Join Maya Rook for REEFER MADNESS right here on SeaWeed Co’s back deck. Sponsored by Shimmerwood Beverages, all participants will receive a FREE Shimmer CBD Seltzer, a special SeaWeed Co. discount and some other small goodies.

After decades of vilification, cannabis is now celebrated and embraced by many people throughout American society. So why was it prohibited in the first place? In this class we look back on the many uses of cannabis throughout human history and then investigate how sensationalist journalism, racism, and the rise of big business came together to demonize this plant in the early 20th century.

We place a special emphasis on propaganda materials like Reefer Madness, Marihuana: Weed with Roots in Hell, and “educational” campaigns that created a culture of fear around one of humanity’s longest-used resources. Bringing it up to the present, we also discuss how public perception and use of cannabis developed over the last century and explore society’s recent re-acceptance of it as a medicinal and recreational substance.

Maya Rook is a cultural historian, college educator, and yoga instructor living in Mid-Coast Maine. She offers a variety of engaging events involving meditative, movement, and magical practices, as well as explorations into a range of both popular and obscure historical topics. Participants have described Maya’s approach as welcoming, vibrant, creative, playful, humorous, delightful, informative, and fun. After attending a session with Maya, you will walk away with new knowledge, a deeper connection to yourself and others, and some fresh perspective in how you view the world around you.