A woman named Marijuana plays it straight - and wins

A woman named Marijuana plays it straight - and wins: "Police years ago pulled over a young woman who rushed through an amber traffic light. 'I'm about to arrest this person right now,' the irritated officer radioed to a dispatcher. 'She's telling me her name is Marijuana Pepsi Jackson.'

It's the truth. Marijuana and Pepsi are her legal first and middle names, and the Beloit woman embraces them as a symbol of her struggle to succeed and to help other children overcome obstacles.

No Mary or Mary Jane or Mary Wanda for her. It's Marijuana, thank you, she's told bosses, co-workers and friends over the years, and even wore it on nametags at work.

This tall, striking, self-assured, motorcycle-riding woman is a schoolteacher with a master's degree in higher education administration. Soon, she'll start work on her doctorate."