The hemp plant is a valuable natural resource. Legalizing marijuana would eliminate the confusion surrounding hemp and allow us to take advantage of hemp's agricultural and industrial use.
The first law in the American colonies regarding marijuana was a 1619 law
that actually required farmers to grow the hemp plant. Once harvested, hemp
was useful for clothing, sails, and rope.
During the temperance movement of the 1890s, marijuana was commonly recommended as a substitute for alcohol. The reason for this was that use of marijuana did not lead to domestic violence while alcohol abuse did.
Marijuana was first severely restricted as a recreational and medicinal drug in the U.S. by the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. The law did not prohibit marijuana use but imposed such a heavy tax that legal sale and use became nearly impossible.
In October of 1937, Samuel Caldwell was the first U.S. citizen arrested under the Marihuana Tax Act for selling marijuana without paying the newly mandated tax. He was fined $1,000 and sentenced to four years of hard labor in Leavenworth.
Prior to its ban, hemp was a staple cash crop of the family farm in early America. The first two drafts of the United States Declaration of Independence were written on paper made from hemp.
The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 made it illegal to possess, use, buy, sell, or cultivate marijuana in the United States. The law classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and no acceptable medical use.
Marijuana production and trafficking make up the world’s largest drug market and the substance can be grown in almost every country. The United Nations Office on Drug and Crimes (UNODC) has data on 172 countries and territories known to grow marijuana.
Current supporters of medical marijuana believe the drug has significant medical value for patients who suffer from AIDS, glaucoma, cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and chronic pain. Several studies have been published to support and document this belief.
In 1996, California became the first U.S. state to legally allow medical marijuana for patients with a valid doctor’s recommendation.
