even be bought in drug stores. It was commonly used in the U.S. to treat asthma, epilepsy, dysmemarrhea, gonorrhea, and migraines, being compared to opium in strength but much kinder on the body. The use of marijuana declined with the development of aspirin and barbiturates, which were much more dependable. The belief that Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. This new law to discourage recreational smoking required anyone purchasing the drug for certain medical purposes to pay a tax of one dollar per ounce, while those inclined to use it for other purposes paid one hundred dollars per ounce. In 1970 Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, assigning psychoactive drugs to five schedules. Cannabis came under schedule 1, the most restrictive. Drugs outlined under schedule 1 were said to have no medical use, a high potential for abuse and no safe uses. In 1978 New Mexico enacted the first law to make it legal for medical use, and by 1994, 36 other states followed. Cannabis was not recognized as a medicine by the federal government , and in order to dispense it, states had to conduct special research and receive FDA approval. Because this was so hard to do, only 10 states actually established programs in which cannabis was used as a medicine. Patients had to complete extensive paperwork in order to get legal permission to take cannabis. The near impossibility to receive treatment through this program caused most cancer patients to use street marijuana, which was easy to get and much more potent than the prescribed form. But in New Mexico, 250 cancer patients received either marijuana or THC between 1978-1986. THC come from the cannabis plant, but several of it's chemical relatives, like synhexyl and nabilane have been developed to replace it. The marijuana proved to be superior with 90% of those receiving it reporting significant or total relief. When AIDS patients also began applying for legal permission, the government felt sw...
