Today, Monday 29 September, Lucia Amaranta Thompson marks the successful defence of her doctoral thesis in Gender Studies at Lund University, presenting a unique ethnographic insight into the cannabis community in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The defence took place at the Pufendorf Lecture Hall where colleagues, friends, and fellow researchers gathered to take part in the academic discussion and celebrate this important milestone in Thompson’s research career.
In her thesis, The Ontology and Epistemologies of a Plant: The Cannabis Community in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thompson explores how cannabis activism has developed as part of Argentina’s tradition of social movements.
The plant held significant meaning; it was spoken of and listened to with care, seen as a giving being
Thompson’s research began through contact with Mama Cultiva, a mothers’ organisation central in shaping Argentina’s legal reforms. From there, she was drawn into a vibrant network of users, cultivators, and activists working across medical, legal, and policy domains.
At the heart of the thesis is a compelling exploration of how the cannabis plant is understood not only as a medicinal resource, but as a living, thinking being. An agent in its own right. Through ethnographic encounters, Thompson reveals how the plant is spoken to, listened to, and cared for, becoming a central figure in a culture of conviviality and shared values.
“The plant held significant meaning; it was spoken of and listened to with care, seen as a giving being that interacts throughout its life and beyond with those who grow and use it. In this sense, the plant is thought of as ‘alive and thinking’,” Thompson writes.
Grounded in feminist decolonial theory and ethnographic methods, Thompson’s work brings together perspectives from users, cultivators and activists, revealing how the cannabis plant emerges not only as a medical resource but also as a relational being with cultural, spiritual, and political significance.
By focusing on intersectionality and valuing knowledge from marginalised groups, this approach questions strict prohibitionist policies and highlights how laws and attitudes about cannabis are shaped by deeper inequalities—such as gender, class, race, and ability. It paints a detailed picture of cannabis politics, showing how personal experiences and broader social issues are closely connected.
The thesis contributes to ongoing conversations in gender studies, anthropology, and political ecology, offering new insights into how human–plant relationships can shape collective identities, alternative epistemologies, and communal forms of resistance.
