Cannabis Politics: A Brief History of the Cannabis Movement

Cannabis is one of the most commonly used drugs globally and has been for a long time. The government has treated this drug as a threat to society, despite its medicinal and recreational uses. Yet, most people believe that cannabis should remain legal. Then again, many people disagree with the idea of it being an illegal substance in the first place. This article will explore how cannabis became unlawful over the years, how society views it today, and what changes need to happen to make cannabis legal once more.

What Is Cannabis?

Cannabis is a plant that belongs to the cannabis family, including hemp. The main active ingredient in cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is responsible for producing psychoactive reactions. Cannabis can be ingested in many different forms, such as smoking, vaping, edibles, and tinctures.
Cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. It has been used to treat pain and nausea, among other things.
How Did Cannabis Become Illegal?
The first step in how cannabis became illegal is its classification as a drug. The first is the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act of 1914, which forced doctors to administer dangerous drugs like cocaine and opium for treatment instead of marijuana, which was then considered an inferior narcotic.
But it wasn’t until the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 that cannabis became entirely illegal under federal law. This act made cannabis illegal because it was deemed to have no medicinal value and only negatively impacted society. Following this act, many states followed suit in creating their laws about marijuana.

Where Do We Stand Today?

We stand in a strange place regarding the legalization of cannabis. Today, possession of cannabis is still illegal, but we live in a time when more and more states are decriminalizing it. The first state to decriminalize cannabis was California in 1975, and since then, many more states have followed suit.
It’s interesting that many people still don’t agree with making marijuana legal because it seems like this would benefit society. However, things will never change without continued pressure from both ends of the spectrum. Without any support from our federal government, it will be difficult to convince people that something should be made legal when they have so much fear surrounding what it could do to them or their children.

Will Cannabis Be Legalized Soon?

The short answer is yes. In a few countries, cannabis is legal and has been for years. It’s also legal in many states of the United States. More and more countries are beginning to legalize cannabis independently, which means that legislation may not be the only way to make cannabis legal once again. Companies like Google have even started experimenting with ways to make the legalization process easier for people.

Cannabis was first made illegal in 1937 by Harry J. Anslinger, Commissioner of Narcotics (the predecessor of the Drug Enforcement Administration). At that time, he wrote: “Marijuana is an addictive drug that produces insanity, criminality, and death in its users.”

Conclusion

It’s important to remember that while a few states will soon make legal recreational use, federal law still prohibits it. But with more and more states taking control of the issue, the fight is moving in the right direction.