Weed, ganja, reefer, Mary Jane, smoke, laughing grass, devil’s lettuce—smoke it, vape it, boil it for tea, make hash for a high or oil for life.
Today’s Cannabis is enjoying a new status as legal plant of choice for altered consciousness—the center of a billion dollar industry and real medicine for thousands of people with pain, cancer, seizures and trauma.
Photographing this story for National Geographic was an education, not just about this plant—revered and reviled—and its devoted users in the recreational world of weed but more importantly, about the courage of parents determined, in spite of laws, distance and resources, to give their children the best life possible.
Artist Bios
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Lynn Johnson
Lynn Johnson photographs the human condition. A regular contributor to National Geographic, Johnson is known for finding beauty and meaning in elusive, difficult subjects—threatened languages, zoonotic disease, rape in the military ranks, the centrality of water in village life. She collaborates with the people she portrays to honor their visions as well as her own. At National Geographic Photo Camps, she helps at-risk youth around the world find their creative voices.
Organizations
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National Geographic
Established in 1888, National Geographic is a trusted print and digital publication offering stories that illuminate, inspire, and reveal. Our mission is to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of cultures, the sciences, and the natural world. We advance that mission by creating visually stunning, richly reported photojournalism and distinguished, impartial coverage of the globe’s most pressing issues. National Geographic (@natgeo) has more than 284 million followers.
National Geographic Presents: High Science
Featuring: Lynn Johnson
Curated by: Kurt Mutchler
Locations
View Location Details Download a detailed map of this location Brooklyn Bridge Park – Emily Warren Roebling Plaza1 Water St
Brooklyn, NY 11201
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An Evening with National Geographic
The evening will begin with photos and videos from the past 127 years—up to the most recent stories from National Geographic and their digital platforms including News, Your Shot, and Proof.
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