Although marijuana has been around for thousands of years, it was not until the late 19th and early 20th centuries that it became a focus for medical study.
In the late 1800s, researchers discovered that smoking cannabis could help treat chronic pain. This discovery paved the way for more widespread use of the plant as a treatment.
At the beginning of the 20th century, several medical experts began to consider marijuana a drug. In fact, they considered it so important that they prepared it as a medication that they even patented it! As medicine advanced over the next few decades, parallels to today’s laws were created.
Today, we are in the midst of another period of rapid scientific advancement for marijuana, similar to what happened in the first half of the 20th century. Current science shows that marijuana is an effective treatment for certain syndromes, such as cancer.
The history of marijuana laws
Marijuana has a long history, mainly in Asia. In China, it was widely used for medicinal purposes for many years.
In the Middle Ages, cannabis was widely used as a sedative and painkiller. During the Renaissance, marijuana was commonly used as a recreational drug and popular medicine.
In the 18th and 19th century, drugs such as opium and cocaine were very common drugs. People who were wealthy could usually afford better drugs than hempseed and leaves, which are what most people get marijuana from today.
It wasn’t until the late 19th and early 20th century that modern drugs like heroin and cocaine became popular.
Early marijuana use
While it is widely accepted that marijuana is harmless, its use did not begin much later than that. Throughout most of recorded history, it was highly regarded as a medicinal agent.
In the Bible, Samson used it to recover from his physical and mental wounds after being beaten by the Philistines. In ancient Greece and Rome, hemp was widely used as a textile material and medicinal agent.
Although its use fell out of favor in the West during the late Middle Ages, marijuana was still considered sacred in some cultures. Today, many East and Southeast Asian countries continue to regard it with great importance for their economy and society.
Paradigm shifts are times when new ideas and practices change things around around you.
Mid-century marijuana use
During the mid-twentieth century, marijuana use was more common. In fact, it was widely accepted by society as a drug of abuse at the time.
Manufacturers introduced marijuana in various forms, including capsule, drinkable syrup, hashish and hashish butter. Hash oil was the common form of marijuana concentrate at this time.
As the years went on, people began to mix cannabis into foods and beverages. Novelty drinks and chocolate bars often included small amounts of hemp or cannabis due to their psychoactive effects. Internet communities such as groups dedicated to selling and drinking hemp-infused coffee were also popular during this time.
Surprisingly, many people at this time did not see Marijuana as a drug of abuse. Many believed that it had healing properties and would help you deal with life’s challenges smarterly.
Late-century marijuana use
Late-century America was a time of racial segregation, tough-on-crime policies, and drug use. Politicians viewed marijuana use as a source of revenue and social dispenure, respectively, so little attention was paid to the issue.
During this time period, pot smoking was more of a habit than a life style. Most people did not observe marijuana laws regularly, making them hard to enforce. This trend continued into the post-war years, as law enforcement became more professionalized and focused on fighting crime instead of upholding drug laws.
It wasn’t until the 1970s that many countries began developing strict marijuana laws, which is the reason why today most countries have some form of pot law. During this time period, police often relied on enforced union rules to keep employees from crossing the line with drugs.
This led to fewer arrests and longer prison sentences for small-time offenders.
The reform movement begins
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Medical marijuana legalization
In the 1990s, there was a wave of medical marijuana laws enacted around the country. Some were passed to allow physicians to look at cannabinoid levels in patients before recommending a treatment, others were meant as last resorts for patients who did not respond to other therapies.
Many of these laws were re-adopted in 2010 when the Obama administration began allowing some forms of medical marijuana. These laws mainly applied to states that had not legalized marijuana use or sales, usually throughouput of quality and consistency.
These laws were helpful for people with severe pain who could not find an appropriate alternative medicine or who did not want to deal with the hassle of buying it in legal conditions. However, over the years, quality has dropped and regulations have been lax.
As a result, people have started having ethical issues with using medical marijuana under incompetent or inappropriate circumstances.
Recreational legalization
Despite decades of media coverage focused almost exclusively on negative aspects of drug use, recent trends indicate the adoption of positive attitudes about marijuana.
Public opinion has been climbing for years, and more and more people are realizing that pot is not a complete poison pill to eliminate their stress. Recent polling reveals that more and more Americans approve of marijuana use, with nearly everyone between ages 18 and 29 using it.
In recent years, changes in law have been rare events. In 2012, Hawaii became the first state to legalize medical marijuana, followed by Oregon and California in 2013. In 2014, Alaska followed suit and became the second state to legalize recreational marijuana, followed by Canada in 2015.
This year will see several additional states pass laws allowing for recreational use, including Maine & Nevada.
Future of marijuana laws
As more and more states legalize marijuana, the national conversation about it is growing stronger. More people are learning about and accepting the medical benefits of cannabis, and its legal presence has grown — ever-more-overextending laws on the way.
With more states passing medical marijuana laws and drug laws legalizing some forms of pot, there’s enough knowledge flowing to fill a book. Now that the recreational market is starting to take shape, expect legislators to focus on how it applies to minors, addiction potential, and other negative effects.
Whether they approve of it or not, we’re sure to see changes to marijuana laws in the coming years. Lawmakers will be looking for ways to pass new restrictions on drugs and how they are released into society, as well as updating old ones.
