Marijuana Pepsi Jackson was born in 1972 to Aaron and Maggie (Brandy) Jackson, who chose her name. She lived in
Chicago, Illinois until she was nine years old; then she moved to
Beloit, Wisconsin to live with her mother after her parents separated. She has two sisters, Kimberly and Robin. She said her mother told her "your name will take you around the world", and that her mother insisted on correcting a school spelling bee award certificate that read "Mary Jackson". She moved out of her mother's house at age 15, staying with friends and focusing on school. She graduated from
Beloit Memorial High School in 1990 and received a scholarship for college at
University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. She majored in education and became a teacher after graduation. While she was teaching elementary school in Atlanta, she studied for a masters degree at
Georgia Southern, then returned to Beloit with her young son from her first marriage. == Education ==