Sparking a Weed Uprising in Minneapolis

Sparking a Weed Uprising in Minneapolis

Author: David Bienenstock March 25, 2026 Duration: 1:08:39
Angela Dawson is a fourth generation farmer, albeit the first of her name to farm cannabis. She’s also a leading weed activist in the state of Minnesota, who's currently preparing for the 4/20 soft-launch of "The Garden on 26th," a new licensed retail dispensary in South Minneapolis that will sit just steps from where Alex Pretti was publicly executed by ICE agents in January. Angela and I discuss the many ways the War on Drugs laid the groundwork for our government's current disastrous, cruel and very racist approach to immigration enforcement. How opening a dispensary focused on mutual support and cannabis education in such a heavily impacted community can offer relief, remediation and re-education. And the details of her own personal journey with the plant, including finding deep solace in weed during the most challenging stretch of her life.  Angela is the co-founder of ⁠Forty Acre Co-op⁠, one of the only Black-Indigenous owned hemp cooperatives in the country, and ⁠The Minnesota Black Farmers Association⁠, the leading farmer equity voice in the Midwest region.  PATREON Please ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 150+ episodes of Great Moments in Weed History, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. 

Great Moments in Weed History delves deep into humanity's 10,000+ year relationship with cannabis (a.k.a. marijuana) to explore the humor, heart, and historical importance of the planet's most revered and maligned plant. Hosted by David Bienenstock.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Great Moments in Weed History
Podcast Episodes
Weed History in the Middle East [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:37
In a fertile band stretching from North Africa to Southeast Asia, cannabis cultivation and hashish production dates back countless centuries. From the ancient history of the plant throughout the Middle East to the evolut…
Can Hemp Really Save the World? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:49
Cannabis and hemp are the same plant put to different uses. One varietal gets you lit, one helps you through chemo, while others make incredibly strong rope or highly nutritious food. Our guest, author Doug Fine has writ…
The History of Hip Hop is Lit (feat. Busy Bee) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:06
Since 1977, legendary MC Busy Bee has been rocking crowds and smoking loud as one of the true originators of hip hop music, style and culture. He was there for the earliest rap battles and the arrival of blunt smoking, s…
How Underground Comix Spread Outlaw Weed Culture [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:01
Getting high featured prominently in the work of many underground comix artists of the 1970s, from R. Crumb's "Mr. Natural" and "Stoned Again" to Kim Deitch's "Sunshine Girl" and Gilbert Shelton's indomitable Fabulous Fu…
Let's Nerd Out About Weed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:15
From terpenes to THC, the biochemistry of the cannabis plant is endlessly fascinating. So get yourself rolled up and ready to delve into "the weeds" with someone who's seen and smoked as much cannabis as anyone on Earth.…
Meet the Brains Behind the OG Guide to Growing Weed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:23
In 1970, Bill Drake wrote the first modern guide to growing cannabis. Despite an FBI campaign to suppress this groundbreaking book, The Cultivator's Handbook of Marijuana would change the game forever by teaching million…
The Year in Weed 2022 + Trippin' Balls w/ Santa Claus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:36
It's been a wild year in the world of weed, and we're ready to get lit and reflect on the highs and lows. Starting with an in-depth look at the most shocking and impactful cannabis news story of 2022. Plus: This episode…
Rush Guitarist Alex Lifeson: "We Only Stop for the Best" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:23
A confirmed cannabis connoisseur since the 1960s, Alex Lifeson reveals how smoking weed fuels his creative process, helps him heal the aches and pains of five decades out on the road with a hall-of-fame rock band, and go…
"Keep Pot Weird" with Reggie Watts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:52
Cannabis fuels the creative journey of comedian, musician, and improviser Reggie Watts, as he explains in this highly insightful interview that starts with a how-to guide for using THC to help access an "optimal observer…
Celebrating Legal Weed's 10th Anniversary! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:22
In November 2012, voters in Colorado and Washington State legalized cannabis for all adults, lighting a grassfire of weedy liberation that's been blazing through the country and around the world ever since. Including in…