MD. Real estate in DC is pricey, you get more bang for your buck in MD. Professionally, I have been teaching in DC for 11 years–always at risk kids, always special education. Our babies need us and my calling is to be in education.
I will admit, I was not on the ground pushing for legislation in DC–I watched and worked my company and supported in other ways by pushing the culture through design and truth (spreading information). Once the law was passed, I immediately moved to the city and got busy. The cannabis community is multi-layered because there are all of us excited for the plant and the law and the opportunities.
The newness of the “green rush” has all of us smiling and celebrating. There are some good people working within the community. Good souls, ya know? But, as you settle into the groups you quickly notice different folks: growers who have been doing this and can now work as consultants to others; new growers with questions and who need direction; medicine makers who change flowers to teas and edibles and concentrates to share; folks who never forget our people (those in federal housing or living in rentals and are not allowed to grow or smoke due to crappy landlords and federal law); those who don’t grow and want to assume power positions so they come as organizers who attempt to bring folks together and charge fees (something like a union or group mentality); genuine folks who are sick and need access; artists and all sorts of creative beings who have launched businesses; and of course women who have formed alliances to push our businesses forward.
Overall, I have have a mixed experience in the DC community because some are in it for the economy building and power and money and some are in it for unifying and educating. As you work through, you find out who is who and you go from there. I never did cliques, I’ve always had close friends, but I enjoy being a loner in the sense that I don’t need anyone to approve what I do or to make a move with. The roadblocks are the same as in any other industry, the cannabis field is open for opportunity but you have to pay to play. You have to know people in places or you have to be willing to be grassroots and tap the power of the people. Hood Hippies always sides with the people. You will always find us in the streets with our products, designed with the people in mind. 90% of what we make or carry is hand made by us or another small business in the USA. As far as aspirations, I have many. Going forward in 2016, I will position my company both locally and nationally by attending events in DC and other major markets like Philly, Atlanta, Richmond and Baltimore. It’s no secret, I love a good challenge and intention is everything. Our designs this year will celebrate women and men who are true to themselves and are proud of their genius. I’m a rebel in that sense. Conforming is boring and draining, Hood Hippies represent the light of being and the healing power of cannabis!
GSF: The way you describe the Hood Hippies lifestyle/philosophy as “a new trend in thinking, being and living" is really interesting. Can you tell us what’s new? How do you embody this philosophy? Can you take it off and put it on like your really nice t-shirts? If so, what’s the thread count?
Monique: I love this! You have such a great vibe, Zach! Our philosophy “new trend in thinking, being and living” means just be yourself, be the best you that you can be–whoever that is. It’s new because we have been taught and trained and bombarded with all these social norms and “American ways” that we have no idea who we really are. Black folks in America have had our identities hidden, stripped, changed and manipulated so that we are left to either do the research and study so that we understand our greatness or we just put on the masks of what we are given. The path of self discovery is the design process; you encounter a “new you.” We create our reality, we design our lives.
At Hood Hippies, we provoke thought with what we produce. For example, our Good Vibes hoodies strikes people and makes them feel good. It reminds them to be happy and enjoy the fact that they are alive. The pot leaves offer a way to access that happiness and reduce the stress levels that we all encounter living in this place. I am not perfect, I make mistakes, but I am woman enough to make strides daily to improve. I get knocked down and I take that blow and get right back up. You cannot live in fear and that’s how I embody this philosophy. Life is short and each day matters; our designs push people to know their power.
Another example: this “Beauty is a Beast” tee for ladies is a black woman in all of her glory. I love men, we need men, but the awe-inspiring well of strength found in a woman is so so amazing! We bear so much and have played a vital role in making positive change in the world and that’s what life is about.
My husband is a “Pot Snob”–he values the garden and the medicine. He gets lost in the flavor and the aroma. He takes pride in the process with time and attention. BUT remember, Mary Jane is female; it’s the female that produces the goodness. LOL. Pot Snobs are connoisseurs–just like cheese, coffee or wine, we want the best bud. Those better buds come from care during the growing process. I’m sure you can relate to the love that goes into your farming.
Thank you so much for this opportunity–so glad we met! When you put on a Hood Hippies tee you express the real you, the good vibes, the fabulous, let’s do the damn thing part of you! The thread count is infinite! The only one in your way is you! Let’s get it.
And there you have it folks. If you didn’t peep it, Mike didn’t do much talking but we plan to catch up with him in a future episode about the underground connection between fungi and plants!
Why would trafficking increase when you have legalized prostitution.
Because if prostitution is legal, demand increases. And if it is legal, pimps and traffickers have more room to exploit and sell women under the guise of legal sex work.
In fact, in countries where it is legal, pimps and brothel owners are considered sex workers themselves.
Just because you legalize prostitution doesn’t mean women are going to be anymore willing to do it, but more men expect to go to prostitutes, so the demand for prostitution increases. Where do you get prostitutes if women aren’t willing to be them? you kidnap and traffick them!!
Thank you for explaining this so concisely. I always thought trafficking would decrease if prostitution was legalized, so this is good to know.
it’s worth pointing out that Germany, who’s always touted as very progressive for legalizing prostitution and instituting prostitution unions, has become the human trafficking hub of Europe since those laws were implemented.
In 2009, there were around 900 victims of human trafficking in the Netherlands. In 2017, there were over 6000 and this number is estimated to fall prey to human trafficking every year. Over 4000 are sex slaves and over 1000 are children. This is getting progressively worse. I honestly cannot believe people aren’t educated that this legalization adds to an increase in human trafficking. Isn’t it obvious that’s how the world works? Also, men don’t care. I remember a post over here with men that were going to prostituted children and one of them was saying “I don’t care to know how the sausage is made”. That should tell you everything you need to know if you’re still having doubts about which side of the barricade you should choose.
The notes on this post gave me 17 types of cancer. The fucking mental gymnastics people will pull to justify men’s right to pay to rape women is just staggering.
People in the notes keep saying “correlation does not mean causation” as if that means correlation will never apply causation. But I think the causation between prostitution and trafficking is pretty clear so…I don’t know why people want to live in a world so badly where women can be bought and sold
Important to note: there’s a difference between legalizing prostitution and decriminalizing it for the actual women being prostituted. You can decriminalize so that women feel safe seeking help without thinking they’ll be thrown in jail while still prosecuting those who buy and sell women.
(And not to be that person but there are a lot of wonderful men out there working tirelessly to end human trafficking as well, not every man hates women like those men)
When it comes to the health consequences of cannabis, we really don’t know very much. As legalization gains momentum—and cannabis reaches stores across the country—studies of pot’s public-health consequences are scarce. Malcolm Gladwell writes about drug policy, the cannabis industry, and how little we know about the ways in which marijuana use affects our brains.
