{"id":2498,"date":"2020-11-30T19:50:50","date_gmt":"2020-11-30T19:50:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/?p=2498"},"modified":"2026-04-17T23:11:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T23:11:47","slug":"who-is-brownie-mary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/cannabis-and-its-evolution\/who-is-brownie-mary","title":{"rendered":"Who is Brownie Mary?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"bsf_rt_marker\"><\/div>\n<p>Cannabis culture is steeped in larger-than-life figures who have all played a role in elevating awareness about this remarkable plant. One of these influential individuals is Mary Jane Rathbun, more affectionately known as Brownie Mary.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A medical cannabis activist and edibles pioneer, Brownie Mary first burst onto the public scene in the 1980s. Rathbun's work in California at the height of the HIV\/AIDS crisis was pivotal to the legalization of medical cannabis. A somewhat unlikely heroine, Rathbun is nonetheless a legendary part of cannabis folklore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wm-article-table-of-contents-header\" id=\"brownie-marys-early-life\">\n\tBrownie Mary&#039;s early life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Little has been formally documented about Brownie Mary's early life. According to stories, she nursed a strong anti-establishment streak from early childhood. Born in 1922 and raised in a working-class neighborhood, Mary left her parents' home in Minneapolis as a teen to forge her own way in the world. An activist from an early age, she fought for causes such as abortion rights and the right to unionize. The late 1930s took her to counter-cultural hub San Francisco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Waitressing at the International House of Pancakes paid her bills but didn't leave a lot left over. After her husband left, Mary needed a way to support their daughter, Peggy. That's when Mary chanced upon a new side hustle to make ends meet \u2014 baking pot brownies. Rathbun advertised her \u201coriginal recipe\u201d brownies via fliers on neighborhood bulletin boards. Her \u201cmagically delicious\u201d brownies quickly catapulted her into acclaim in the city's mostly gay Castro district.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image \">\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/180828_Social_Edibles_298.jpg\" data-modal-open=\"lightbox_2046\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/180828_Social_Edibles_298-768x512.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/180828_Social_Edibles_298.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/180828_Social_Edibles_298-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/180828_Social_Edibles_298-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/180828_Social_Edibles_298-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/180828_Social_Edibles_298-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 768px) 476px, (min-width: 1218px) 772px, 100vw\" alt=\"making pot brownies\" title=\"Click to see a larger version of the image\">\n\t\t\t<\/a><cite>Photo by: Gina Coleman\/Weedmaps<\/cite><figcaption>Rathbun was reportedly baking up to 600 brownies a day in the early 1980s and selling them from her home or distributing them from a basket on Castro's streets.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\t\t\t<div id=\"lightbox_2046\" data-modal data-modal-hide-heading data-modal-manual-close hidden>\n\t\t\t\t<h2>Image lightbox<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/180828_Social_Edibles_298-768x512.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/180828_Social_Edibles_298.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/180828_Social_Edibles_298-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/180828_Social_Edibles_298-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/180828_Social_Edibles_298-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/180828_Social_Edibles_298-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"100vw\" alt=\"making pot brownies\">\n\t\t\t\t<button role=\"button\" class=\"a11y-modal__close-btn\" data-modal-close-btn>\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"currentColor\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M13.414 12l4.293 4.293a1 1 0 01-1.414 1.414L12 13.414l-4.293 4.293a1 1 0 11-1.414-1.414L10.586 12 6.293 7.707a1 1 0 011.414-1.414L12 10.586l4.293-4.293a1 1 0 011.414 1.414L13.414 12z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Rathbun was reportedly baking up to 600 brownies a day in the early 1980s and selling them from her home or distributing them from a basket on Castro's streets. She met fellow cannabis <a href=\"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/news\/2020\/05\/meet-dennis-peron-the-father-of-medical-marijuana\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">activist Dennis Peron<\/a> in 1974 at the San Francisco institution, Cafe Flore, where they bonded over a joint. Peron soon started selling her brownies from his Big Top pot supermarket on Castro Street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, Rathbun's growing popularity attracted the attention of the local police, too. An undercover cop posing as a customer busted her baking on the evening of January 14th, 1981, and seized more than 18 pounds of weed. As fate would have it, this arrest (the first of three) represented a significant turning point in Brownie Mary's life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wm-article-table-of-contents-header\" id=\"how-did-brownie-mary-become-involved-with-medical-cannabis-activism\">\n\tHow did Brownie Mary become involved with medical cannabis activism?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Rathbun's first arrest led to a sentence of 500 hours of community service. Many of those hours were spent volunteering at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shanti.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">The Shanti Project<\/a>, a support group for those living with life-threatening illnesses. This work opened her eyes to individuals in the gay community living with HIV\/AIDS who had been shunned by loved ones, and to a degree, forsaken by the mainstream medical establishment. Having lost her only daughter Peggy in a car accident in the early 1970s, Rathbun embraced the AIDS community as her kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image \">\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/CRTV-1000_Stock-Library_LGBTQ-Flag_20.jpg\" data-modal-open=\"lightbox_2357\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/CRTV-1000_Stock-Library_LGBTQ-Flag_20-768x512.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/CRTV-1000_Stock-Library_LGBTQ-Flag_20.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/CRTV-1000_Stock-Library_LGBTQ-Flag_20-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/CRTV-1000_Stock-Library_LGBTQ-Flag_20-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/CRTV-1000_Stock-Library_LGBTQ-Flag_20-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/CRTV-1000_Stock-Library_LGBTQ-Flag_20-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 768px) 476px, (min-width: 1218px) 772px, 100vw\" alt=\"LGBTQ marijuana activists\" title=\"Click to see a larger version of the image\">\n\t\t\t<\/a><cite>Photo by: Gina Coleman\/Weedmaps<\/cite><figcaption>Volunteering at The Shanti Project opened Brownie Mary's eyes to individuals in the gay community living with HIV\/AIDS who had been shunned by loved ones, and forsaken by the mainstream medical establishment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\t\t\t<div id=\"lightbox_2357\" data-modal data-modal-hide-heading data-modal-manual-close hidden>\n\t\t\t\t<h2>Image lightbox<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/CRTV-1000_Stock-Library_LGBTQ-Flag_20-768x512.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/CRTV-1000_Stock-Library_LGBTQ-Flag_20.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/CRTV-1000_Stock-Library_LGBTQ-Flag_20-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/CRTV-1000_Stock-Library_LGBTQ-Flag_20-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/CRTV-1000_Stock-Library_LGBTQ-Flag_20-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/CRTV-1000_Stock-Library_LGBTQ-Flag_20-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"100vw\" alt=\"LGBTQ marijuana activists\">\n\t\t\t\t<button role=\"button\" class=\"a11y-modal__close-btn\" data-modal-close-btn>\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"currentColor\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M13.414 12l4.293 4.293a1 1 0 01-1.414 1.414L12 13.414l-4.293 4.293a1 1 0 11-1.414-1.414L10.586 12 6.293 7.707a1 1 0 011.414-1.414L12 10.586l4.293-4.293a1 1 0 011.414 1.414L13.414 12z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Those with HIV\/AIDS told Rathbun her brownies served a twofold purpose of easing pain and boosting appetite. She also heard they offered relief to cancer patients undergoing chemo treatments.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A regular visitor at the AIDS ward at San Francisco General Hospital, Rathbun was arrested again in 1992 while delivering a pot brownie to a cancer patient. She was unrepentant, however, insisting on the medicinal value of her infused treats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI know from smoking pot for over 30 years that this is a medicine that works,\u201d Rathbun explained to the Associated Press<em> <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfweekly.com\/news\/feature\/the-legacy-of-brownie-mary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">in a 1992 interview<\/a>. \u201cIt works for wasting syndrome. The kids have no appetite, but when they eat a brownie, they get out of bed and make themselves some food. And for chemotherapy, they eat half a brownie before a session, and when they get out they eat the other half. It eases the pain. That's what I'm here to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite arrests and formal warnings from the authorities, Rathbun ramped up pot brownie production in the mid-1980s. Increasing numbers of AIDS patients required palliative care or relief from nausea associated with early HIV treatments. Brownies no longer represented a way to boost her retirement fund, but a way to help ease the suffering of others. She funded the treats with her Social Security checks and anonymous donations from local dealers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1992, Rathbun appeared before the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, preaching the benefits of medical marijuana. Her testimony influenced the Board to semi-decriminalize the plant, making medical marijuana possession the lowest priority in arrests and prosecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wm-article-table-of-contents-header\" id=\"joining-forces-brownie-mary-and-dennis-peron\">\n\tJoining forces: Brownie Mary and Dennis Peron<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Rathbun's instinct for social justice naturally transitioned into campaigning for marijuana legalization. This shift was influenced, in part, by the work of close friend and fellow cannabis activist Dennis Peron.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the early 1990s, Peron worked to educate AIDS advocacy groups such as ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) about the therapeutic benefits of cannabis for easing AIDS symptoms. After a lukewarm reception from ACT UP, Peron invited Rathbun to share her firsthand experiences distributing cannabis to those with AIDS. Together, the two activists began to shift views of cannabis, which has been classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance since 1970.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rathbun's advocacy efforts also captured the attention of medical professionals, who began researching the effects of cannabis on the immune systems of AIDS patients. In 2003, a landmark study clarified <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acpjournals.org\/doi\/abs\/10.7326\/0003-4819-139-4-200308190-00008\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">the therapeutic benefits of cannabis for those living with HIV\/AIDS<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1991, Rathbun and Peron joined forces on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marijuanalibrary.org\/Proposition_P_Nov_1991.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Proposition P<\/a>, a measure to make medical cannabis available in San Francisco and protect physicians from penalties for prescribing it. Rathbun was a regular face at board meetings championing the cannabis cause, complete with marijuana-inspired jewelry, pins, and her unmistakable sweater vests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Proposition P passed with almost 80% support on November 5th, 1991. Five years later, voters also checked yes for <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/California_Proposition_215,_the_Medical_Marijuana_Initiative_(1996)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Proposition 215,<\/a> making California the first state in the US to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes. The passage of this landmark bill set a precedent and Washington, Oregon, and Alaska soon followed with their own medical marijuana initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wm-article-table-of-contents-header\" id=\"an-enduring-legacy-the-brownie-mary-and-dennis-peron-act\">\n\tAn enduring legacy: the Brownie Mary and Dennis Peron Act<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Rathbun died following a heart attack in 1999, but her legacy still endures. Compassion was truly Rathbun's modus operandi. It, along with an unwavering belief in the healing power of cannabis, helped her pioneer cannabis law reform. Recent measures in California have recognized the need to make cannabis accessible to low-income patients who need it most.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image \">\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/CRTV-2216_News-Science-Research_097.jpg\" data-modal-open=\"lightbox_1717\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/CRTV-2216_News-Science-Research_097-768x512.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/CRTV-2216_News-Science-Research_097.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/CRTV-2216_News-Science-Research_097-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/CRTV-2216_News-Science-Research_097-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/CRTV-2216_News-Science-Research_097-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/CRTV-2216_News-Science-Research_097-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 768px) 476px, (min-width: 1218px) 772px, 100vw\" alt=\"medical cannabis\" title=\"Click to see a larger version of the image\">\n\t\t\t<\/a><cite>Photo by: Gina Coleman\/Weedmaps<\/cite><figcaption>In 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 34, the Dennis Peron and Brownie Mary Act, to exempt compassionate care programs from paying state cannabis taxes in California.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\t\t\t<div id=\"lightbox_1717\" data-modal data-modal-hide-heading data-modal-manual-close hidden>\n\t\t\t\t<h2>Image lightbox<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/CRTV-2216_News-Science-Research_097-768x512.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/CRTV-2216_News-Science-Research_097.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/CRTV-2216_News-Science-Research_097-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/CRTV-2216_News-Science-Research_097-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/CRTV-2216_News-Science-Research_097-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/CRTV-2216_News-Science-Research_097-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"100vw\" alt=\"medical cannabis\">\n\t\t\t\t<button role=\"button\" class=\"a11y-modal__close-btn\" data-modal-close-btn>\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"currentColor\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M13.414 12l4.293 4.293a1 1 0 01-1.414 1.414L12 13.414l-4.293 4.293a1 1 0 11-1.414-1.414L10.586 12 6.293 7.707a1 1 0 011.414-1.414L12 10.586l4.293-4.293a1 1 0 011.414 1.414L13.414 12z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed <a href=\"https:\/\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\/faces\/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB34\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">SB 34, the Dennis Peron and Brownie Mary Act,<\/a> to exempt compassionate care programs from paying state cannabis taxes in California. Compassionate care programs, the original medical marijuana dispensaries, have been ravaged by the cost of doing business since California legalized adult-use cannabis, often forcing participants in the programs back into the illicit market. The bill's chief sponsor, State Senator Scott Wiener, released a statement following the signing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor decades, compassion programs have played a critical role in helping low-income people with serious medical conditions access their medicine,\u201d Wiener stated. \u201cTaxing programs that give away free medical cannabis, and thus have no revenue, makes no sense and has caused far too many of these programs to close. SB 34 will allow compassionate care programs to survive and serve those in need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1992, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors declared Aug. 25 \u201cBrownie Mary Day\u201d to honor her work helping AIDS patients. It's a day that is still celebrated in San Francisco. Peron and Rathbun also co-authored a book three years before her death: <em>Brownie Mary's Marijuana Cookbook and Dennis Peron's Recipe for Social Change<\/em>. Alas, the book doesn't include Rathbun's famed \u201cmagically delicious\u201d brownie recipe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cannabis culture is steeped in larger-than-life figures who have all played a role in elevating awareness about this remarkable plant. One of these influential individuals is Mary Jane Rathbun, more affectionately known as Brownie Mary.\u00a0 A medical cannabis activist and edibles pioneer, Brownie Mary first...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":2499,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[180],"tags":[336,337,725,726,727,728],"class_list":["post-2498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cannabis-and-its-evolution","tag-cannabis-activism","tag-cannabis-culture","tag-brownie-mary","tag-medical-cannabis-history","tag-aids-activism","tag-cannabis-legalization"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v18.9 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Who is Brownie Mary? 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