and the money we pay in taxes to prevent its use, it is not worth it . It seems that our country has a long standing tradition of wanting to prosecute marijuana users. If we go back and follow a little bit of American history provided to us by author Janet Monfreddi, of “High Times” magazine, we can begin to trace the origins of the present thoughts and opinions on marijuana. The first written account we have of a cannabis product as a mood altering drug is in 2737 BC. This account was given in the writings of the Chinese emperor Sheng Nung. They used the substance as an aid to meditation and also to help them with such medical problems as rheumatism, gout, and even absent-mindedness. They knew it had intoxicating effects but they were more concerned with the medical benefits that could be gained from its use. The Muslims used it also since alcohol was strictly prohibited by the Koran. The Muslims were the first to produce the substance known as hashish, the new substance quickly gained popularity and spread throughout Persia. In 1545 the Spanish brought marijuana to the new world, they introduced it to Jamestown in 1611. The substance quickly became a cornerstone of their economy right next to tobacco. By 1890 hemp was being replaced by the cotton plant as far as textile uses. It was around 1920 that the smoking of Marijuana became increasingly popular. Many believe that the popularity of the marijuana is due to the prohibition of alcohol that was present during those times. Marijuana clubs called tea pads began appearing in every Rubish 6major city. These clubs were left alone by police because marijuana was not illegal, and the people at the clubs hardly ever caused any problems o...
