CannabisEmoji.orgWhere is the Cannabis Emoji?
The cannabis leaf is recognized worldwide and used across medicine, culture, policy, and commerce. Yet there is still no official emoji.
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Proposed design — CC0 1.0
The gap
People Already Use Workarounds
People routinely use existing plant emoji as substitutes because there is no dedicated Cannabis emoji. None depict the distinct serrated seven-leaf shape or carry its cultural meaning.
The case
Why It Matters
Culture
A globally recognized symbol used for decades, from music and art to the annual 4/20 observance.
Medicine
Medical cannabis programs exist in numerous countries and jurisdictions, with patients and providers communicating about treatment daily.
Industry
The legal cannabis industry represents billions of dollars in annual economic activity across agriculture, retail, and research.
Communication
Millions of people discuss cannabis online every day — in medical, legal, agricultural, and cultural contexts.
The data
Global Evidence
More results than “elephant” (668 million) — an emoji that has existed since 2010.
Source: Google Search, 2025 (documented in the Unicode proposal)
The world's most used drug after alcohol and tobacco — both of which have emoji.
Source: UN World Drug Report 2024
Legal medical access continues to expand across every continent.
Source: TODO: add citation
Spanning agriculture, retail, pharmaceuticals, and industrial hemp.
Source: TODO: add citation
Search interest in “weed” has consistently exceeded “elephant” on Google Trends since 2004, and cannabis stickers and GIFs are widely used on WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Instagram, and Discord — evidence of cross-platform demand despite the lack of a standardized code point.
In the wild
The Symbol Is Already Everywhere
The cannabis leaf already functions as a standard symbol in everyday communication. An emoji would standardize what the world already uses.
Medical organizations
Patient associations and clinical programs using the leaf in official communication.
Dispensaries
Licensed retail signage and branding across legal markets.
Industry conferences
Trade events and expos identified by the leaf symbol.
Research institutions
Academic publications and lab programs studying cannabis.
Advocacy groups
Policy and reform organizations worldwide.
Packaging
Regulated product labeling that depends on the symbol.
News media
Journalism covering policy, business, and science.
Public health
Harm-reduction and education campaigns.
The history
Timeline
- 2017–2019
Cannabis emoji proposals discussed and submitted by community members; none advanced to encoding.
- Apr 2, 2025
A Cannabis Leaf proposal by another submitter is declined by the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee.
- May 25, 2025
This campaign's comprehensive Cannabis Leaf proposal is submitted for review.
- Nov 20, 2025
The proposal is declined. Unicode does not reconsider declined emoji concepts for four years.
- 2026
CannabisEmoji.org launches to document demand and build a public evidence base.
- 2029
The four-year window closes and the concept becomes eligible for resubmission — backed by this campaign's evidence.
The submission
The Proposal
A comprehensive proposal was prepared and submitted to the Unicode Consortium for review on May 25, 2025.
A complete formal submission
Identification, sample images at 18×18 and 72×72 px, evidence of frequency, selection factors, and process statements — following Unicode's proposal format.
Category: Animals & Nature → Plant-Other
A stylized, seven-pointed cannabis leaf with serrated edges, in a simple iconic form consistent with existing leaf emoji. Keywords: weed, marijuana, herb, hemp, 420.
Multiple meanings documented
Medicinal, legal/political, recreational, cultural (4/20), and industrial hemp usage — each with sample sentences and audiences.
Breaks new ground
The first emoji for a psychoactive/medicinal plant, extending the substance repertoire beyond alcohol 🍷 and tobacco 🚬 to the world's most used drug.
Distinct at any size
The seven-point serrated fan-leaf silhouette is unmistakable at 18 px — its shape and negative space remain unique next to 🍁 and 🌿.
Openly licensed
All proposed images are licensed CC0 1.0 with full IP ownership warranted — no third-party trademarks involved.
Where things stand
Current Status
A Cannabis Leaf proposal was declined by the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee on April 2, 2025. This campaign's own proposal, submitted on May 25, 2025, was declined on November 20, 2025.
Unicode currently does not accept reconsideration of declined emoji concepts for four years. Subsequent submissions for the same concept are therefore ineligible for review during that period.
The concept becomes eligible for resubmission in 2029. Every verified signature collected here strengthens the evidence base for that future submission.
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The movement
Supporters
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