The University of Utah is breaking new ground with its Feminist Cannabis Studies course, offered through the Gender Studies program during this fall semester.

This upper-division class examines cannabis through historical, political and cultural perspectives, using feminist and intersectional frameworks to understand its role in society, the Washington Examiner reported.

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According to the course description, students explore the history of cannabis prohibition and legalization, as well as its connections to gender, race, sexuality, immigration and class. Topics include how marginalized communities have shaped cannabis culture and how cannabis policies have maintained social inequalities.

The class also focuses on contributions from LGBTQ+ communities, the global effects of the U.S.-driven War on Drugs and the potential impacts of federal cannabis legalization. It asks questions like: “How have Communities of Color, LGBTQ+ groups, and other marginalized people used cannabis in cultural, medicinal, and spiritual practices?”

Led By A Scholar In Cannabis Studies

The course is taught by Dr. Magaly Ordoñez, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Utah whose research focuses on the intersection of cannabis and marginalized communities.

Her work highlights how queer communities of color have influenced cannabis culture and resisted its commercialization. She has also written about labor issues in the cannabis industry, particularly the exploitation of immigrant women.

Feminist Cannabis Studies is part of the School for Cultural and Social Transformation, also known as Transform. This program houses fields like Gender Studies, Ethnic Studies and Disability Studies, focusing on race, gender, sexuality and global diasporas.

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