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by inuhj 3353 days ago
'Marijuana' is considered a racist term in the industry. The preferred word is 'cannabis'.
2 comments

upvoted for truth. maybe people downvoting aren't familiar with the history.

so here's some history. the name "marijuana" was pushed by Harry Anslinger[0] as a way to trigger racial anxiety amongst conservative whites who held negative views with respect towards Mexicans. the other names for the plant being "hemp" (a non-psychoactive strain used as an industrial fiber crop) and "cannabis" (latin name for the genus of the plant).

[0] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_J._Anslinger

I didn't downvote, but some research shows that this is a controversial truth, even among those in the industry. The history is not controversial but the treatment of marijuana as a racist term is, from what I can see.
It has a Mexican name literally IN it. A conservative, white term would be Marijosepha.
It has a Mexican name literally IN it. A conservative, white term would be Marijosepha.

logicallee, I think you've misunderstood the point made in the gp post. Harry Anslinger wanted it to sound strange and foreign to white conservatives, not familiar.

I mean that it has Juan in the name (which I contrast with Joseph). So MariJUANa. Couldn't sound more Mexican if they tried.
Do you have a source for the about downvoters' opinions?
Ganja is the drug harvested from the cannabis plant.