{"id":2389,"date":"2018-03-30T05:55:26","date_gmt":"2018-03-30T12:55:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dispensaries.com\/blog\/?p=2389"},"modified":"2018-03-30T08:11:55","modified_gmt":"2018-03-30T15:11:55","slug":"united-states-marijuana-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dispensaries.com\/blog\/united-states-marijuana-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Highlights Of Marijuana History In The United States"},"content":{"rendered":"

People who forget history are doomed to repeat it. That\u2019s an old saying, and whether it\u2019s true or not in all cases is debatable, but it certainly seems true when it comes to marijuana history.<\/p>\n

Marijuana History Cycles<\/h2>\n

A person from the 1930s listening to anti-marijuana Attorney General Jeff Sessions<\/a> would not be hearing anything new. The arguments over marijuana legalization have been happening for decades. There\u2019s especially always been a clear division between using marijuana for medical reasons or recreational.<\/p>\n

And it also ties into immigration, another topic that has remained the same for centuries.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a quick rundown of marijuana history and how it went from government-approved crop to a reason for giving people a mandatory jail sentence if they possess it (under federal law, anyway).<\/p>\n

1600-1890<\/h2>\n

Businesses and the government in first the British colonies and then the United States encouraged production of marijuana. Yes, you read that right. This went on for almost three hundred years.<\/p>\n

The marijuana plant was used for the making of rope, clothing and sails for ships. It was so prevalent that in 1619, lawmakers in Virginia passed a law requiring farmers to grow hemp. You could even exchange it for barter in Virginia, as well as in Pennsylvania and Maryland<\/p>\n

However, by the Civil War other materials had mostly replaced hemp for these purposes. But it still had its uses.<\/p>\n

Late 19th Century<\/h3>\n

In the last decade or so of the late 19th century, marijuana became popular for medicinal purposes (sound familiar?) and was sold legally in pharmacies. Hashish use also started, mostly in France but also in the U.S. In 1906, the Pure Food and Drug Act required labeling marijuana products, but it was still sold legally.<\/p>\n

What changed that? It started in Mexico.<\/p>\n

1910<\/h3>\n

The Mexican Revolution in 1910 led to many Mexicans moving into the U.S. They brought marijuana with them which they used recreationally. According to PBS, fear of the immigrants led to fear of marijuana and anti-cannabis groups warned against the \u201cMexican Menace.\u201d Criminal activity was attributed to Mexicans who use marijuana.<\/p>\n

1930s<\/h3>\n

The 1930s were an active time in marijuana history, none of it good for cannabis proponents. It included the following.<\/p>\n