History of Marijuana | LOOKAH

The positive effects of marijuana have been known for thousands of years and are closely linked to historical events that many of us knew about in our childhood.

When discussing marijuana's unique role in history, it's easier than ever to understand why it is a valuable resource and medicinal treatment.

Stories from around the world reveal the most valuable properties of marijuana.

Today, millions of people around the world know that marijuana helps regenerate the body and keep us healthy and happy.

Where does hemp come from?

The original distribution of the plant hemp (Cannabis sativa) extends across Central Asia, China and Mesopotamia.

It has been used in various forms for thousands of years, although some of the earliest recorded traces indicate that China was probably the first country to cultivate and use marijuana.

Early marijuana users in the West

Marijuana was introduced relatively late in the West. The first records of cannabis in Europe date back to 270 BC, and large-scale cultivation did not occur until the 16th century.

Like most traditional drugs, marijuana has long been completely legal or, as in the United States, even encouraged or forced to be grown.

Marijuana has a presence in American history, dating back to colonial times.

In 1611, British settlers in Jamestown, Virginia, began cultivating the cannabis plant because hemp fibers could be used to make sails and ropes, and the byproduct, tow, could be used to make wooden ships. Marijuana thus became an important commodity and even a strategic raw material.

However, because cannabis takes up so much of the soil's fertility and has such little economic value, farmers' interest was limited and at one point they even paid fines rather than grow it.

The English king was only allowed to use semi-coercive methods against the colonial government.

In 1619, the Virginia legislature passed the first law in the United States relating to marijuana.

The law required every farmer to grow marijuana.

The founding father and first president of the USA, George Washington, grew hemp on his farm.

Yes, that's right, he grew his own weed and he wasn't alone. Several prominent figures and founding fathers also grew hemp back then.

John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Benjamin Franklin all grew hemp.

In 1762, growing marijuana again became mandatory for farmers in Virginia.

The legalization of marijuana in the USA was thus confirmed and strengthened.

For over a century, marijuana was one of the most important non-human cash crops in the United States and the most important medicine for hundreds of diseases. Its legalization was never questioned.

The importance of hemp in colonial America

The industrial use of hemp was of great value to the European empires that sailed the seas and searched for new lands.

When English settlers arrived in America in the 17th century, King James I and the Virginia Company ordered them to grow 100 hemp plants each to export throughout the British Empire.

Sailors brought hemp seeds to the coastal ports of the colonies, where they could grow them and use them to supply large shipyards and navies.

This continued for over 100 years and hemp spread throughout all the colonies.

The founding father of the United States, George Washington, grew hemp on all five of his farms in Mount Vernon.

Several entries in his diary state that he studied the differences between male and female plants, as these are the ones most likely to increase THC levels.

A well-known fact from American history is that Washington had terrible teeth. The first American president began losing his teeth in his twenties and wore a set of dentures made of hippopotamus ivory, human teeth, and metal. It is believed that having more THC in his plants helped him to relieve his painful toothache. Well, that's the story.

Washington wasn't the only president to recognize how beneficial hemp could be. Thomas Jefferson was known to use his home-grown hemp for chronic migraines and for textiles.

Brought by the English colonists, hemp grew throughout the United States and was an important crop until the early 20th century, driving industry in states such as Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky.

It was used so frequently that it even became a myth that the Declaration of Independence was written and ratified on hemp paper in 1776. It was written on parchment, but hemp paper was so common at the time that many still believe this myth.

Marijuana became a medicine

In 1839, Shaughnessy began researching cannabis in Western medicine.

In 1854, the term “cannabis” was listed as a drug in the US Pharmacopoeia, with the note that “worrying effects” could occur if the dosage was too high.

In the following decades, medicines containing cannabis resin were widely used as painkillers and sedatives.

The researchers tried to extract the components useful for drug production, but separation and purification presented great difficulties.

In 1898, they succeeded in extracting the first active ingredient, the “red oil” (more precisely, marijuana). However, it took them about thirty years to reproduce the results. They finally succeeded again in 1931, but the extracted mixture was impure and did not contain any single component.

It was not until 1940 that the molecular structure was finally identified.

Marijuana has not been used as a medicine for very long because it was quickly discovered that it does not have a “stable” effect in treatment.

Instead, it was found to cause anxiety, arrogance, depression, confusion and other psychiatric symptoms, as well as increased heart rate and decreased coordination.

Poor dose control may worsen symptoms.

Because of the known abuse of marijuana and the increased side effects of marijuana, in 1913 the California Food and Drug Administration amended the state's Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) in the form of weed control, becoming the most active state in marijuana control (however, some people believe that this phase of weed control was the result of racial discrimination, as it was much less common in the United States at the time among whites compared to other races).

It can therefore be assumed that the part of American society that is based on traditional Puritan ideas may also have played a role.

In 1914, the U.S. Congress passed the Harrison Narcotic Bill to control cocaine and marijuana.

By 1931, 30 states had banned the use or possession of marijuana through new laws or changes to existing laws.

In 1937, the American Medical Association (ACP) in the United States strongly opposed this case; Congress passed a marijuana tax that imposed an excise tax on the illegal recreational use of marijuana, as well as on medical and industrial uses, even though all research showed that marijuana is not an addictive drug.

Furthermore, there is not enough evidence to prove a link between crime and marijuana.

Marijuana is an addictive drug

When Japan cut off Asia from fiber during World War II, the U.S. Department of Agriculture promoted the cultivation of marijuana for parachutes, tents, rope, etc.

The slogan was “Hemp for Victory” and a special “War Industrial Hemp Board” was founded for this occasion.

Twice, in 1954 and 1957, the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that cannabis had no therapeutic value. And in 1965, the organization again stated: “The abuse of cannabis is harmful to society. It is characterized by the fact that the individual drugs can no longer fulfill their social functions and thus it is easier to develop antisocial behavior in society, which causes economic losses to society.”

However, they also pointed out in 1969 that “marijuana is not an addictive drug, but an addictive drug.”

In the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, cannabis, opium, coca and their derivatives (such as morphine, heroin and cocaine) were classified as serious narcotic drugs.

Current use in the 21st century

Marijuana is still illegal in the United States. However, state marijuana laws are constantly changing.

More than 20 states now allow the sale of marijuana for medical purposes, whether for inhalation, consumption in other ways, or as a prescription drug.

There are currently two FDA-approved drugs on the market: Marinol (dronabinol) and Cesamet (nabilone). They are synthetic cannabinoids used to treat nausea or neuropathic pain.

Other drugs in clinical trials include Epidelix for epileptic seizures in children and Sativex for cancer pain.

blonde woman sitting in the forest and blowing marijuana smoke into the air

In 2014, Colorado became the first state to legalize marijuana for recreational use, followed shortly thereafter by Washington, California and Alaska.

California, Massachusetts, Washington, DC and Nevada have also legalized marijuana for recreational use, and more states are following suit each year.

However, since marijuana remains illegal under federal law, not only is it difficult to scientifically research its medical benefits, but dispensaries also run the risk of being shut down by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Public opinion about marijuana has also changed significantly since its illegalization, with more and more Americans supporting legalization. The potential reclassification of cannabis from a Schedule 1 drug to a Schedule 3 drug in 2024 could open up many more opportunities for both research into the plant and for the industry.

Diploma

In summary, marijuana has a long, complex history with many different cultural roles.

From its medicinal and ritual use in ancient times, through times of prohibition and controversy, to today's debates about legalization and the growing acceptance of its therapeutic potential.

It is a fascinating example of how a plant can be simultaneously the subject of scientific study, a source of cultural inspiration and a field of social debate.

Marijuana will continue to be a topic that concerns, educates and divides and represents an important part of our cultural heritage.