Indigenous American tribes have used cannabis and hemp for rope, fabric, medicine, and spiritual use since the mid-1500s. But by the 1800s, they were forcibly separated from the plant by the US federal government, which illegally raided reservation grows, burned crops, and imprisoned growers.

It wasn't until 2013 when Washington and Colorado legalized medical marijuana that Native American leaders reopened the discussion on tribal sovereignty regarding cannabis legalization. Soon, hundreds of tribal nations voted to allow the resurgence of hemp and cannabis on their reservations. But even a decade later, indigenous people in cannabis still face issues like illegal federal raids, state pushback, and a lack of access to capital.

In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to leading Native American cannabis advocate Mary Jane Oatman, founder of the National Indigenous Cannabis Coalition and Tribal Hemp and Cannabis (THC) magazine. Mary Jane discusses her family's history with the plant, her community's experience working towards tribal sovereignty, and what she's doing to ensure the soon-to-be nationwide cannabis industry isn’t totally colonized as well.

Then, Brit talks to Different Leaf writer Santiago Rodiguez-Tarditi about his latest article on the importance of Mary Jane's work for indigenous communities worldwide.

You can read Santiago's profile on Mary Jane Oatman and her work in the new summer issue of Different Leaf magazine, available at DifferentLeaf.com or find your nearest in-person retailer at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

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