Cannabis has a long, storied history in the Americas filled with literal highs and sobering lows. Its presence in the New World predates the formation of the United States and brought slaves to Brazil and the Carribean. After the US revolution, many early presidents including Washington, Madison, Jackson, and Jefferson were known cultivators.
They were prolific growers, primarily of hemp, which itself is a non psychoactive form of c. sativa, however there are records of all varieties being grown.
From the time of America’s early founding until just past the turn of the 20th century the cultivation of cannabis was widespread with little regulation. Indeed, production was encouraged for its many industrial applications. These attitudes and the hemp industry prevailed and thrived until the early part of the twentieth century in the US.
The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 regulated patent medicines including those containing cannabis products. Patent medicines were an objective scourge, frequently they did more harm than good to their user. Addiction was prevalent, especially opioids, for a large number of veterans still recovering from the Civil War. Unfortunately, this marked the beginning of the end for the freedom of cannabis use in the US. Although it came with the much needed regulation of patent medicines, never again would Americans have such unfettered access to cannabis.
Though the history of the regulation of cannabis started under the auspices of public health, the full story isn’t complete without an understanding of the deep racial and political motivations driving its prohibition.
Oh yes I believe that most of the political leaders in Canada and the United States are bad seeds. Don't blame it on the cannabis seeds.
Greed is the reason our states reconsidered legalizing marijuana. The benefits one receives from this medication far out weighs any pharmaceutical pill on the market. However, for year generations bought into the false propaganda that marijuana would kill you or cause retardation. The fact that this drug helps with so many ailments, is the reason big pharm American placed marijuana on the most dangerous of all drugs. They thought they would lose their sales of opiates, instead they found they can make more money producing THC. People with real medical issues quality of life has improved drastically now big pharmacy gave up on trying to keep it illegal. Alcohol is the drug that needs to be band. Way more people die from alcohol related causes than any person smoking marijuana. Actually I don't believe one death has been reported caused by THC or its counterparts.