Cannabis didn’t just become legal. It became a brand. What was once stigmatized is now packaged into skincare, infused into drinks and marketed as part of a wellness routine.

That shift didn’t happen overnight, and it’s not just about legalization. It’s about narrative.

For years, cannabis was defined through stigma, especially during the War on Drugs that started in the 1970s. The movement’s messaging shaped how people understood both the substance and the people associated with it. As legalization expanded, that narrative began to shift, not just toward acceptance, but toward normalization.

Don Opitz, director and associate professor of the Cannabis Studies program at DePaul, sees this transformation as part of a broader change in how cannabis is understood.

“It’s not being marketed in a negative way, but in a more positive way,” said Opitz. “Not just as a drug, but it is a plant and it’s a feature of American culture.”

That shift toward a more “neutral and realistic perspective,” as Opitz described it, reflects a move away from earlier messaging that he said was “driven by propaganda” tied to the War on Drugs.

But normalization hasn’t just made cannabis more accepted. It’s made it marketable.

As I scroll through social media or walk into a dispensary, the messaging is clear: This is wellness, and this is a lifestyle. Words like “natural,” “healing” and “calm” are everywhere. 

For some students, myself included, the shift feels less educational and more like branding.

Fionnuala Quinn, a freshman political science major, said the marketing stands out immediately.

“It really makes me first think of how differently it’s being talked about, especially from a marketing perspective,” Quinn said. “Companies will pair the product with cannabis to give it this ‘all natural’ kind of feel.”

Wellness, as a concept, has become one of the most marketable identities right now, and cannabis fits into it easily — something that feels new, but is still safe enough to sell. 

Quinn sees that as part of a larger pattern.

“I feel as though a lot of brands look for something new to sensationalize,” she said. “Once it’s at its peak popularity, then everyone else can catch on to the bandwagon.”

That’s where I see the tension start to show.

Cannabis has roots in counterculture, particularly among communities that were heavily policed and criminalized for using it. Now, those same associations are being repackaged and sold, often at a premium, to a completely different audience.

Opitz pointed out that while legalization has opened doors, it hasn’t done so equally.

“The industry is definitely structured in a way that is benefiting the privileged members of society,” he said, pointing to those with more resources and connections.

Meanwhile, he said, “members of communities that have been targeted by the War on Drugs are not benefiting at the same rate.” 

This often includes communities of color.

Illinois has attempted to address that through equity-focused policies, like expunging past conviction and funding programs aimed at investing in affected communities.

DePaul’s own cannabis studies program reflects that focus, emphasizing “joining efforts to realize equity and justice in communities that have historically been disproportionately harmed by the effects of the federal criminalization of cannabis.”

There has been progress, but the gaps are still there. And those gaps aren’t just about who owns cannabis businesses. They also affect who can access them. Legal cannabis is regulated and tested, which makes it safer. But it’s also expensive, which can limit access. The idea of “wellness” starts to feel selective. I don’t think that’s accidental.

 If wellness is tied to high-end products and curated branding, then it becomes less about health and more about identity — something you buy into rather than something universally accessible.

 Quinn said she doesn’t see smaller producers benefiting from this shift.

 “I don’t think it’s gonna be small cannabis farmers,” she said. “People are going to find a way to make it cheaper, faster. It’s gonna be more mass produced.”

 That raises a bigger question: what happens when something rooted in counterculture becomes part of the mainstream market?

Cannabis isn’t the first thing to go through this cycle. I’ve seen it happen with trends, aesthetics and even identities that get picked up, repackaged and sold back to a wider audience. But cannabis carries a specific history, one tied to criminalization, race and inequality, that makes that transition more complicated.

Opitz described the current industry as still evolving, even calling parts of it a “Wild West,” where medical, recreational and lifestyle products are all competing for space.

Looking ahead, cannabis will likely continue to shift alongside culture. Whether it stays tied to wellness or moves into something else, its transformation already says a lot.

It’s not just cannabis being redefined. It’s what gets to count as healthy, acceptable and profitable.

And that raises a bigger question about who gets included in that vision and who gets left behind.

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