AACE Interview: Anthony Johnson
I met Anthony at the ICBC conference in Berlin, he was the guy who was everywhere, the one you asked questions and had the answers and the guy you just wanted to hang out with because he was so warm and welcoming. Anthony's wife Sarah Duff was also there and she came up to me and said "Ophelia!" and from there it felt like family. Anthony is a long time activist, starting with seeing minorities prosecuted overwhelmingly over others, he is the executive director of Measure 91 up in Oregon, as well as one of the managing editors of Weed News and Marijuana Politics. Measure 91 was voted in on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, and it ended the state’s prohibition of marijuana by choosing instead to legalize adult use and possession of marijuana and regulate and tax the sales of limited amounts of marijuana to individuals 21 and older.
What does this new law do? The Control, Regulation, and Taxation of Marijuana and Industrial Hemp Act removed penalties for adults 21 and older who possess, use, and grow a limited amount of marijuana. It also directs the Oregon Liquor Commission to establish a system of strictly regulated and registered marijuana producers, wholesalers, processors, and retailers. - Marijuana Policy Project
Anthony and Sarah are generous and kind people that you would look forward to seeing, and the ones that are out there on the front lines advocating for the legalization of cannabis, together they founded Duff Johnson Consulting , and their motto is "Activism. Advocacy. Compliance", which succinctly describes exactly who they are. Thank you both for being there for all of us and for inspiring us to get out there with you both.
What spurred you to enter the cannabis market?
I became a cannabis legalization activist after seeing my Black friends treated more harshly during police encounters and how they were ultimately prosecuted while I was a student at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
What is your favorite strain and your favorite way of ingesting
Blue City Diesel is currently my favorite strain. Right now, my favorite method of ingesting is a joint with a salad of a few different strains, with a touch of crumble wax spread throughout the joint.
How did you come out of the 'green closet" with your parents?
My parents were divorced when I was 14. My (white) father was a long time smoker and we smoked for the first time when I was a freshman in college. My (Asian) mother did not approve of cannabis at all until very recently. The first time I was outed, was because a reporter called her up when I was leading a cannabis decriminalization campaign while I was in college. When I came out of the green closet a few years ago, I just answered honestly when my mom asked me about using cannabis. She was really mad and didn't talk to me for a month. Now, she considers cannabis a much better alternative to alcohol and understands the medicinal benefit.
