Cannabis has been used as a medical treatment for thousands of years all over the world, so it has a very rich history. The legal history of cannabis in the United States dates back to as early as the 1860s, when they began to place restrictions and regulations on the sale of it. Cannabis continues to be one of the most popular drugs throughout the United States today and its history is a long and important one.
The growing of cannabis plants began as early as the year 1619 when King James I ordered every colonist to grow 100 plants specifically for export. This was England’s only colony in America, and they were growing plants specifically for hemp rope production. This was an extremely popular product in the 18th and 19th centuries throughout the United States.
By the early 1900s the rules and laws governing the distribution of cannabis grew widely, and criminalization came into effect. In 1906, the Pure Food and Drug Act was passed nationwide by the United States Congress that every non-prescription cannabis product intended for sale was properly labeled. After this, regulations in New York, Massachusetts, and Maine instated further regulations as well.
By the year 1937 something known as The Marijuana Tax Act went into effect. This Act, which fell under federal law, made it illegal to possess or transfer any type of cannabis throughout the United States including medical and industrial use which was taxed accordingly. Detailed logs and records were kept for each and every cannabis sale
The efforts to decriminalize cannabis began back in the 1970s and are still going strong today. In 1978 a man tried to sue the federal government when he was arrested for treating his glaucoma by smoking marijuana. Medical treatment is still a main driving force behind people’s fight against marijuana laws. They believe in the legal history of cannabis in the United States, but feel amendments should be made over time.
There is a fair share of people who want marijuana legalized for their own personal use, but others find that it is a true medical need. Regardless of their reason, the fight still continues and the laws have yet to be changed on a federal and national level.
For thousands of years cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes. It's use was approved for this purpose throughout the United States until the 1940s. Even though the Supreme Court passed federal laws prohibiting it's use, people still believe marijuana is successful in treating pain and nausea in ways that other medicines is not.
Science suggests that several components of cannabis are effective in controlling symptoms in certain situations. For example:
-
THC (the main component in marijuana) has been proven to treat nausea and vomiting that are associated with a variety of medical conditions such as the terrible side affects of chemotherapy.
-
Dronabinol (Marinol) the prescription form of THC is used to prevent vomiting and nausea after a patient undergoes chemotherapy and helps to increase appetites in AIDS patients.
For further information about marijuana and other drugs, why not get educated by taking a 12 hour online drug class.