IMO No.14: Hey Hippie, Stop Scaring the MAGA Crowd
⚠️ Standard CYA/Disclaimer (like the others): This piece contains mild generalizations, one cultural roast, and a dash of sarcasm. If you feel personally attacked, that’s between you and your chakras—or your cable news channel of choice. I still love you regardless.
The Branding Problem
Let’s start here: Cannabis shouldn’t be a political mascot. And yet, somewhere along the way, it got wrapped in a tie-dye flag and handed a bullhorn. We’ve managed to turn something as ancient and healing as cannabis into a walking identity crisis. And I say this as someone who’s a fan of both its past and its potential—medically, socially, even spiritually. But this cultural branding issue? It’s holding us back.
Because here's the thing: Not everyone who needs cannabis wants to be seen as the kind of person who uses cannabis. And if you don’t believe that’s still a thing, spend five minutes at a small-town dinner party in Arkansas or a church potluck in Texas...
We’ve all seen the visual shorthand: the oversized Bob Marley tapestry, the hacky-sack crowd, the guy on Twitter who’s way too into microdosing and conspiracy theories. None of these things are inherently bad—but they are the dominant branding...
This isn't about diluting cannabis culture. It’s about expanding it. Making room at the table...
Conservative Curiosity & Cultural Gatekeeping
Let’s talk about the MAGA crowd. Or anyone adjacent. People who lean conservative. Veterans. Parents. Sunday school teachers...
And to be fair, we haven’t done a great job of making it easy. The loudest voices in cannabis culture can come across as gatekeepers...
A Dexter Origin Story
Personal story time: Early in the formation of Dexter, I was on a video call with a well-known cannabis “celebrity.” She looked at me, paused, and said, “Ya know, you don’t look like cannabis people.” Huh? What do cannabis people look like, I thought...
Expanding the Circle
Cultural rebranding doesn’t mean turning cannabis into something sterile or boring. It means introducing some nuance...
You don’t have to adopt a new lifestyle to add cannabis to your life.
The Invitation
If we want legalization to mean something—really mean something—we have to invite everyone to the party...
Cannabis isn’t just for the hippie. And it’s not a threat to the MAGA hat. It’s a plant with incredible potential...
Fiscal Realities
So hey, hippie—stop scaring the MAGA crowd. And hey, MAGA crowd—maybe don’t knock it ’til you try it.
And fiscally? Cannabis makes a ton of sense. If you're MAGA and money-minded, this is worth a closer look...
Final Thought
There’s enough healing in this little green plant for all of us.
Coming Up Next…
🔜 IMO No.15: Still With the Lazy Stoner Thing? Grow Up.
We’ve all heard the stereotype, and honestly—it’s tired. In the next article, we’re breaking down the myth of the lazy stoner and spotlighting the high-functioning, get-sh*t-done cannabis users who are quietly running the world.
