Cannabis [[also known as marijuana]] is a mind-altering drug that derives from the Cannabis sativa plant. The main component [[or the shit that gets you HIGH]] in marijuana is scientifically referred to as δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or more commonly known as: THC.
HiST0RY OF THE GANJ
Marijuana smoking has been around for thousands of years. Charred cannabis seeds have been discovered at an ancient burial sight in present day Romania, and are dated as far back as the Neolithic Age [[about 8500 BC]].
The Hindus of Nepal and India are the most well-known marijuana users in ancient history. They referred to the drug in Sanskrit as gangika, or in today’s Indo-Aryan language--ganja.
The Assyrian people also knew of the effects from marijuana, and used it in certain religious ceremonies. They passed down their knowledge of the plant to the Scythians and the Thracians/Dacians, who had Shamans [[priest-doctors]] that burned the flowers of the cannabis plant to produce a state of drowsiness and enchantment. It is believed that in many ancient religious and pharmacological cults, such as those of Dionysus [[the Greek god of wine]], marijuana was also regularly used.
Evidence of hemp seeds, discovered in the Altai Mountains, supported the ancient historian, Herodotus, and his belief that the Scythians where also among those who used marijuana.
Some historians believe that the Jews, Muslims and even early Christians used the cannabis plant as part of some of their religious ceremonies. Elders of one of the more recent religious movements, known as the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church, go as far as to suggest that marijuana is the Eucharist [[communion]], saying that ingesting the plant is an Ethiopian tradition that dates back to the days of Christ.
GREEN iN THE RED WHiTE && BLUE:
Marijuana was brought into the US by the early pilgrims in the 17th century. They were pushed by the government to grow the plant for the production of things such as: rope, sails, clothing, etc. In 1619, hemp was even permitted to be traded as currency in Virgina, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
After the Civil War, hemp was replaced by other foreign and domestic imports, and was no longer needed for material purposes. In the late 19th century, marijuana started being used for medical reasons, and was even available "over the counter" in community pharmasies.
The recreational use of weed was introduced to the US by the Mexican immigrants after the Mexican Revolution of 1910. [[F.Y.I. MARIJUANA is actually the Mexican slang word for cannabis]] Anti-drug protestors began connecting the drug, and the immigrants who brought it there, to the crimes that were going on.
By 1915, Utah had passed a law banning the use of marijuana, being the first state in the US to do so. Other states quickly put the same prohibitation laws into action, and by 1927, weed was outlawed in Wyoming, Texas, Iowa, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arkansas, Nebraska, and Montana as well. Soon, the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act came into action, and possession and transfer of marijuana was banned throughout the United States.
In 1969, a professor named Timothy Leary was arrested for possession of marijuana. He brought the case to court; claiming the Marihuana Tax Act went against our rights stated in the Fifth Amendment [["No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."]] The 1937 Marijuana Tax Act was diclared uncostitution, and Leary's charges were dropped. Soon after that, however, the US passed the Controlled Substance Act [[CSA]] as Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, as an alternate approach to the marijuana epidemic.
On July 1, 1973 the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs [[BNDD]] and the Office of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement [[ODALE]] joined together to form the Drug Enforcement Administration [[DEA]]. Today, the DEA is the top domestic law enforcement agency in the drug trade community. It is also responsible for organizing and pursuing the US drug investigations around the world.
During the 80's, drug penalties became fierce once again. Laws and organizations where established, such as the Sentencing Commission [[created by the Sentencing Reform Act provisions of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984]]. This group was responsible for generating required sentencing guidelines for individuals who where caught violating the drug laws. Consequences for breaking the laws included: Mandatory prison time, a possible life sentence for reoccurring offenders, or even the death penalty for the top drug lords throughout the US.
The state of California passed the Compassionate Use Act in 1996 [[see blog]]. This act permitted medical marijuana to be retained, consumed, grown, and distributed for pharmaceutical purposes. Arkansas, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington followed California's footsteps, and soon had guidelines similar to those listed in the Compassionate Use Act. Unfortunately, the US Federal government does not allow marijuana to be used, even for medicinal reasons, and the DEA has taken a forceful position opposing medical marijuana.
Since 1972, three petitions pertaining to marijuana rescheduling have been recorded. Their goal was to eradicate marijuana as a Schedule I drug.
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