Hola Familia!

Welcome to Mota Mami – my platform for community, cannabis, creativity and resistance. Mota Mami is more than just a name, it is an extension of myself; the parts of me I hold to the highest esteem. The purpose? To serve as a community advocate raising awareness and knowledge about cannabis, especially for people of color. As a long time cannabis user and supporter, it is clear that the marijuana industry is shifting – it’s a time of change. Medical Cannabis is legal in 29 states and recreational in eight, people who would have never considered the use of marijuana are finally accepting the plant as a resource and credible medicine. The problem with this is once things turn corporate and capitalism starts to edge it’s way in things get well...really white and elitist. I’ve spent countless hours on different CannaMedia sites, and there seems to be some things that are missing from most: decolonized history and representation and culture from people of color! Yes, there’s the cannabis community culture of sharing the newest strains and comparing dispensaries or things like the high times cup…but again these things are all heavily dominated by white people.

Por que?? Let’s be real for a minute and address inequality when it comes to health care.

Disparities in receiving health care:

Adults age 65 and over received worse care than adults ages 18-44 for 39% of quality measures.

 Blacks received worse care than Whites for 41% of quality measures.

Hispanics received worse care than non Hispanic Whites for 39% of measures.

Asians and AI/ANs received worse care than Whites for nearly 30% of quality measures

Poor people received worse care than high income people for 47% of measures.

Disparities in access to health care:

Adults age 65 and over rarely had worse access to care than adults ages 18-44.

Blacks had worse access to care than Whites for 32% of access measures.

Asians had worse access to care than Whites for 17% of access measures.

AI/ANs had worse access to care than Whites for 62% of access measures.

Hispanics had worse access to care than non Hispanic Whites for 63% of access measures.

Poor people had worse access to care than high income people for 89% of access measures.

Source: Disparities in Healthcare Quality Among Racial and Ethnic Groups: Selected Findings from the 2011 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Fact Sheet. AHRQ Publication No. 12-0006-1-EF, September 2012. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhqrdr11/nhqrdrminority11.htm

What's this all translate to? White folk overwhelming receiving access and better health care than everrrryybodddyy else. Aka they're the ones dominating the medical marijuana market due to lack of access for everyone else. This isn't just the case for health care / medical marijuana, POC* (people of color) statistically are at a disadvantage when it comes to access to health care, realty, education, jobs, ooooh girl the list really goes on and I have more blog posts for that so I'll stop there. Long rant short -  our people are in the dark about the possibilities that could come from medical marijuana and that needs to change! Mota Mami is committed to fostering an inclusive cannabis community that is not only a wellness revolution, but a political one.

How can pot be political?

Here's where the history part comes in & imma try and be brief: Marijuana/Mota/Ganja is a sacred plant that has been around for centuries and cultivated by POC for thousands of years and all of a sudden white people acting like it just popped up in American in the 1920s as a new plant varietal, not like they hadn't already demonized black and brown ancestors for it's cultivation and literally burned down our towns and gardens filled with the plant during the early colonial years.....not to mention the early wave of the war on drugs aka the war on black and brown people started by the propaganda that was reefer madness... but pot is suddenly cool because now the wood and plastic industries aren't crying about the money making plant because it's making it rain  dollars bills in legalized states and we can sell cannabis infused remedies as a "new age holistic healing products," even though my elders have been doing that shit for years and not charging exclusionary ass prices for them.

*****DEEP INHALE****

I have a lot to say and I think people might like to hear it. Let's get together and make sure our histories are not erased, make sure our gente are not excluded, make sure that we get our place in an industry and help our communities.

Hit that follow button and be sure to add my insta if you want to support my journey. I'll be sharing Cannabis facts, events, marijuana laws, personal stories, interviews, and more content focused on my community and cannabis cultura. I have a lot planned for 2018 and hope ya'll join me for the cruise.

Joint Hits & Hugs,