Cannabis has been cultivated around the world for centuries; however, the plant has been politicized and stigmatized in the US for the last 100 years.
In 1970, a young lawyer named Frank Fioramonti was hired by NORML the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. In 1977 because of NORML’s work, marijuana was decriminalized in New York
Artist Brandi Merolla is Fioramonti’s step daughter and she’s created a visual installation on view at the Narrowsburg Union called “Cannabis from Demonization to Legalization…” which is a history of the stigmatization of cannabis and a tribute to Fioramonti and his reform efforts.
Image Credit: Brandi Merolla