Marijuana has been used for thousands of years, both for smoking and for making rope and fuel. Then, between 1937 and 1947, $220 billion was spent by the American government to mount a propaganda war, painting the plant as a source of evil. This despite the fact that, back in 1797, hemp aka marijuana, was the major cash crop of President George Washington at his Mount Vernon estate. Thomas Jefferson also grew hemp.
The cost of outlawing marijuana rose even higher: between 1948 and 1963 the cost came in at $1.5 billion; from 1964 to 1969 – so just four years – the cost had risen to $9 billion. The cost continues to rise.
| BC | ||
| 7000 to 8000 | Dried hemp woven into fabric | |
| 6000 | Hemp seeds used as food by the Chinese | |
| 2727 | Cannabis used as a medication in China | |
| 1200 | Marijuana used as medication in India | |
| 800 | Cannabis becomes the ‘sacred grass’ of the hindus | |
| 700 to 300 | Marijuana becomes high status plant in Scythia An ancient region of Eurasia extending from the mouth of the Danube River on the Black Sea) | |
| 500 | Marijuana plant was introduced into Europe | |
| AD | ||
| 500-600 | Cannabis is mentioned in the Jewish sacred text, the Talmud | |
| 900 to 1000 | Cannabis becomes popular as a ‘recreational drug’ in the Arab world, where alcohol was prohibited | |
| 1492 | Columbus did not just ‘sail the ocean blue’ he also introduced the cannabis Sativa plant to America | |
| 1619 | In Jamestown, Virginia, marijuana becomes a compulsory crop and is used as a trading crop between US and Central and South Asia | |
| 1797 | George Washington grows marijuana | |
| 1798 | Napoleon bans the use of marijuana after noting the amount of marijuana smoked by the Egyptians | |
| 1840 | Cannabis based medicines available in America and hashish medications sold in Persia (Iran) | |
| 1876 | Marijuana gifted to the Americans by the Sultan of Turkey resulting in an sudden increase in Turkish smoking parlors across North East US | |
| 1906 | The FDA was formed, giving the government an insight into drug use within the country | |
| 1908 | Henry Ford uses hemp plastic to make the first Model T. He fuels it with ethanol made from hemp. | |
| 1913 | Anti-marijuana law passed in California, banning the use of “preparations of hemp, or loco weed | |
| 1915 | Anti-marijuana law passed in Utah | |
| 1919 | Anti-marijuana law passed in Texas | |
| 1924 | Anti-marijuana law passed in Louisiana | |
| 1927 | Anti-marijuana law passed in New York | |
| 1928 | Recreational use of marijuana outlawed in the UK | |
| 1930 | Harry J Anslinger becomes first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, declaring war on drugs | |
| 1930 | First use of the word ‘Muggles’ – not non-wizards as per J K Rowling but bales of marijuana | |
| 1936 | Reefer Madness propaganda film released stating that marijuana causes madness. | |
Cool Sites
Marijuana Prices – Fascinating site that reveals marijuana prices and which states have the highest rates of marijuana use in the USA.
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Bongs and Pipes – The world’s finest, high quality smoking paraphernalia.
Cool Sites
Legalize Cannabis - Sites for and against marijuana.
Medical Marijuana - Find out the truth about medical marijuana at Medical Marijuana Blog.
Vaporizer – Premium herbal vaporizers at very low prices.
November 24th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
war on drugs?
marijuana is’nt a drug…
its a plant…
drugs get cooked up in the kitchen
hehe
December 10th, 2010 at 10:41 am
i agree with emilie why prohibit a plant but not prohibit medications made in labs??
December 14th, 2010 at 6:25 am
Hmmm, looking at these benefits of having marijuana. (I am thinking… I am thinking… looking at data, I am thinking…)
YES! Marijuana should be legalized! (PERIOD)
February 25th, 2011 at 1:13 am
My name is mercaydes, i am 22 yrs old working and goings to school to become a probation officer. During my busy life i am taking care of my mother who has been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. My mother has been dealing with this pain for five yrs going on six.
My mother has tried just about every medication that is saposed to help with the Fibromyalgia but either she has a reaction or her insurance wont cover it. Because my mother can not work she is on wellfare, she has been turned down from ssi three times due to the government not having the equipment to diagnose this illness. It becomes very emotional for my mother to deal with not being able to work. I have to dress her and help her walk most of the time.
This illness attacks her joints and muscles causing her body to cripple in the near future. I have no clue on why the government wont leagelize marijuana for a medical reason for people with these kinds of issues.
I know by studies and reasrch that marijuana will help with my mothers pain and suffering. So YES they should leagelize marijuana and save the hassel of putting people away for smoking it just inforce some rules on it…i guess.
Well i think i took up so much space. So im going to leave whomever reads this with a little emotional feeling from my heart. My mother means the world to me and if marijuana needs to be leagelized for her to get the proper painless care then thats all i wish in this world.
March 7th, 2011 at 6:50 am
Exactly, I agree with mercy.
Why doesn’t the government step in and help people like that? Because it’s illegal? That’s bull. I weed even helps people that have cancer with there pain. If not legalize it completely then legalize it for medical use in all 50 states. I know how much it can help with pain. I have a terrible injury on my right leg and gout in the other. They hurt constantly.
Usually I don’t want to go anywhere or do anything. But when I smoke I could care less if my legs hurt or not. I mean yeah sometimes I just want to sit and relax but other times it makes it were I can get out and do things. And I hate it when it is called a drug. It is not a drug. Weed comes out of the ground just like any other plant.
March 9th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
Mercaydes,
I am a 47 years old and have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
I totally agree with you… Marijuana should be legalized! The only thing that helps me is medibles and hash for body pain. I hope you live in a State that is legal for Medical Marijuana. I have so many emotional problems dealing with not being able to work any longer.
May God bless your Mother and you to stay strong and help the cause of making this plant legal. It is very good that you are supportive of your Mother… this decease makes you feel so crazy!
April 29th, 2011 at 8:14 am
I agree with Mercy beacause i am 17 years old and have been helping take care of my mother for 8 years she has P.P.I.A.H which is a heart disease. my mom has to go throught the same stuff mercy’s mom goes through, she is getting worse every day and is the only person allive to make it to level 7 of it.
She made this level when the doctor told her to try marijuana and it worked for her. then she was taken off of it and it kills me to see her go throught all that pain. i wish they would legalise the marijuana because it is a great pain killer. i♥u mom.
September 22nd, 2011 at 6:34 pm
One day marijuana will be legalized! Hopefully sooner than later!
September 27th, 2011 at 10:53 pm
legalize weed it keeps stress off people and helps some people live in this world
September 30th, 2011 at 6:53 pm
marijuana is not bad. this government is going to far AND abuseing thier power. its really pissing me off. lealize it please. it will only help
October 12th, 2011 at 4:53 pm
legalize marijuana. its not a drug. it doesnt kill you. so yeahhh. legalize it!! (:
November 3rd, 2011 at 5:28 pm
hi- i just read this- http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_medical_law2_2010_crs_review.pdf and pulled this interesting bit from it, pg 26:
The federal government’s argument that marijuana has no medical value is straightforward. A
drug, in order to meet the standard of the Controlled Substances Act as having a “currently
accepted medical use in treatment in the United States,” must meet a five-part test:
(1) The drug’s chemistry must be known and reproducible,
(2) there must be adequate safety studies,
(3) there must be adequate and well-controlled studies proving efficacy,
(4) the drug must be accepted by qualified experts, and
(5) the scientific evidence must be widely available.
it seems to me, as emilie says, that condition 1 cannot ever be met by a whole plant. so wtf? has any legalization organization argued from this point? how is ‘drug’ defined by the controlled substance act? hmmm.
and what does the controlled substance act have to do with fiber and oil products? and where is the public information campaign on hemp?
also unusual in the report, and among people i know, is the assumption that medical marijuana is smoked. except in treating nausea, it has to be eaten.
November 3rd, 2011 at 5:46 pm
mercaydes- fibromyalgia is often caused by fluoride toxicity. get your mom to de-tox. see earthclinic.com.
chris- gout does hurt. i had it when i was on a high protein diet, tho i am vegetarian. i was eating a lot of dried beans. cut way back on the protein and get plenty of liquids. i hope you can get rid of it.
btw- i have seen skin cancers cured by cannabis essence, but i have also seen them cured with raw eggplant. i do believe that cannabis is one of the ‘mother’ plants and should be completely legal and uncontrolled, but there are other growing things that act on disease.
November 29th, 2011 at 7:17 am
As much as I would like to argue that marijuana is a plant and NOT a drug, it actually is a drug. a drug is any substance that has a physical affect on the mind and body. that is why alcohol is classified as a drug too. but i do still like to consider marijuana a plant
May 7th, 2012 at 1:43 am
Legalization makes more sense than ever right now…Besides the fact that marijuana is just a plant, and can help untold numbers of people with pain and other medical conditions…I really wonder how much profit would be stripped from the mexican drug cartels if Americans could grow their own marijuana…How much impact would legalization have on the violence that is taking place in Mexico as I write this post….If we don’t have to buy it on a black market wouldn’t that impact smuggling operations drastically? My guess is legalization would have a very positive impact on this situation…DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE INNOCENT PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING TORTURED, MAIMED and KILLED BY THE WAR ON DRUGS—LEGALIZE NOW!!!! AND NOT JUST FOR MEDICAL USE!!! REMOVE ALL CRIMINALITY FOR GROWING and/or POSSESSING SOMETHING GOD MADE. We all know GOD knows best