University of Colorado Regent Wanda James was censured Wednesday for her alleged involvement in the defunding of an anti-marijuana campaign that she considered to have racist imagery. 

The censure was passed by an 7-1 vote of regents during a special meeting. Regent Nolbert Chavez cast the only “no” vote. 

“This is not about a censure — it is about censorship,” James said before the vote was cast. “We are here because my fellow regents and their law firms think I violated my duties by speaking against racism.”

The issue started when James, a Black woman and prominent owner of a Denver marijuana dispensary, took offense to a series of images created for a campaign called “The Tea on THC” released last December that she believed were racist.

The images featured information on the effects of marijuana throughout a person’s development and were accompanied by illustrations of a Black or dark-skinned person showcasing effects as they aged. She raised her concerns in January over the campaign’s content with CU leadership, which agreed that the images were insensitive.

The images were later removed and Initium Health, which created the images for the campaign, issued a statement acknowledging the concerns.

In January, James continued to comment publicly on “The Tea on THC” through multiple media outlets. Among them was a story in Denver’s Westword, where she said she would like to have the campaign’s funding pulled and reallocated to grants for marijuana business owners who qualify for social equity licenses.

She was also quoted by the marijuana industry outlet Green Market Report, saying that she had conversations with Gov. Jared Polis about the images and pulling the funding from the Colorado School of Public Health.

On Jan. 31, a statement was obtained by CU’s university council that expressed Polis’ desire to “fully eliminate” the funding source for the “Tea on THC.”

CU Regents Ken Montera and Callie Rennison requested an internal investigation into James’ apparent conflict of interest in representing CU.

CU regents request internal investigation for conflict of interest

“Our scientists deserve our support more than ever,” Regent Elliott Hood said during Wednesday’s virtual meeting. “You cannot put your feelings and interests above the university system you represent.”  

The investigation into James’ actions cost the university system around $500,000 in legal fees, James said. 

“We felt it was important, as a self-governing body, that we conduct an objective review. It was expensive and took some time, but we think it was important (to conduct the investigation) to get all of the facts on the table, and that is what we did today,” Montera said to The Gazette after the meeting was adjourned. 

During the meeting, James was surrounded by supportive community members who interrupted the meeting to applaud her three times. 

James’ censure is symbolic of the majority of the board disapproving of her conduct. She will still serve as a regent for the 1st Congressional District.