Cannaphobia

In 1934, three years before Congress approved the Marihuana Tax Act (a de facto ban), the Times reported that Harry J. Anslinger, who was instrumental in stirring up cannaphobia as head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN), "is investigating the use by school children in Cleveland and other areas of marihuana, […]"

Despite attending University of California Berkeley at a time when drugs were rampant, Vaughn-Knox had no experience with drug use of any kind. In fact, she said, she had “cannaphobia.” She made up her mind to get the education she needed to be comfortable and knowledgeable in the medicinal use of cannabis.

Despite the differences, she said some initiatives she spearheaded in Portland are relevant to her new job, like the relief fund, which became a lifeline for cannabis businesses during the pandemic. Her office also created a Cannabis Empowerment Day to show support for the legal industry and combat what she called persistent “cannaphobia.”