The cannabis plant we use is female, so it’s no wonder it has been vilified and misunderstood 😉. From early herbalists in Mesopotamia, to Queen Victoria reportedly using it for cramps in the 19th century, women have been involved in using this medicinal plant.
Cannabis prohibition was introduced in the US in the 1920’s, when my great grandmother, May Allison, was starring in silent films in early Hollywood. Many people blame William Randolph Hearst’s expansive media reach for branding “marijuana,” and having it stigmatized for personal reasons. Hearst owned significant timber holdings and hemp posed a threat to his wealth because of its superior ability to produce sustainable paper, among other deplorable reasons.
My Great Grandmother was on the cover of the 1925 Photoplay Magazine, which was one of the earliest film/fan glamour magazines. The following year, she married James Quirk, the publisher at that time. Photoplay was a part of Hearst media, along with Cosmopolitan, and I have found evidence that they all partied together at Hearsts castle in San Simeon, CA. Their events may have been a bit more mellow with cannabis involved – not the right vibe for the roaring 20s!
The May Allison (Osborne by then) I knew was progressive, glamorous and inspirational... I can’t help but feel her guidance as we pay tribute to all women in history through the Floramye brand and work to undo some of the damage from these powerful men in the past. Incidentally, my mother found an article her grandmother wrote for Cosmopolitan on the benefits of investing (which was unfortunately published a few months before the stock market crash in 1929.) Perhaps we won’t look to her for business inspiration... It’s sad to think about what cannabis could have done for people had it been available during the Great Depression (affordable hemp rope, textiles, clothing, food, paper, etc.)
Each day, we strive to keep women involved in the cannabis industry in a meaningful way, release those incarcerated for cannabis (who are disproportionately people of color,) and pay respect to this female plant that is truly mystical and medicinal. Thanks so much for your support. xx Allison
“Marijuana is not harmful unless taken in enormous and excessive amounts.” ~ Margaret Mead (1901-1978)
The “Florence Nightingale of the medical marijuana movement.” ~Mary Jane Rathbun (1922-1999)
In 1988, she discovered the CB1 cannabinoid receptor in the endocannabinoid system, expanding understanding of how and why cannabis works and paving the way for CBD. ~ Dr. Allyn Howlett, PhD (alive and well)