Cannabis throughout history, whywould anyone ban it at all?
Cannabis throughout history, whywould anyone ban it at all?
It's no secret that cannabis has been used by people for various purposes for quite a few years. Its enormous importance to human civilization is indisputable, so let's see how, where and when cannabis was popular and why it is actually banned in the vast majority of countries.
The Neolithic Revolution
Yes, the first evidence of hemp processing dates back to the Neolithic revolution, i.e. 7 to 8 thousand years before Christ. The territory of today's China is considered to be the cradle, where hemp grew like a weed around the settlements, it didn't take long for people to discover the nutritional value of its seeds. Later, also the possibility of processing the whole plant into a solid, breathable fabric. Human curiosity inevitably led to the discovery of the medicinal and recreational effects of cannabis, but a more correct alternative to the word "recreational" would be the word spiritual. Mary Jane still plays a key role in the religions of many cultures and ethnicities, whether in Asia or in Jamaica, which is world famous
19th century
Over the course of the century, hemp was also very popular with steam, it was used mainly by artists and intellectuals who sought inspiration in it. Already at that time, we record the use of cannabis as medicine in modern history, especially ointments and tinctures that helped with pain. An important insight from this time is that cannabis does not create an aggressive addiction, as it does with alcohol or opium, which was very popular at the time, and generally has minimal side effects.
Why ban it?
Cannabis, like alcohol, was banned in the 1920s in the US, as part of Prohibition. However, the Americans realized that the ban was pointless and the black market flourished because of it, so they allowed the use of alcohol again. The extension of the ban on cannabis and its labeling as a dangerous substance had a racial motivation. Because of the Jamaican community in the southern US, Mary Jane was labeled as a "black drug". Her reputation was not helped by the later Hippies movement, which promoted peace, which was not in line with the state agenda of the Vietnam War. During the Cold War, when the US was setting trends in the Western world, cannabis was included on the UN's list of harmful drugs.
But we're smarter now
Fortunately, the stigma surrounding cannabis use has been declining in recent decades. Many countries around the world, even some states in the USA, have fully legalized cannabis. In others, cannabis is at least decriminalized. The numerous beneficial effects of cannabis, which the human race has known for thousands of years, cannot be disputed. and In addition, even when used "just like that", i.e. recreationally, or completely superficially for fun, cannabis has proven to have less health effects than the much normalized alcohol or tobacco.
