History of Marijuana 2

2009.04.27

The Cannabis, marijuana, or hemp plant is one of the ancient psychoactive foliage known to humankind. Cannabis has become one of the most well known and diversified of plants. It was and is being cultivated around the world in varied environment. It has been used as medicine for thousands of years and the components of the hemp plant can be put to use in a large number of medical conditions.

It is second only to Alcohol as being used for getting high. It has been used extensively throughout history to relax and change mood. It has also been in various religious rites to provoke self-consciousness and love for other. It has a very distant history. It has been known to human as early as 6000 B.C when cannabis seeds were used as food grains in China. As textile was an integral part of any civilization every early civilization cultivated hemp. It was for food and fiber hemp was cultivated till 1500 B.C.

It was the Hindus who first described cannabis for medicinal value in their sacred text of Atharva Veda (Book of Charms). It was one of the five sacred plants which were also used as offerings to Lord Shiva. It was as early as 1200 B.C.

The Zoroastrian described it as “good narcotic”. Cannabis has been related to many rituals across the whole world in past. The Scythians and Kazaks had an important role of cannabis in there burial rites.

It was around 500-100 B.C when hemp was introduced to Europe by the Scythians. The Romans described cannabis for its medicinal value. As scholars debated over the pros and cons of cannabis, hashish was gaining popularity all over Arabia and Middle East. It was here cannabis was banned and re-introduced under the patronage of various rulers. Hashish was related to “hashishins” or “assassins” by Marco Polo which got attention all over Europe. Ottoman Emir Soudoun Scheikhouni was one of the first rulers to ban hashish in Europe in 1378. It was around 1550 when marijuana was introduced in Brazil by slaves working in plantations.

By late 17^th century hashish and opium becomes major trade between Central Asia and South Asia. Napoleon prohibited use of hashish in 1798 after visit to Egypt. In the mean time hashish was gaining popularity for its medicinal value around the world. Hashish was used by Persian considerably. In 1840 America allowed pharmaceuticals with hashish as base. British started taxing ganja and charas in India in 1856.

In 1890 use of hashish was banned in Turkey and Greece. But hashish trading was rampant in Asia and Middle East. It was in 1927 when America banned use of hashish for non-medicinal use. Hashish was banned in many countries like Britain, but it lead to smuggling from Turkey and Egypt. After the First World War hashish was banned from most of the countries in every form. It gained vast popularity from time to time like world war two, hippie movement, rock n roll era etc. In 1972 Regan government banned hemp cultivation disregarding Shaffer commission.

Hashish is still widely used as recreational drug in every culture and country even if it is banned. There has been movement for its legalization supported by quite a few people. Amsterdam and Canadian province Ontario have made marijuana legal. Many states and government are still debating over it as hashish has not lost much of its popularity.