An Exploratory Qualitative Examination of Gender and Race in the Budding Cannabis Industry. The development of a legal cannabis industry—in the United States, Canada, and other places around the globe—is a hot topic of discussion as it rearranges the narrative of prohibition that has been mainstream for over 100 years. The goal of this research paper was to conduct an exploratory and qualitative examination of the history of cannabis culture and prohibition, and the gendered and racial inequalities therein. In examining these inequalities and disparities, it becomes evident that the present markets are not informed by the history that precedes them. I argue that the industry would be best informed by this history in order to continue developing in a more ethical, and equitable manner. Theories of globalisation, feminist theory, critical race theory and decolonial theory are critical to apply and utilise in application in examination of the cannabis industry and the resulting discriminations, disparities, and inequalities.
