The astrology of weed

I've been studying the astrology of cannabis for the last decade. Here are some findings that have been echoed by astrologers on platforms including The Astrology Podcast's Hellenistic experts Chris Brennan and Austin Coppock, as well as more of my own findings included to give historic context to the astrology of weed.

What's the astrology of cannabis, and specifically its legalization and prohibition? Let's dive in.

Uranus in Taurus

Uranus entered Taurus on May 15, 2018. The planet of rebellion, shock, and surprise for better or for worse, entered the Venusian Earth sign. It made all of the bulls in the world feel a bit uneasy ever since. But this shock-and-awe storm of change was really helpful for the legalization of cannabis. 

15 states in the U.S. have legalized adult-use cannabis since 2018. But that's not all-- the first country to ever legalize cannabis was Canada in 2018. Canada's historic Cannabis Act was made a law on October 17, 2018, just a few months after Uranus' ingress into Taurus. For what it's worth, Luxembourg also legalized medical cannabis in 2018.

Uranus's last Taurus transit, from 1935 to 1942, coincided with the sudden and damaging prohibition of weed in the U.S. Medical science and the isolating of cannabinoids also thrived during this period: CBD was first isolated from marijuana in 1940.

Hemp was banned in 1937. In 1942, marijuana was removed from the U.S. pharmacopeia (yes, weed used to be part of Doctor's orders and often prescribed for pain, migraines, before it was made illegal). 

The prohibition was pushed for by the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937's author Harry Anslinger was a known racist.

"When the FBN began to lose funding and Anslinger was at risk of losing his job, he finally began targeting cannabis. Before the mid-1930s, Anslinger took a relaxed and fairly unconcerned stance on cannabis. In the mid-1930s, Anslinger began his crusade against cannabis." - Where's Weed

Jupiter Uranus Conjunction in Taurus 

When was the last time Jupiter and Uranus met in Taurus? Their last conjuction date in the sign of earth was May 7, 1941. "In 1941, cannabis was dropped from the National Formulary and Pharmacopeia." - T H Mikuriya, Calif. Medicine

Flash forward to April 20, 2024. Guess what happened in the exact days surrounding the Jupiter Uranus Conjunction in Taurus? The DEA said they'll finally agree to reschedule cannabis to a less harsh scheduled drug, from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3. It marks a monumental turning point for drug policy and the first recognition of the failed War on Drugs in most of our lifetimes.

The Uranus Jupiter Conjunction in Taurus in 2024 also marked the first time any sitting president has spoken so openly and positively about cannabis. 

"Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. So today, @thejusticedept is taking the next step to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug under federal law. Here's what that means: Right now, marijuana has a higher-level classification than fentanyl and methamphetamine – the two drugs driving America's overdose epidemic. That just doesn't add up," Biden said. 

Neptune in Pisces 

Neptune ingressed into Pisces on April 4, 2011 and will float through its home sign until January 26, 2026. This means Neptune has been strong-- it's been a good time to get high, and to get high while the getting's good. This transit has also coincided with layers and layers of consciousness-opening drug legalization, not limited to weed but including MDMA, ketamine, and psilocybin.

In 2012, Colorado became the first state in the U.S. to legalize cannabis for adult use. Since then, 25 states in total have legalize adult-use weed and another 23 states legalized medical cannabis in that time frame. And countries began to: Uruguay legalized cannabis in December of 2013. 

The last time Neptune was in its home sign was from 1847 until 1862. Yes, cannabis was in the pharmacopoeia in the U.S., U.K., and Canada during this time, and flourished. 1856 marks the first time The British began to tax ‘ganja’ also known as the ‘charas’ trade in India.