By: Mariah Thomas
When states began to celebrate the legalization of cannabis, there were bigger conversations being shoved aside. How do you balance legalizing something many are in jail for? How do you process years of systemic trauma stemming from the war on drugs in the 1970s? Though the black community faced many negative blowbacks for cannabis in theory and distribution, once legalized, the profit was not seen. White men were able to see profits of over fifty million dollars and received the proper backing for their companies while black women were left in debt by the millions. Kiss My Grass is a documentary part of 2025’s Tribeca film festival that shines light on black women in the cannabis industry. It highlights both their successes and struggles as they work twice as hard in an industry designed for their failure.
Kiss My Grass honestly explores the struggles of Black women in cannabis, while also exposing systemic injustice and demanding urgent reform in an industry built to exclude them. The documentary highlights many cannabis business owners as they break down the business side of things. It tackles the elephant in the room as to why white male cannabis business owners are able to obtain loans and funding while black female business owners are not. However, there is also a positive viewpoint here, too. When the conversation on the prohibition of cannabis is brought up down the line, many black women will be part of that conversation. They are embedded in the history and focus on accessibility. There is beauty in community and hard work.
An element I enjoyed about this documentary was the history lesson woven throughout. Though there are obvious issues that I was aware of, I was able to learn so much more. The cannabis industry is projected to reach forty-five billion dollars in 2025. The conversation and realization as to who is making the profit there is fundamental. It is a topic that I intend to educate myself on beyond watching Kiss My Grass and hope positive change can come from others becoming knowledgeable, too.
Directors Mary Pryor, Mara Whitehead and Tirsa Hacksaw beautifully balance highlighting the featured black women in this documentary and educating the harsh reality of this industry. Jumping between archival footage to highlight the history and modern day interviews, this documentary short was incredibly well done. My only hope is that they are able to continue on this storytelling journey.
Kiss My Grass was a well-constructed history lesson. Beyond that, it is also a lesson on more recent history being lived through. There is a balance of celebration and feeling angered that certain systems failed these women. This may not be a documentary for everyone as the subject matter may not be of interest. However, if it is, this is something I highly recommend. In those twenty minutes, so much is learned in tremendous ways that will stick with you.