History of Marijuana
The Early History Marijuana
Marijuana has been used since ancient times to deliver a euphoric feeling to the user. The first mention of marijuana historically was in ancient Chinese medical reference book dated in the 28th Century B.C. Marijuana then moved across the continent to India and Northern Africa. According to historians, the drug arrived in Europe in the 6th century A.D.
During its history in the United States, marijuana has been used to help treat a variety of medical conditions. From the mid-19th century through the 1940's it was provided by doctors to help individuals with rheumatism, nausea and as a remedy for difficult labor pains.
During this time, marijuana was also being used as a narcotic for recreational purposes. In the mid-1930's the United States government began a campaign to increase awareness of the dangers of marijuana use. The government portrayed marijuana as a highly addictive gateway drug that would lead the use of much more dangerous narcotics.
As the century wore on, marijuana became co-opted by several significant subcultures, including the Beatniks in the 1950's and the Hippie movement in the 1960's. The drug became an embodiment of fighting the establishment and rebelling against the mores of parents and officials in position of power.
Marijuana and modern times
In the 1970's, the U.S. government enacted the Controlled Substances Act – which put marijuana in the same category as much harder drugs, including heroin and LSD. This act stripped marijuana of its place as a drug with positive medicinal uses – and doctors were no longer allowed to prescribe the drug in any way.
With marijuana on the outs in the United States, Mexican drug dealers stepped in to fill the void. Mexican marijuana began to flood the U.S. market until 1975 when fears of side effects caused by the use of Paraquat (a herbicide sprayed on Mexican marijuana crops) caused the market to dry up.
The Colombians then jumped in to fill the void and began supplying North America with the bulk of its marijuana.
1980's brought the Reagan and Bush eras and the tough stance on drug use. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) began cracking down on domestic production of marijuana – which forced users and dealers to being growing the plants indoors.
The current state of marijuana
The topic of marijuana for medical use has recently returned to headlines. And although the DEA has condemned marijuana's use as a medicinal treatment, several states have voted on the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes – and various rulings have allowed doctors to discuss marijuana as a treatment option for patients. The doctors however, are mostly banned from prescribing the drug to patients.
