A History of Marijuana

So far throughout this blog we tackled my observations on Marijuana legalization, highlighted my personal knowledge on the subject, and we have covered lots of information about public opinion regarding Marijuna legalization. While this is a decent amount of information, there is still a lot that needs to be covered in order for one to form an educated opinion on the subject. This blog post will cover why Marijuana is illegal in the first place, as well as some potential effects of its legalization. 

Marijuana/Cannabis has an interesting history of legalization. Many people wonder why Marijuana, a drug that is seen by many as less dangerous than alcohol, is considered by the government to be a Schedule I drug (a Schedule I drug is the most threatening and addictive category of drug, for example, Heroin is a Schedule I drug). To get to the bottom of the seemingly unnecessary laws that surround Marijuana, one must consider its past. 

Cannabis was used in the United States as medicine in the form of a tincture (liquid) in the late 1800ds and early 1900ds. This was not rare, many nations all over the world used/use the plant as medicine or even for religious practices. 

As industrialization started, more regulations on Cannabis and other medicines sold in pharmacies were implemented. This was likely not because these substances were seen as a threat, rather there was an increased need for consumer protection. Companies were trying to make as many products as cheap as they could, resulting in contamination and other problems. It was now necessary to put warning labels and ingredient lists on bottles. Despite these regulations, America did not have a huge issue with Cannabis use in the form of tinctures. 

In the 1930s, the United States experienced an influx of immigrants from Mexico. These immigrants were seen as a threat to white neighbourhoods, jobs and ways of life, just like many other minorities were. White Americans felt most threatened by foriegn traditions. The Mexicans brought with them their tradition of smoking Marijuana, which white America did not receive well. Soon Marijuana use and Cannabis use were made illegal federally. This ban on Marijuana was weaponized against minorities, becoming a reason to deport and arrest Mexicans and African Americans. 

This trend continued into the 70s, 80s and 90s. Eventually the Schedule system was put in place, and Marijuana was considered a Schedule I drug. Shortly after mandatory sentencing was created, which was a policy that required that if someone was caught with marijuana, they were guaranteed to receive a sentence. With these harsher laws, discrimination and targeting contiued. 

This is still a problem today. This targeting and weaponization of Marijuana has reaped havoc on minority communities and resulted in unneeded overcrowding of prisons. Legalization of Marijuana could have many benefits. Dropping or lessening Marijuana charges will partially alleviate overcrowding of prisons, reunite families, and benefit minority communities all because it will de-weaponize the drug. Legal Marijuana programs run by the government will also generate large sums of tax revenue.