A Tribute to ‘Brownie Mary,’ the Florence Nightingale of Medical Weed

Welcome back to The Flyover, your daily digest of important, overlooked, and/or interesting Minnesota news stories.

Remembering Mary Jane Rathbun, MN-Grown Magical Brownie Hero

Medical marijuana crusader Mary Jane Rathbun's 102nd birthday would have been this coming Sunday. She was born in Chicago in 1922, grew up in Minneapolis, spent some time campaigning for unions in Wisconsin, and eventually made her way to San Francisco. By the 1970s, she was making a name for herself, selling THC-laced “magical brownies” at her friend’s bodega in the Castro District where she lived. Her first arrest came in 1981, when the 57-year-old was found to have over 650 brownies and 18 pounds of weed in her home. “I thought you guys were coming,” she told police during the raid. 

But "Brownie Mary" was just getting started. After finishing her court-mandated community service, she continued volunteering at soup kitchens, gay resource centers, and hospitals, where she would deliver free weed brownies to folks with health issues. When the AIDS epidemic hit the LGBTQ community hard, many treated the sick like pariahs, but Rathbun fiercely advocated for them and made sure she delivered her sweet treats to all who needed them. Her following arrests led to good publicity, connecting her with medical marijuana activists who would go on to get laws passed in California.

When Rathbun died of a heart attack 25 years ago at 76, hundreds gathered at a candlelight vigil, where a friend, San Francisco District Attorney Terence Hallinan, told mourners that she would "one day be remembered as the Florence Nightingale of the medical marijuana movement.” Happy birthday, Brownie Mary. May we all strive to be more like you.

A Man, a Bicycle, and an Auger

Until yesterday, we had no awareness of "Steven the Ice Guy." Big thanks to Melody Hoffman at Southwest Voices for alerting us to the work of one Steven Glasford, who takes his fat bike out on southwest Minneapolis lakes, measures the ice depth, and records it online.

Why? Well, “I really like the ice,” Glasford tells SWV, which is part of why he spent $350 on a snazzy electric ice auger this Black Friday. But there's a practical reason he's out there, too—he's an avid winter cyclist, and during colder months, the lakes become temporary bike paths. “I can reduce my commute times by half by being able to go across the ice,” Glasford says. “So that’s [why] I do it. It’s so I can make sure I can cross safely.”

If you want to keep up with his ice reports, you can find them in the Minneapolis subreddit.

Wanna Buy These MN Summer Camps?

Have a hard-to-shop-for somebody on your holiday shopping list? Are they super into Wet Hot American Summer or, god forbid, Jason Voorhees? Then we've got two can't-miss properties for you.

First up: 9830A Fredrickson Ln. up in Isabella, which is available now for $2.75 million. Sitting on 150 acres around McDougal Lake and the Stony River, this property began as a logging camp, later became a CCC camp, and, for almost 60 years, operated as Camp Buckskin, a youth camp. The sale nets you 34 buildings totaling 60,000 square feet. Of particular note? The sleek 15,800-square-foot dining hall that could "sleep your entire extended family," according to listing group Wildwoods Land Co. "Imagine what the groves of elder pine trees have seen over the past 125 years and what the next chapter might be for this historic property," the listing teases.

Next up: 26001 Heinz Rd. up in Kettle River, which can be yours for $3.1 million. You get just 79 acres with the former One Heartland youth camp, though fun stuff like a climbing tower, swimming pool, basketball court, and performance stage dots the property. Fifteen cabins and various other structures orbit the 32-year-old, 21,811-square-foot main lodge that can reportedly accommodate 75 guests. "This expansive property sits along the shores of multiple lakes, offering a tranquil retreat just two hours from the bustling Twin Cities Metro area," notes the listing from Northco Real Estate Services.

Remember 'Big Al' From Duluth?

Back in 2022, a woman calling herself @BigAlsMowing went viral with a perfect post. In the video clip, standing near Uncle Harvey's Mausoleum in Lake Superior, she rattles off an absurd (and absurdly specific guide) for the perfect day in Duluth.

It has it all: Getting a copper IUD at the Planned Parenthood off Miller Trunk Highway, grabbing a sixer at Bent Paddle, and listening to Bob Dylan's "The Man in Me" via your phone while pondering "all the women you've loved and lost along the way." I could watch it a dozen times, and you can watch it at least once below.

Turns out Big Al is actually Alissa Marlow, a Duluth-raised, L.A.-based actor/comedian with a sizable social media following. Jay Gabler at the Duluth News Tribune caught up with Marlow ahead of her free "Christmas Spectacular" homecoming performance at Duluth's West Theatre on December 23, which'll feature a movie screening plus a live show.

"I like to experiment, and actually, Duluth is a really good place to do that," says Marlow, whose wild, heavily Minnesota accented comedy summons more than a little Maria Bamford. "You can bomb in Duluth. You can play around there and workshop."