Coastal farmers carried marijuana from China to Korea around 2000 B.C. or earlier. Cannabis spread across South Asia and became widely used in India. It was celebrated as one of “Five kingdoms of herbs” and celebrated for alleviating anxiety. Between 2000 B.C. and 1400 B.C, cannabis was introduced to the Middle East. A nomadic Indo-European ground most likely carried the drug into southeastern Russia and Ukraine. Germanic tribes spread cannabis from Germany to Britain during the 5th century during Anglo-Saxon invasions. The seeds of cannabis have been discovered in the remains of Viking ships from the mid-ninth century. Over the next few centuries, cannabis reached various areas of the world, including Africa, South American and eventually North America. Cannabis finally arrived in the United States at the start of the 20th century. It first showed up in the southwest, coming in from Mexico with immigrants fleeing during the Mexican Revolution. The early prejudices against marijuana start right here due to racist fears. The negative connotations were propaganda spread by newspapers of the time. Mexicans were targeted by stories of them smoking marijuana, seducing women, perpetrating property crimes and going off on murderous sprees. Without acknowledging any difference between Cannabis sativa (marijuana) and Cannabis sativa L. (hemp), the plant was initially outlawed in Utah in 1915. By 1931, cannabis was illegal in 29 states. Harry Aslinger was named the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) in 1930. After the disaster of prohibition, he needed a new enemy. He focused on marijuana and worked to make it illegal in all states. In 1937, the Marijuana Tax Act placed cannabis under regulation by the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Cannabis wasn’t always illegal in the USA
