By Lauren Yoshiko. Photo Credit: Gabriel Cabrera
As the wave of cannabis legalization crosses the country, the creative cannabis community grows along with it. More writers, photographers, artists, and podcasters carve out plant-based paths every day. One creative who helped define this career niche and continues to influence the cannabis community at large: Mennlay Golokeh Aggrey.
Her book, The Art of Weed Butter, went beyond the definitions of a cookbook when it was published in 2019, offering historical and social context for the plant alongside tutorials for cooking with it at home. Her experiences with growing cannabis stretch back to working on pre-legalization farms in California and, more recently, Aggrey’s essays and explorations of plant medicine have been featured everywhere from Bon Appetit to Vogue, much of which we discussed while co-hosting Broccoli Magazine's podcast, Broccoli Talk.
In the following conversation, I caught up with Aggrey about her wintering away from home, what cannabis-friendly life is like in Mexico City, her home base of the past several years, what she’s listening to, and what she’s smoking right now.
Let's catch up! How are your Mexico City rhythms at the moment?
MGA: Mexico City is in a strange place for me right now. The number of U.S citizens that have moved here from 2019 to 2022 has increased by almost 70%, so there’s been a palpable amount of tension in the city between native folks and foreigners. So, I took this moment as an opportunity to head to the coast of Oaxaca and reconnect with and learn more about the Afro-Mexican communities here.
I saw you are hot off a long trip to visit family in the US. Were you in any 🍃legal states?
MGA: I was in good old Texas. Houston, to be exact. Never thought I would say this, but I like Texas. A lot! In some odd ways, Houston reminds me of LA. There’s a rich and vibrant Latino, Black, AAPI, and Arabic community. The food is diverse and delicious. But the most LA thing about housing is the driving. It’s a city of suburbs with a lot of traffic and a lot of high-end restaurants in strip malls.
As far as weed, I always have my way of finding some, regardless. Legislatively, however, Texas currently treats cannabis differently by law, depending on its level of THC. Hemp was finally legalized in 2019, about a year after the Farm Bill. There were about five or six Texas cities that voted to decriminalize small possession/low-level penalties in 2021. But Texas is messy when it comes to liberties like cannabis, abortion, and immigration. I can’t begin to keep up with all the loopholes and backward ways of treating humans out there.
Now that Mexico has become home, what do you miss most about it when you spend time in the States?
MGA: I sometimes miss U.S. consumerism for the sake of it—there’s something about being able to buy that new trendy olive oil and get it shipped right to your doorstep the next day. I miss places like Trader Joe's. I miss super-safe campgrounds like Big Sur. I miss cities with lots of people who look like me. I miss spending mundane time with my family and the privilege of getting age together and form deeper bonds.
Listen, I LOVE MEXICO. And after being here for almost a decade, I’ve become quite content with the ease with which I can live here compared to the States. Yes, I’m still living paycheck to paycheck and frugal as fuck, but I’m happy. The concept of being contento, happy, glad beats just merely possessing things because I can.
How are you staying moisturized this season?
MGA: It’s the dry season, so I’m doing the holy trinity of starting with a water base, or even just water mist, followed by a creamy lotion, topped off with a fatty sealant like shea butter, olive oil, or avocado seed oil or vitamin E. I use all of the layers to seal in the moisture. I do this same thing with my face and hair because I can’t be caught in these streets ashy or dry natural afro-textured hair. It requires a lot of moisture.
I miss our monthly podcast catch-ups. Which pods are on your rotation right now?
MGA: You’ve probably heard me rave about Vibe Check, hosted by Sam Sanders, Saeed Jones, and Zach Stafford. It’s cultural, it’s queer, it’s informative and so funny.
Another one I’ve been listening to for years is Left, Right, and Center. Say what you will, but being acquainted and informed on opposing political viewpoints—in a civilized venue—can strengthen your values and beliefs as a voter. I’ve been a registered Green Party member since 2001 during my first election. But I still primarily vote out of party so it’s crucial to have a balanced weekly look at politics.
I could recommend a million more pods, but I’ll cap myself out at three with Ask A Sub with Lina Dune. It’s a podcast that supports and shares stories and tips within the cutie, softy, BDSM Submissive community. It also has great insights and advice for people of all sexual preferences—from normie married vanillas—all the way to 24/7 masochists.
What about music? Any particular artists finding their way onto your current playlists?
MGA: Now that I spend so much time in Texas, I’m excited for the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and would love to go if I could make it out there and snag tickets. This year, the lineup includes local hardcore hip hop artist Bub B, the infamous Nickleback, the beloved baby boy Ivan Cornejo, and even 50 Cent!!!! This is probably an accurate representation of my music tastes these days—it’s a little of everything.
How has your relationship with the plant evolved over the past few years?
MGA: I think like every other relationship in my life, my relationship to cannabis has evolved quite a bit over the years, but I’ve reached a sweet spot and settled into a 360-degree holistic approach.
My most tried and true method of consuming cannabis the pasy couple years has been micro-dosing flower. Sometimes, it’s once a day, once a week, or once an hour (if I have menstrual cramps). You’ll never see me take a whole joint to the dome — even if I’m sharing it with someone. I’ll usually take small microdosed puffs in concert with CBD tinctures, either homemade or bought.
I’ve also been obsessed with the mother-daughter Cosmic View brand 1:1 tinctures. After working with a team to craft and formulate one of my favorite topical balms on the market, I always incorporate handmade or store-bought topicals into my wellness routines. I’ll either rub down my stomach and back when I’m cramping. And also massage my breasts, knees, and hips with topical cannabis during my occasional self-care self-messages.
Blunt Skincare is a member of the Floret Coalition, the anti-racist cannabis collective that supports communities affected by the War on Drugs, and one that you were a founding board member of from 2020–2022. What were some of your high points during that experience?
MGA: It’s encouraging and heartening to see that The Floret Coalition is going strong and that some of the organizations I’ve vetted, like The Black School and My Sistah’s House, are still being supported. So grateful to brands like Blunt Skincare and the other members of the coalition who understand the importance of participating in mutual aid and advocacy.
Although legalization has not yet come to pass in Mexico, do you see a similar pattern of normalization as there is in certain regions of the US?
MGA: Mexico has decriminalized all small-scale drug possession, including cannabis—deeming it unconstitutional to regulate what people can or cannot consume. This is far more advanced than any federal cannabis legislation in the United States. But again, you still need to be careful consuming publically even in a bubble like Mexico City. Even so, there have been a lot of super cute pop-up puesta vendors with pre-rolls, tinctures, and healthy weed alternatives for consumption. My cookbook, is now sold in El Pendulo (one of Mexico’s major book retailers) alongside other cannabis cookbooks and guides. Fingers crossed that we’ll see Green Scenes also sold in Mexico!