writings,ö but physical evidence that the hemp weed, cannabis sativa, was used for medicinal purposes had been missing prior to this discovery (ôEvidence Found of Ancient Marijuana Useö).
In the United States, hemp cultivation dates back to 1611, when hemp was an important colonial crop in Virginia, used for making sails, rope, paper, and clothing: ôKing James I ordered colonists to cultivate the plant as an industrial commodity, and some historians contend that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson advocated a hemp-based economy as wellö (ôMarijuana: Popular Culture Study Guideö). In 1839, W.B. OÆShaughnessey published the results of his experiments with humans and cannabis, touting marijuana as an effective pain reliever (ôMarijuana: Popular Culture Study Guideö). In the 1920Æs and 1930Æs, marijuana was beginning to be recognized as a catalyst for antisocial behavior, and the Federal Bureau of Narcotics launched a campaign to rid America of what they termed ôMarihuana, the DevilÆs Weedö (ôMarijuana: Popular Culture Study Guideö). During the 1960Æs, marijuana use was a well-known part of the sixties counterculture (ôCannabis (drug)ö).
Today in the United States, there are ten states that legally permit marijuana use for patients who use the substance with the consent or recommendation of a doctor, but aside from that, marijuana use is illegal (ôCannabis (drug)ö). However, tolerance for the drug appears to be growing, as evidenced by the fact that in Oregon, for example, possession of less than one ounce of marijuana by an adult for personal use is considered merely a violation rather than a crime, and it is punishable only by a fine (ôCannabis (drug)ö). Marijuana for medical use is most often prescribed for its attributes as an appetite stimulant or a pain reliever for terminal illnesses like cancer and AIDS, but it has also been used to relieve glaucoma and some types of neurological diseasesùepi...