The Matriarch of Marijuana

Meet JoAnna McKee, a persistent voice in the ear of wary politicians who didn’t believe that marijuana was medicine. Until they met JoAnna, that is.

Everyone knows that Washington was one of the first states to legalize marijuana—medicinal in 1998 and recreational in 2012. But few know the story of the small, tight-knit community that fought the battles for patients’ rights that eventually opened the door to recreational cannabis. Those who do, though, will tell you that none of it would have happened without JoAnna McKee, who passed away in late 2017. In this episode, we meet some of the people who knew and loved JoAnna; hear about her role in the first-ever federal raid on a medical cannabis dispensary in the country; and pause to reflect on the legacy of a person whose life’s work won’t be forgotten, especially with new leaders at the federal level who are attempting to turn back the clock on cannabis policy.

Featuring interviews with Meagan Angus, Dale Rogers, Douglas Hiatt, and Stich Miller.

Music by Leeni Ramadan, Jahzzar, and Doctor Turtle

This week’s cover photo of Joanna McKee was taken by Demaris Strohm-Hughes for Green Cross Patient Co-Op

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