“If the narcs think I’m gonna stop baking brownies for my kids with AIDS, they can go fuck themselves in Macy’s window!” – Mary Jane Rathbun
One of California’s most influential cannabis activists started her journey right here in the Castro district – a woman lovingly known as “Brownie Mary.” When the AIDS epidemic began to wreak havoc in San Francisco, Mary Jane Rathbun — AKA “Brownie Mary,” provided thousands of cannabis-infused brownies to those suffering and in pain. Her life was dedicated to activism, and her tireless efforts profoundly impacted the fight for cannabis legalization and equal rights for the LGBTQIA community.
The Life of Brownie Mary
At 13 years old, Mary left home and showed her displeasure at the establishment by striking back at a nun who was caning her at Catholic school. She became a waitress and independently supported herself throughout her adolescence and early adulthood when she moved to San Francisco. It was here that she met, married, and divorced her husband, with whom she had a daughter named Peggy. Mary remained independent, continuing to waitress until her daughter died in 1974. Her daughter was only 22 when she was tragically killed by a drunk driver. After this devastating event, Mary realized she needed to start saving for her future. So she began selling pot brownies to make money and provide for herself later in life.
As a San Francisco General Hospital volunteer, Mary met many AIDS patients. These individuals were not only struggling with a new and deadly disease but also with the pain that came with it. So she soon began baking brownies for AIDs patients — brownies laced with cannabis. She said she would bake around 500 brownies per week to give patients free of charge…. read more >
