Hello everyone. This is Blondie signing in. Today we will be exploring the plant cannabis. Cannabis is very controversial. It has many names. Marijuana and weed are the most popular these days. There are those such as myself who feel marijuana is an asset to the medical community and can be helpful when dealing with a number of physical and psychological issues. Weed has been known to help insomnia, loss of appetite, and even prevent panic attacks. However there are those who believe weed can be a gate way to other harmful drugs. Let’s explore its history and its relationship to the United States and then you can come to your own conclusion if marijuana is harm or helpful to the human race.
Marijuana was used by the Chines over five thousand years ago. It was used by the Chines Emperor Shen Nung The Chines people used marijuana to help with gout, rheumatism and malaria. Over the next millennia it was used in India for recreational use. Europeans were smoking the plant in 500 AD. The Muslims also enjoyed the plant. The Quran had banned the use of alcohol so they created hashish. The plant then spread through Persia and North Africa in the twelve century. Spain brought marijuana to the Atlantic in 1545. The English brought weed to Jamestown in 1611. Where it became along side tobacco a commercial crop. Its fibers were used for rope, cloth and paper. George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson were both marijuana framers. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Decoration of Independence on the paper made from the marijuana plant. The first American flag were woven from marijuana fibers.
Between 1850 and 1942 marijuana was listed in the United States pharmacopeia. Just like the Chines cannabis was found to be useful for medical purposes such as rheumatism, nausea and labor pains for women giving child birth. During this time cotton over took marijuana as the major cash crop in the southern United States. In 1910 the Mexicans Revolution brought many immigrants to the United States. The Mexican brought the recreational use of weed with them. Anti-immigrant sentiments sparks the first legal attack against marijuana. In 1913 California was the state to make pot illegal. In the roaring twenties pot really hits its recreational peak. Jazz musicians and show biz types were the main users. Clubs known as tea pads were sprouting up all over the country. These clubs were no threat to the community so pot was still legal at this time. That quickly changed when racism showed its ugly head. White establishment believed that marijuana was causing white women to sleep with Negro men, which was breaking down the social order. By the 1930’s the United Federal Bureau of Narcotics claimed that marijuana was addictive and a gate way to stronger drugs. In 1936 the movie Reaper Madness was released. The movie claimed smoking marijuana would lead to manslaughter, suicide, rape and insanity. In the 1950’s marijuana became a part of America’s high culture with writers such as William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg who formed the Vanguard the world’s largest cannabis producers. The 1960’s were the time of the hippies and cannabis. This movement pushed the social acceptance of marijuana.
In the 1970’s the government passed the Controlled Substance Act. This law classified heroin, LSD and marijuana as scheduled one drugs. In 1975 the Mexican Government destroyed all of its marijuana crops. Columbia became the main weed supplier of the United States. This is when the Drug Cartels were born. During the Reagan and Bush administration there was a zero tolerance Policy for marijuana use. The prison population exploded with mostly blacks and Hispanics are incarcerated for nonviolent drug related crimes. Because of its drug policies the United States prison population is higher than any other country in the world.
During the 1990’s marijuana came back in fashion. In 1996 California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana. World class athletes, business men, politicians and entertainers all admitted to using weed. The stigma of marijuana begins to fade. In 1996 California becomes the first state to legalize marijuana. Alaska, Oregon and Washington does the same in 1998. Maine follows suit is 1999.
In 2000 Nevada, Colorado and Hawaii make medical marijuana legal. In 20001 George W. Bush is President. Montana, New Mexico, Michigan, Mount Vernon, and Rhode Island all make medical marijuana legal during his administration. During the Obama administration Arizona, Delaware, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Minnesota, New York and the District of Columbia all make medical marijuana legal. In 2012 Washington and Colorado are the first states to make recreational marijuana legal. Half of the country follows suits. You must keep in mind that marijuana is still illegal at the federal level. However, I believe in the near future the federal government will have to follow suit and make marijuana legal. The country has spoken. Marijuana has become one of America’s favorite past times. This is Blondie signing off. As always if you know someone who may be suffering from any affliction or condition that harms them in any way. Call or text them. Give them some words of encouragement. Give them a mental hug. It just might make their day.