From the very beginning, diverse communities have been at the heart of the cannabis movement, challenging unjust laws and reshaping cultural perceptions. As we wind down the month of May, which marked Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month, it’s fitting to honor the individuals from these communities who have advanced cannabis legalization, reform, and industry — all while upholding the rights and dignity of consumers. Their contributions span from ancient traditions to modern activism. In Asia, cannabis has been cultivated for millennia — ancient Chinese texts praised its medicinal value — and historians have found evidence of cannabis use in Jewish rituals dating back to medieval times. There is even an ongoing debate among some Talmudic scholars about whether the “holy anointing oil” mentioned in the Book of Exodus is, in fact, a reference to the cannabis plant. Building on these deep roots, today’s AAPI and Jewish cannabis trailblazers carry forward a legacy of resilience, innovation, and justice.
Legal Trailblazers: Defying Barriers and Shaping Policy
The fight for cannabis reform has long been fueled by legal warriors and activists from Jewish and AAPI backgrounds. In the mid-1960s, poet Allen Ginsberg — a Jewish American icon of the counterculture — led one of the nation’s first public pro-cannabis protests in New York City, boldly declaring that the era of clandestine use must give way to open dialogue. Ginsberg’s early leadership set the stage for generations of advocates (a fact not lost on President Nixon, who once griped that “every one of the bastards that are out for legalizing marijuana is Jewish”). Indeed, Jewish Americans played a pivotal role in early legalization efforts. Activists like A.J. Weberman and Aron Kay, known as the Yippie “Pie Man,” continued to press for change throughout the 1970s, while Jack Herer, famously dubbed the “Emperor of Hemp,” educated millions about the plant’s potential. Herer’s seminal work, The Emperor Wears No Clothes, helped mainstream the idea that hemp and cannabis policy needed drastic change. (Today, his son Dan Herer has taken up the mantle, leading the vertically integrated company Herer Group, which has operations across every aspect of the cannabis industry and continues to educate the public on the plant.)
On the legal front, AAPI leaders have also made significant strides. In 2000, Hawaii — notable for its large AAPI population — became the first state to legalize medical cannabis via its legislature rather than a public ballot. The measure was signed into law by Governor Ben Cayetano, a Filipino-American. This bold step in reform, propelled by advocates like the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, proved that elected AAPI officials could lead on compassionate policy when given the chance.
Fast forward to today, and AAPI voices continue to shape legislation. As a Member of Congress, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawai’i — the first Samoan American elected to Congress — introduced bipartisan legislation to end the federal marijuana prohibition years before it was politically fashionable. Gabbard’s 2017 bill to deschedule cannabis (co-led with Rep. Don Young of Alaska) was the first of its kind in Congress, helping to jumpstart the bipartisan dialogue on comprehensive reform.
Leaders of Asian descent have made their mark on pro-cannabis policy in other regions: In 2018, Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, of Thai and Chinese descent, co-sponsored the Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act, an early bill aimed at presenting a plan to decriminalize cannabis at the federal level. New York State Senator Jeremy Cooney, born in India, broke barriers as the first Asian American elected to office from the upstate area and has chaired the Marijuana Task Force for the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus since 2021.
Attorney Shaleen Title, a South Asian American and former Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commissioner, helped design some of the nation’s first equity-focused cannabis regulations and now leads the Parabola Center think tank to advance fair policies. Each of these trailblazers has helped dismantle the barriers of prohibition, proving that inclusivity in law and policy leads to stronger outcomes for all.
Jewish Americans have been indispensable in turning legal activism into lasting reform. Ethan Nadelmann, described as a “frenetic, whip-smart son of a rabbi,” founded the Drug Policy Alliance and spent decades building a broad-based movement to end the War on Drugs. Nadelmann’s strategic acumen turned an “orphan crusade” into a national force, helping pave the way for today’s cannabis legalization victories. In Congress, Jewish lawmakers have often led the charge: Barney Frank was among the first to introduce decriminalization bills. Jared Polis, now the Governor of Colorado, launched the Congressional Cannabis Caucus in 2017 during his time in the nation’s House of Representatives. Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin introduced a bipartisan bill called the CURE Act in 2023, which aimed to protect the rights of federal employees and people seeking federal security clearance from being stripped due to cannabis use.
Most prominently, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has emerged as the highest-ranking advocate for federal cannabis law reform. Schumer made legalization a top Senate priority, and in 2022, he introduced the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act to deschedule marijuana, expunge federal records, and reinvest in communities harmed by the drug war. “Our goal is to end the federal prohibition and ensure that the communities most impacted get a fair shot in the new industry,” Schumer affirmed. Thanks to these legal trailblazers — judges, lawyers, elected officials, and activists — the framework of cannabis law is steadily shifting from punishment to justice.
Medical Pioneers & Advocates: Changing Hearts and Minds
AAPI and Jewish contributors have also revolutionized how we understand cannabis as medicine, bringing credibility and compassion to what was once a fringe idea. Dr. Tod Hiro Mikuriya, a Japanese-American psychiatrist, was a towering figure in California’s medical marijuana movement. In the 1960s, Dr. Mikuriya dared to research cannabis’s therapeutic potential at the National Institute of Mental Health, but left when the government demanded only negative findings. Undeterred, he became one of the doctors willing to recommend cannabis to patients suffering from cancer, AIDS, and other illnesses. He was instrumental in drafting California’s Proposition 215 — the nation’s first modern medical marijuana law in 1996 — and personally issued some 9,000 patient approvals in its early years. To educate and legitimize the medical community, Mikuriya founded the Society of Cannabis Clinicians in 1999, creating a forum for doctors to share research and best practices. For his tireless advocacy, often in the face of professional risk, Dr. Mikuriya is rightly remembered as the grandfather of the medical cannabis movement.
On the other side of the country, Jewish Americans were similarly pivotal in reframing cannabis through the lens of science and compassion. Harvard professor Dr. Lester Grinspoon stands out as a true pioneer. In 1971, Grinspoon published Marihuana Reconsidered, a revolutionary book that methodically debunked myths and made a sober case for ending prohibition. The nation’s oldest reform group, NORML, later hailed Grinspoon’s work as “the single most comprehensive and convincing explanation of the crucial need to end marijuana prohibition.” As a longtime NORML board member, Grinspoon lent unparalleled credibility to the movement – he insisted that science and facts, not fear, guide cannabis policy. His advocacy for medical access was deeply personal, too: when his young son Danny battled leukemia, Grinspoon saw firsthand how cannabis eased his child’s suffering, cementing the doctor’s commitment to patient rights.
Grinspoon’s contemporary, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam of Israel, provides an international example of Jewish contributions to cannabis science. Often called the “father of cannabis research,” Mechoulam isolated THC in 1964 and later identified CBD, laying the biochemical foundation for medical marijuana worldwide. Decades later, when a British company won approval for a CBD-based epilepsy drug, Mechoulam remarked, “I was delighted that somebody is ultimately using it,” reflecting the fruition of his early work. These medical pioneers — AAPI and Jewish — fundamentally changed public opinion by treating patients with dignity and backing it up with data. They proved that cannabis could be a healing tool, not a societal threat, and their courage under fire led directly to the compassionate care models we see today.
Entrepreneurs & Advocates: Building an Inclusive Industry
The end of prohibition is just the beginning — building a fair and vibrant cannabis industry is the next frontier, and here again, AAPI and Jewish trailblazers are leaving an indelible mark. Across the country, AAPI entrepreneurs have been breaking barriers and bringing new perspectives to the industry. One AAPI-led brand, Leune, started by Nidhi Lucky Handa, and Potli, co-founded by Felicity Chen and Christine Yi, similarly blend cultural heritage with cannabis innovation, proving that representation can go hand in hand with business success. These pioneers haven’t just built thriving a company — they’ve created opportunities for others and shown that the cannabis market can be as diverse as its consumers.
Equally important are those working to ensure the industry remains rooted in social equity and education. Ophelia Chong, a Chinese-American creative force, recognized early on that Asian Americans were largely invisible in cannabis spaces — and she set out to change that. In 2015, Chong co-founded Asian American for Cannabis Education (AACE), a nonprofit dedicated to empowering Asian communities through education on cannabis issues, policy, and culture. Through AACE’s events and outreach, Chong works to shatter the lingering stigma in AAPI families and celebrate the community’s cannabis achievements (Chong is also known for founding StockPot Images, the first stock photo agency to authentically portray cannabis users, dispelling stereotypes in the media).
The impact of AACE is evident in projects like the AAPI Cannabis Collective, where entrepreneurs and advocates unite to support one another. This collective effort bore fruit in 2022 when a team of AAPI women spearheaded a groundbreaking educational campaign. They produced “Modern Cannabis: A Beginner’s Guide to Conscious Consumption” — a cannabis primer translated into 11 Asian languages — to reach immigrant parents and elders. Activists Sysamone Phaphon (of Lao, Thai, and Cambodian heritage) and Eunice Kim (Korean-American) led this initiative, launching the guide during AAPI Heritage Month to spark honest conversations in AAPI households. By literally speaking the community’s languages, they are closing the knowledge gap and empowering a new generation to come “out of the cannabis closet” with pride and understanding.
Created in 2019, the Asian Cannabis Roundtable (ACR) aims to unite AAPI community members representing various aspects of the industry. Founder Kristin Jordan, a Korean American, sought to establish a network where people working in various roles in the supply chain could connect and advocate for equitable developments in cannabis policy. Current Executive Director Weiwei “Vivian” Fellman, founder of Kota Botanics, collaborates with the organization’s leadership team and Board of Directors to ensure that AAPI voices are represented in national issues.
The Jewish community has likewise fostered entrepreneurs and advocates who blend profit with purpose. In the 1970s, a young Jewish college dropout named Burton Rubin noticed his fellow smokers struggling with tiny rolling papers — so he co-created E-Z Wider. This iconic rolling paper brand famously offered extra-wide sheets for joint rollers. What might seem like a small innovation had a significant cultural impact: E-Z Wider became ubiquitous, symbolizing the normalization (and commercialization) of cannabis use. Likewise, legendary figures such as Ed Rosenthal turned their passion into enterprises that elevated the entire movement. Rosenthal, a Bronx-born Jewish cultivator dubbed the “Guru of Ganja,” has authored over a dozen grower’s guides and taught countless people how to cultivate quality cannabis. In the 1970s, he became involved with High Times magazine — a publication that was equal parts business venture and act of rebellion — giving the cannabis community a national voice and credible journalism when both were desperately needed, and served as a key columnist during the 1980s and 1990s. Rosenthal even co-founded Amsterdam’s Hash, Marihuana & Hemp Museum, cementing the global historical record of the plant. And when federal agents arrested him in 2002 for growing medical cannabis in California, Ed turned his trial into a platform to expose the injustice of federal law conflicting with state compassion — ultimately receiving only a token one-day sentence. His decades of work in publishing, mentorship, and civil disobedience have inspired a generation of cannabis business leaders never to forget their roots in activism.
Many of today’s policy advocates carry that same spirit. Steven Phan, Nina Parks, June Chin, David Tran, Ryan Lepore, Wei Hu, Heman Shahi, Michael Zaytsev, David Hess, Jill Kay, Luna Stower, and Jake Kiselak — to name just a few — are among the AAPI and Jewish entrepreneurs prioritizing equity hiring, community reinvestment, and clemency for those harmed by past laws. Nonprofits like our own NORML and the Last Prisoner Project, which fights to free cannabis prisoners, benefit from the support and leadership of diverse communities. For instance, both NORML’s and LPP’s boards and advisors include Jewish and AAPI advocates leading in their fields. Whether through creating jobs, funding expungement clinics, or simply serving as role models, these entrepreneurs and advocates prove that a cannabis industry rooted in diversity is stronger and more just. They remind us that legalization is not truly achieved until all share its benefits.
United in Diversity: Looking Ahead
As we celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Jewish Americans to the cannabis movement, we are reminded that this struggle has always been a coalition. Activists from different backgrounds have long found common cause in the fight against draconian drug laws and stigma. Today, that unity is more important than ever. Our heroes come from diverse backgrounds — including attorneys, artists, scientists, CEOs, healers, and legislators — but a shared vision of a fair and inclusive cannabis culture unites them. Thanks to them, millions of Americans can access cannabis safely, patients can find relief without fear, and consumers can stand a little taller knowing their rights have champions in high places.
Yet, the work is far from finished. There are still injustices to right — from those still incarcerated over cannabis, to ongoing stigmas in some communities, to barriers facing minority entrepreneurs. The legacy of the AAPI and Jewish trailblazers we honor this month is a call to action: to continue pushing for full legalization, expungement of records, investment in communities harmed by the drug war, and an industry as diverse as America itself. By learning from their example and working in solidarity, we ensure that the cannabis renaissance leaves no one behind.
To all the Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Jewish leaders who have guided this movement — and to the many unsung heroes laboring in the background — we extend our gratitude. Your courage and dedication have brought us this far and will carry us forward. In the spirit of this month of heritage and remembrance, let us move onward together, always higher and always hopeful.
