Cannabis has made a journey across the world for over the course of 12,000 years. Ancient Romans, Greeks, and even Vikings were familiarized with this joyous herb and its beneficial properties. To be honest, the debauchery of the Greeks meant they pretty much loved anything that offered them a good time. Once it found it’s way to North America, people learned that when in the form of hemp, it could be used for fuel, paper, clothing, and rope. For generations, marijuana was once legal and also a very important crop amongst different cultures in history.
Ancient Chinese
It is said that cannabis plants were first found growing wild in regions of Southern and Central Asia. Although we are still unsure of when marijuana and humanity met, there are records of early use for both medical and spiritual purposes. The first known record of marijuana usage for medicinal purposes is noted in 2737 B.C. during the reign of Chinese Emperor Shen Nung. The Emperor chronicled how effective the herb was for pain from gout and rheumatism. Ancient Chinese would use almost every part of the plant. The seeds were used for oil or food; the flowers, leaves, and root were used for medicine; the stem was used for paper and rope making or textiles. There are also ancient tombs that were filled with hemp for dead’s afterlife.
Ancient Egyptians
Use of cannabis was recorded around the year 2000 B.C. The documentation of this is found on scrolls which represent medicinal plants which were used to treat cataracts or eye sores. Many Egyptian women would use the herb to medicate bad humor or sorrow. Research also shows that cannabis pollen was found on many known royal mummies.
The Journey Begins
Coastal farmers began bringing marijuana to Korea around 2000 B.C., possibly earlier. It then reached India around the same era. At that time, Aryans began invading India. Once they were settled in, the Aryan religion began growing, and they worshiped spirits of animals and plants. Cannabis played a very big role in their rituals. Marijuana eventually made it’s way from India to Germany and then on to Britain during the 5th century.
Marijuana Comes to America
Spaniards transported marijuana to the New World in 1545, and it was then introduced by the English in Jamestown during the year 1611. Cannabis became one of the largest commercial crops next to tobacco. English people would grow it for a source of fiber.
Hemp then was replaced by cotton by the year 1890. Many patented medicines contained marijuana during this era. It still did not compare to the percentage of the number of medicines that contained cocaine or opium. Historians mention that it’s high demand in the 1920’s was brought on by alcohol prohibition.
Tea pads, or marijuana clubs, began popping up in all the major cities. They were accepted by the authorities because, at that time, marijuana was legal and accepted. At that time, cannabis was not considered a threat to society.
From 1850 to 1942, cannabis was documented in the United States Pharmacopeia and had a wide variety of uses for different conditions like rheumatism, nausea, and even labor pains. During the 1930s, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics began portraying cannabis as an addictive substance that was a gateway drug to more serious narcotic addictions.
Marijuana was then classified as a Schedule I drug, along with LSD and heroin, because of The Controlled Substances Act of 1970. By this time, a large majority of marijuana was coming in from Mexico.The Mexican government eventually agreed in 1975 to start eradicating crops by spraying them with toxic herbicide paraquat to raise fears of horrible side effects.
During the Reagan and Bush administrations, a strict set of laws and sentencing for marijuana possession, or zero tolerance policies, began the official “war on drugs”. Amidst this chaos, the Drug Enforcement Administration began turning an increasing amount of attention to cannabis farms here in the U.S at the beginning of 1982. This began a major shift to indoor growing. Over a decade, usage of marijuana began decreasing and once again became a trend in the early 90s.
An Era of Decriminalization
Washington, Colorado, Alaska, Oregon, and Washington D.C. have taken the initiative to legalize weed for recreational use for adults. There are currently 20 other states that have legalized marijuana for medical purposes. These states include Vermont, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New York, New Mexico, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Nevada, Montana, Minnesota, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Illinois, Hawaii, Connecticut, California, and Arizona. This November, Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada voters will be able to vote for legalizing recreational marijuana.
President Barack Obama has previously suggested decriminalizing possession of marijuana because it would save on incarceration costs. This move toward decriminalization could drastically help the United States’ economy.
