E190-1 Reefer Madness Started in Mexico? - JM Balbuena & Green Renaissance

What if everything you knew about cannabis history started with a myth?

Long before Reefer Madness was a thing in the US, sensational stories about cannabis were spreading through 19th-century Mexico. In this episode we speak with J.M. Balbuena, author of Green Renaissance, to uncover the fascinating and often overlooked history of cannabis.

A U.S. Navy veteran, filmmaker, entrepreneur, and cannabis advocate, Balbuena shares how a military injury and subsequent sleep difficulties led her to explore medical cannabis. Her personal experience sparked a much bigger question: Why does cannabis carry so much stigma? That launched a journey into cannabis education, advocacy, and five years of historical research that became her book, Green Renaissance.

From the ancient cultivation of hemp in China to sensationalized newspaper stories in Mexico, Balbuena explores the racialization of marijuana, the origins of cannabis prohibition, and the roles that media, politics, and powerful industries may have played in shaping public attitudes. Balbuena also examines how cannabis became associated with discrimination against Mexican, Black, and South Asian communities in the United States.

Whether you're interested in cannabis legalization, medical cannabis, or the untold stories behind cannabis history, have a listen to how the past continues to influence the present.

Green Renaissance - Amazon

JM Balbuena - LinkedIn

JM Balbuena - website

Additional Music:

Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com

Marc Clement - Facebook

Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca