Marijuana: A brief History

NOt aN ILLIGAL DRUG ANYMORE.

In terms of medical use, more than half of the U.S. states have legalized marijuana, with many approving it for recreational adult use (without the need for a medical card) as well.

It has been suggested that cannabis may have been the first cultivated crop in the world.  According to some literature, humans may have used it for medicine and for its fibers for at least 12,000 years! Scientists discovered seeds that date all the way back to 3000 BC in Siberia and parts of China, and records of marijuana’s medicinal use as a pain killer dating back to 4000 BC.!

Recognized very early on, there’s more than one kind of cannabis plant, and their uses go beyond medicine. One type, Cannabis sativa, has long been known for its psychoactive properties (the “high”) and medicinal effects. A close relative, Cannabis sativa L., has been more commonly known as “hemp.” It doesn’t create the “high,” and has been commonly incorporated into cloth and oil. It is being widely used today as a wonder crop for paper, clothes and other uses.

Early in the 1900s, the US began restricting the growth and sale of all forms of marijuana. In 1970, the Controlled Substances Act made both Cannabis sativa and hemp “Schedule I”drugs (the same as heroin). Just over the last decade, laws have slowly begun to change, and it is now legal to grow hemp in at least a dozen states. In terms of medical use, more than half of the U.S. states have legalized marijuana, with many approving it for recreational adult use (without the need for a medical card) as well.

This trend has started in other countries such as Thailand and the U.K. Other countries have started to allow people to grow their own plants for use. In the next few years, cannabis will be more widely used as more people will find out how it can help them.

‍