Weed In The 1900s

Marijuana has a deep history in America, being in the Americas since 1545 when the Spanish brought it over with them. Later, it was again brought over with the English colonists to Jamestown. Here it was used as a large cash crop similar to tobacco and was used as a major source of fiber. Later in the 1890s, a similar plant, hemp, became another large cash crop in the southern half of the US even replacing cotton. Around this time marijuana was also used in medications, although it was not on the scale of cocaine and opium, being used to treat everything from labor pains to rheumatism, “any disorder of the extremities or back, characterized by pain and stiffness” (The Definition of Rheumatism). Further on, in the 1920s marijuana became increasingly more popular with jazz musicians and even special cafes/clubs opening for its use. It was not until the 1930s when a campaign conducted by the Federal Bureau of Narcotics whom labeled marijuana as the harmful “gateway drug” it is seen as today. Though

“The oldest known written record on cannabis use comes from the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung in 2727 B.C. Ancient Greeks and Romans were also familiar with cannabis, while in the Middle East, use spread throughout the Islamic empire to North Africa. In 1545 cannabis spread to the western hemisphere where Spaniards imported it to Chile for its use as fiber. In North America cannabis, in the form of hemp, was grown on many plantations for use in rope, clothing and paper” (Cannabis + Coca). Marijuana used to be listed in the United States Pharmacopeia from 1850 until 1942 and was prescribed for numerous conditions such as labor pains, nausea, and rheumatism. Increased use of pot as an

Marijuana was first used in ancient China by a Chinese Emperor by the name of Shen Nung. Even Queen Victoria used it. Shen Nung the Chinese Emperor was the first recorded person who used marijuana. He would use it as a pain killer during operations. In ancient India marijuana was holy. A Hindu god by the name of Shiva gave hemp as a gift to all humanity. It was inexpensive and available to almost everyone. It was known as “The Poor Man’s Heaven”. Cannabis leaves were commonly brewed, and they would add milk and sugar to make a drink. In ancient Rome there was a physician named Galen. He recommended the use of marijuana to reduce pain in operations, or for just everyday pains.

A variety of studies have shown to exemplify the usefulness of marijuana, although it is still highly monitored by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Published in the American Chemical Society journal, new findings show how the active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can inhibit amyloid -peptide, a plaque buildup that has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, a neurological disorder that is expected to rise as the population ages.13 Furthermore, marijuana has been linked to alleviating pain for those with HIV, cancer, and arthritis, in addition to helping soldiers cope with PTSD.14 As more and more states now vote to push for legalization of marijuana for at least medicinal purposes, the new attitude towards drugs seems to be pushing scientists to create more natural, yet still effective,

Marijuana was in the United States Pharmacopeia from 1850 until 1942 and was prescribed to patients for various conditions including labor pains, nausea and rheumatism. During the 1850’s up to the 1930’s it was a very popular intoxicant. A movement conducted in the 1930’s by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics (presently the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs) fought to make marijuana appear to be an Addicting and powerful substance that would lead

Tobacco was in crude form since the early 1600s, and was mainly used for pipe-smoking ,chewing tobacco and snuff. In the early 1800s, is when cigarettes began to become widely popular in the United States. The fact that tobacco was bad for human health was not known around the time European had proscribed it to the Native Americans. At this time the physicians thought it would be an effective medicine. Around the 20th century is when they found that smoking can cause extreme health effects. In the 1930 is when a researcher in Cologne, Germany made the connection between smoking and the causation of cancer. A Doctor by the name of Raymond Pearl reported that people who smoke do not live as long as individuals who do not smoke. In 1944, the

The first known marijuana user dates all the way back to 2737 B.C. when Chinese Emperor Shen Nung wrote of the incredible euphoria he feels, and what he experiences after smoking marijuana (Guither). It caught on during the 1920’s. Some say this was because of the prohibition of alcohol, while others think that the jazz music culture brought it into the spotlight (Guither). Marijuana was distributed by pharmacies from 1850 to 1942, prescribed to patients for pain,

While marijuana was not actually outlawed until the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 it was a part of the country and society since before the arrival of its current transplanted inhabitants. Hemp is the name of a species of Cannabis that has been used throughout history for many things including rope, clothing, medicine, oils and other such novelties. Marijuana and hemp are both of the species Cannabis Sativa and occur naturally along with a score of other variations of the plant. Marijuana is simply a form of hemp that is higher in delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), marijuana’s naturally occurring psychoactive chemical. Today we hear many nicknames for marijuana including: weed, pot, budda, grass, and bud to name a few. Marijuana has long been used by the indigenous peoples of North and South America for many things, from medical to religious purposes. Of course a select few Europeans exploited narcotics and different types of marijuana. However, in Europe it was not a widespread phenomenon, and neither was it from the time of colonization or even industrialization in America. It was not until the era of the 19th amendment to the U.S. constitution, known as prohibition, that marijuana became a widely used substance in the U.S..

When cannabis was first introduced its primary use was not for smoking or even medical it was for creating other things like clay pots and a fiber for making rope. Its first human consumption recorded back in 2737 B.C. by the Chinese emperor as a treatment for gout, malaria, beriberi, rheumatism, and poor memory. This drug didn’t enter the United States until the mid-1800s but by that time it was used as an intoxicant and a medicine. Marijuana entered the states by Mexican immigrants in the 19th and 20th century but was not popular. Marijuana was limited to the lower society pretty much minority smoked the drug. After its extended period of continuous use the government began to crack down and created different acts and legislation in 1937 such as the Marihuana act which puts a

The history of marijuana in the United States government date back to the origins of the United States government itself. During the 16th century, the mass production of hemp was encouraged by the British government for its fibrous content, which was used for making fabric, ropes, cords, and other items (“Marijuana Timeline” 2014). By 1619, the Virginia assembly passed legislation requiring each household in the colony to cultivate hemp, praising its variety of beneficial uses. Even after the American Revolution, hemp continued to be a large part of the American economy. By mid-19th century, hemp was the third-largest crop in the United States, only exceeded by cotton and tobacco. As technology was developed, however, the need for

One of the early colonists who grew hemp [ marijuana ] was George Washington. In his diary entry of August 7, 1765, Washington noted: ?begin to separate the Male from the Female hemp at Do- rather too late.? And two days later: ?Abt. 6 o?clock put some Hemp in river to rot-.? And in September of that year, our gentleman farmer chronicled: ?Began to pull Seed Hemp - but not sufficiently ripe.? (Sloman 21)

However, their knowledge of the intoxicant effects seemed absent and Cannabis was not yet widely utilized for its stimulating or medicinal effects. Nonetheless, diary entries from George Washington show that he personally planted and harvested cannabis for both the hemp fiber as well as the medicinal qualities, and both he and Thomas Jefferson advocated for a hemp-based economy (The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, 2003). By the mid-1800’s, Western Medicine finally started to catch up to what ancient Asian cultures long knew, and over 100 papers had been published in Western medical literature recommending the plant for its therapeutic benefits (Grinspoon & Bakalar, 1997).

Some people like to call it marijuana, some people like to call it weed, and some people like to call it cannabis. But have you ever took the time to get to know about this drug? Marijuana has been introduced to the world all the way back to 2337 BC. At first the focus was on it’s power as a medication for people to use such as rheumatism, gout, malaria,

The oldest known written record on cannabis use comes from the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung in 2727 B.C. Ancient Greeks and Romans were also familiar with cannabis, while in the Middle East, use spread throughout the Islamic empire to North Africa. In 1545 cannabis spread to the western hemisphere where Spaniards imported it to Chile for its use as fiber. In North America cannabis, in the form of hemp, was grown on many plantations for use in rope, clothing and paper.

Under the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, there was no chemical distinction made between the two substances. Because of this, hemp eventually became illegal when marijuana did. (Williams 4). While industrial hemp has been used for centuries to make rope, clothing, and other materials, it has never been used for smoking due to its lack of THC. Cannabis was used first in about 8000 BC for cloth and textiles, and by 2700 BC it was incorporated into most cultures for fabric, cordage, food and medicine. From 1000 BC to 1883 AD hemp was considered the world largest agricultural crop (Schreiber 159). Hemp didn't just have its roots in other cultures either; it has been used in America for a very long time. The first recorded hemp plot in North America was planted in 1606 by a French botanist named Louis Hebert (Jenkins 1). From the early 1600's to 1859 hempseed oil was the most used lamp oil in the world. In early America, most colonies enacted "must grow" laws that made it illegal for farmers not to grow hemp. The first U.S. flag was sewn with hemp fabric in 1777 (Schreiber 161). Famous people such as Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington were avid hemp farmers. George Washington was once quoted saying, "Make the most of the Indian hemp seed and sow it everywhere." Back then, hemp was recognized as a versatile crop, yet today, with other countries allowing the production of hemp, the U.S. still considers this