Brownie Mary and Marley: Women as Agents of Change in California's Cannabis Industry

Markstein 211

My research looks into two women, Brownie Mary and Marley, who have been important agents of social change in the cannabis movement. I selected two women from different periods and cultures to do a cross-cultural and cross-time comparison and contrast. I use a multimethod approach incorporating visual narrative analysis and archives, more specifically examining the Brownie Mary Archive located in the San Francisco Public Library. I am interested in how these women's intersectional backgrounds inform their main priorities, perspectives, and strategies in advocating for egalitarian social change in the cannabis industry. Although this project focuses on only two women from different periods, their stories bring to light common themes of caregiving, education, and legitimization that are important to discuss when considering the cannabis industry is becoming a billion-dollar industry.