Cannabis: Global Histories Network CfP
“Cannabis in Flux: Markets, Medicines, and Movements”
October 23-24, 2025. University of Wisconsin – Madison
Building on the foundation of Cannabis: Global Histories (The MIT Press, 2021), the CfP for this event aims to deepen historical analysis of cannabis even further by examining its medical, commercial, legal, and cultural trajectories across different regions and time periods. We invite contributions for “Cannabis in Flux: Markets, Medicines, and Movements” that explore how cannabis has shaped (and been shaped by) fluctuating political economies, scientific paradigms, and global trade networks. Key themes include, but are not limited to, cannabis in pharmaceutical and medical contexts, corporate and agrarian economies, legal enforcement and resistance, environmental histories of cultivation, and transnational cannabis networks.
The geographical location and timeframe are open, and a non-exhaustive list of topics is provided below:
• Corporate Cannabis
• Cannabis beyond Borders
• Gender and Racial Perspectives
• Indigeneity & Decolonization
• Religious, Spiritual, or Sacramental Uses
• Legal and Criminal Perspectives
• Agriculture & Environment
• Cannabis and Psychedelics
Paper proposals should be based on unpublished research and should include a 300–400-word abstract, including a brief CV (2-3 page maximum). The deadline is April 20, 2025. If accepted, participants would then be asked to submit papers of c.7000-8000 words by September 1, 2025. This will enable pre-circulation of papers and early work on editing a collection of papers for publication. The symposium will include academic papers and a brainstorming session on outreach.
This event is organized by Profs. Lucas Richert and Jim Mills. Partners include The Centre for the History of Health & Healthcare (CSHHH), the Urdang Lab at UW-Madison SoP, Transdisciplinary Center for Research in Psychoactive Substances (TcRPS), and the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy (AIHP).
There is funding to cover the cost of travel and accommodations for a limited group of participants. Please send your submissions or queries to Ms Kristen Huset, who can be contacted at kristen.huset@wisc.edu.
Deadline for Proposals: 20 April 2025
Deadline for Papers: 1 September 2025
Online & In Person Symposium: 23 & 24 October 2025
