When Pot was Legal

Tincture of cannabis indica

Why Marijuana Became Illegal

Marijuana and Religion

Rastafari: The Secret History of the Marijuana Religion
A very thorough cover of the history of Rastafarianism; not as much mention of the importance of marijuana as the title promises.
Marijuana And Other Rasta Symbols
A more specific article on the use of marijuana in Rasta rituals.

Temple 420 Home Page
Not as much information or content as I would have liked to see.
Hollywood’s Temple 420 Raided by LAPD
I recommend watching the video on this one.

Marijuana in the News: Cancer, USD and Reefers

Woman claims marijuana cured her cancer

USD officials concerned by medical marijuana
This is actually a very in-depth look at the ongoing war between LEGAL marijuana dispensaries and the Federal law prohibiting marijuana

 

Marijuana Farmer Discloses Patch

This one kinda cracks me up. This is a newspaper article from 1951. He “went on the weed” as a GI in Europe, and “He returned to Pittsburgh, planted three patches of marijuana, and has manufactured reefers ever since.”

Unusual Facts About Marijuana: Let’s Google It!

OK “Unusual Facts About Marijuana” was my original query. Let’s see where it leads me 🙂

Fun Facts About Marijuana

This passage on this page:

The reason marijuana is illegal is because in the 30’s cotton growers lobbied against hemp farmers. They thought that the hemp growing would just be competition for them. However, the argument has become the fact that marijuana is not as addictive as caffeine, alcohol and nicotine.

led me to look up some hemp history, which led me to this page:

Hemp History

This is a very interesting and in-depth article on the growth and use of hemp in the past, errors in grammar and spelling notwithstanding. It does not, however, address the cotton vs hemp controversy. I may have to look into that more deeply one day.

Anyway, back to the original search…

31 Random Facts About Marijuana

Also contains some very interesting facts, with references. One of my favorites:

The psychoactive side effects of THC in small doses include loss of inhibition, elation, and a distorted sense of time. The drug can also cause increased visual sensitivity and heightened imagination.

10 Marijuana Facts

This one is very informative and the facts address many of the common misunderstandings about marijuana. The order and presentation of the facts leads to a valid argument for the legalization of marijuana. One fact I found interesting was this:

The only crime most marijuana users commit is using marijuana. The U. S. Shafer Commission report was the most comprehensive study ever undertaken on the subject. It found that marijuana smokers “tend to be under represented” in violence and in crime, especially when compared to users of alcohol, amphetamines and barbiturates.

The Founding Fathers Rocked the Ganja!

5 surprising marijuana facts you never imagined

 

1. The founding fathers liked ganja

Dr. Burke of the American Historical Reference Society and consultant for the Smithsonian has found evidence to support the long standing claim that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, James Monroe, and Andrew Jackson all either smoked or grew grass on their plantations.

2. Utah was the first state to ban marijuana

Amidst rising cannabis use by regional Mormons the church declared “the use of marijuana contrary to the Mormon religion” in 1915 and paved the way for America’s current prohibition.

3. Pot is the US’ biggest cash crop

Since 2006 weed has been more valuable to its growers that wheat and corn combined. US Pot production has increased tenfold in the past 25 years as California has emerged as the heaviest hitter, accounting for nearly one third of total US production. This has caused some people to believe that the US smokes the most, which brings us to:

4. Australia is the highest country in the world

It is estimated that the Aussies spend nearly double on cannabis every year than they do on total wine consumption. The next best Jacob’s Creek formula? 33% Cabarnet Sauvignon, 33% Syrrah, and 34% Cannabis.

5. Pending US legislation exits to legalize reefer

There are currently two of Barney Frank’s (D-MA) proposals that US Rastafarians would greatly appreciate. H.R.5842 hopes to make marijuana easily accessible for medical use while H.R.5843 seeks to “eliminate most Federal penalties for possession of marijuana for personal use…” So far the H.R.5842 has a surprising 23 cosponsors while the more risky proposal stands at 10. Do either of these bills stand a chance? We’ll have to see how they endure their current status of being held in committee status.

Q. When Did People Start Smoking Marijuana? (Let’s Google It!)

Let’s see what we find:

Yahoo! Answers – How long ago did people start smoking marijuana?

Skeptive – When did humans start smoking marijuana?

Here I decided to change my query to “Marijuana Timeline”

Marijuana Today – Timeline

Medical Marijuana ProCon.Org – Historical Timeline
This is a very thorough timeline of the history of medical marijuana. A fascinating read!

Narconon International – History of marijuana & cannabis use and abuse
They’re against it, but their history is extremely detailed and shows how prevalent the use of marijuana has been over the centuries.

UKCIA.org – A Cannabis Chronology
This one is absolutely fascinating! A must-read for any proponent for legalizing marijuana.