AIHP recently received a $2,000 “mini-grant” from Wisconsin Humanities, an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, to develop programming that traces the changing history of cannabis in Wisconsin and other states. The Institute will use the grant to create an online digital exhibit and to host an online roundtable discussion moderated by AIHP Historical Director Lucas Richert, PhD.
In recent years, many states in the US have enacted laws to relax or largely eliminate regulations on the use or possession of cannabis (marijuana). Similar legislation has been debated across the country, including in Wisconsin. AIHP’s grant-funded project, “Contested Cannabis: A History of Marijuana in Wisconsin and the Wider World,” is designed to advance public debate by examining the legal, regulatory, and cultural history of cannabis—particularly the history of cannabis and marijuana in the Badger State.
According to Dr. Richert, “the project aims to historicize
and contextualize local discussions about medical marijuana, recreational
marijuana, and the regulation of drugs and medicines.” He further explained that “the project will invite
the public to reflect on the complicated history that has seen cannabis shift
from a medicine to a dangerous drug and back to a medicine.”
AIHP expects to complete the online exhibit in November 2021 and will sponsor a freely accessible webinar shortly after. Institute members will be invited to view the exhibit and participate in the program.
Established in 1972, Wisconsin Humanities is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that awards grants to strengthen the roots of community life through educational and cultural programs that inspire civic participation.
