A Brief History Of Cannabis

A Brief History Of Cannabis

A brief history of cannabis,

& it's uses in past cultures.

Around 10,000 years back,

it was key in agriculture...

Emperor Shen Nang of China,

two thousand plus years BC,

he used it as desired,

as an aid for memory.

Whilst in ancient India,

they made a drink called 'Bhang',

& if you look past all the trivia,

it's an integral part of man.

The great physician Galen,

prescribed it for good health,

around 200 AD,

no one need act out of stealth.

Chinese Dr Hua Tuo,

prescribed the plant for pain.

The best analgesic for you,

in our past to modern day.

Throughout the middle ages,

within the middle east,

you need not be a holy man,

or sage to smoke hashish.

Christopher Columbus,

in 1492,

lead by his trusty compass,

discovered lands anew...

He set his ship to sail,

with ropes made out of hemp,

whilst colonists ceased to fail,

to fill the 'New World' with hemp.

During the 1600's,

it was traded throughout Asia,

above all other plants,

it seemed this faithful plant was favoured.

During the 17^th century,

doctors throughout prescribed it,

& William O'shoughnessy,

was the doc who popularised it. 

During the 1800's,

within the United Nations,

cannabis was blooming,

everywhere in big plantations.

General stores supplied it,

in many different forms,

no-one had to hide it,

it was accepted as the norm.

At the end of the 18^th century,

the general opinion changed.

A one eighty degree turn mentality,

telling us that it makes us deranged?!

Never mind the opium,

and alcohol at large,

on the anti-narcotic token,

the British took first charge.

Dismissing her subtle qualities,

that were spoken of for time.

This was the start of Hippocrasy,

use of medicine was now deemed a 'crime'.

In 1868,

the evil law was firmly passed,

the miracle plant made illegal,

and its qualities progressively masked.

Meanwhile in the U.S of A,

marijuana was labelled a 'danger'.

In 1906, misconveying

the plant was another game changer.

In 1913, California,

banned the growing of hemp altogether.

Oblivious to how to transforms ya,

made no rational sense what so ever.

The Harrison Narcotic tax act,

was accepted in 1914,

within time, the immutable facts,

of the plant, were forgotten or screened.

Smoking it in ciggies or pipes,

was the primary means of ingestion,

and the people believed all the hype,

& held hemp so deep under question.

Hemp viewed as a dangerous drug,

instead of a powerful medicine,

& the people were taken for mugs,

& blamed all of it on the Mexicans.

The start of the Mexican revolution,

in hand with smoke of marijuana,

& racism a heavy contribution,

to the 'reefer madness' here say drama.

1925 it was prohibited,

in twenty six American states,

then exportation inhibited,

worldwide, without open debate.

Many countries conspired together,

signed a treaty saying ganja was 'nasty',

in hard times, the peeps under pressure,

and the scapegoat, our trusty 'first-class tree'.

1928, good old England,

once again put a stamp on the herb,

& so in the 'United Kingdom',

times were harder and the reasons absurd.

Then along came Harry Anslinger,

of the federal bureau of narcotics.

He stated “All blacks & jazz singers,

were crazy weed smoking Satanics”.

He continued by stating “Marijuana,

causes white girls to lose all their senses,

believing they've discovered nirvana,

& fall in bed with black man, no defences”.

The mendacity was sheer lunacy,

deceit taken to the next level!

Fooling an entire community,

that a herb was in league with the Devil!?*#

So from that time and thereon,

the people poisoned by propaganda,

on how drug-induced sex and violence,

correlated with smoking up ganja?

Then came “The marijuana tax act”,

of the year nineteen thirty seven,

proclaimed by trusty Anslinger,

by no means a lover of resin.

But every story of the villain,

must bring forth a sensible speaker.

Introducing William Woodward,

with the word out for the reefer.

He stated that “There is no evidence,

that marijuana poses as a danger.

In fact, in truth, on the contrary,

it may well be a plant in our favour...

His words were swept under the carpet,

and cannabis given bad press.

Hemp taken off of the market,

any vendors were now under arrest.

The first being Samuel Caldwell,

in the year nineteen thirty seven.

Thrown in a dark and damp walled cell,

for supply of cannabis and possession.

If you wanted to be a hemp buyer,

underground was the means of exchange,

and by this time all of Canada and China,

followed suit as the world culture changed.

The Middle East, Northern Africa and India,

were acceptions where it could be consumed.

Despite U.S. hype up and trivia,

these countries were fully in bloom.

The U.S. of A were the top dogs,

and their policy was heavily pushed.

Over hemp they got unhealthy hot dogs,

and banned was the beautiful bush.

Then came Fiorello La Guardia,

of New York City, he was Mayor,

and not unlike hemp, he was hardier,

curious, conscious and aware.

He requested a study on cannabis,

and it wasn't that bad after all!

What on Earth then was the logical catalyst,

for 'The Boggs act?! Well there weren't one at all!!

So what, dare you ask was 'The Boggs act'?!

It meant jail for lighting a doobie!

Government twats, got the wrong facts,

the year '51 not so groovy.

Then came the 'Narcotics control act',

the clue's in the name, they got stricter,

but cannabis, you can't control that,

as the underground scene just got richer.

Cannabis became so taboo,

that to smoke it was an act of rebellion,

just like piercing or tattoos,

it was symbolic of liberal expression.

So they threw it in the box with the baddies,

like heroine and snorting cocaine.

So hemp got the bad rep, so sadly,

and they battled all over again...

The UN single convention,

on narcotic drugs of '61,

said that 'Hemp wont get a mention,

unless it's for science', job done!

By this stage the people like sheeple,

of the world follow suit in their herds.

Meanwhile the wolves in sheep's clothing,

dictated their fictitious blurb.

But wait in the legendary late 60's,

the hippies expanded at large,

life was sweet and the future looked pretty,

but not for the people in charge..

Then along came president Nixon,

put in place to restore 'law and order',

as during the Vietnam war,

they were doing all sorts on the border.

Hence in the year 1970,

the controlled substances act put in place,

and hemp held the heaviest penalties,

as a schedule one drug??!! Wot a nutcase!!

In 1971, the UK,

followed suit to fit in with the norm,

whilst in the U.S a group called NORML,

stood strong and refused to conform.

Normal stands for “National Organisation,

for the Reform of Marijuana Laws”

who fought for the abrogation,

of Governmental nonsensical clause.

1972, good old Nixon,

once again put a spanner in the works,

when he created “The Shafer Commission”,

then dissed all their well thought out work...

The commission said weed weren't that dangerous,

and suggested decriminalisation,

'cause hemp weren't the baddie that was ageing us,

therefore should be free in each nation.

Then came the great 'war on drugs',

and the drug enforcement administration.

In hope to dampen the love,

and the concept of a sovereign nation.

In the year of 1975,

the supreme court laid out its baloney,

with zero intent to revive,

the plant to it's true status, -Holy.

They ruled that twenty years in prison,

was OK, however retarded,

but the loss of ideologic vision,

can never be long disregarded.

Such control only leads to hysteria,

and no sane folk would forever abide it,

as many states throughout America,

opted to decriminalise it.

Shortly followed by the Netherlands,

in the year of 1976,

Amsterdam, AKA NEVERLAND,

was the hotspot for coffee shop trips.

But once again, one more backlash,

with an anti drugs organisation,

battering down good old hashish,

and riddled with misinformation.

DARE to resist drugs and violence,

shortly followed by good old Ronald Regan,

elected in the year 1980,

not the best time for nature lovin' 'Pagans'.

Anti 'drugs' dribble was rife,

and the catch phrase was “Just Say No”.

Partnership of a drug free America,

and the likes, sounded like a game show.

Cannabis in association with Heroin??!!

No wonder it had a bad rep!

What happened to the powerful medicine,

that it is, when wholistic, known as hemp?!!*#

The law was cracking down on the users,

but targeted ethnic minorities,

meanwhile the heavy abusers,

the Government, played out their hippocrasy.

By '96 it was legalised,

in California, & numerous states,

& they called it medical marijuana,

better than never, but a little too late.

By the late 90's propaganda faded,

and cannabis was featured in films,

and our minds were a little less jaded,

and we got down with what's always been real.

Portugal made it decriminalised,

and drug associated crime went down,

and their people slowly more liberalised,

from the illogical, dragged out, mass clamp down.

By '01 Canada legalised it,

or at least for medicinal use.

Force control, you cannot rationalise it,

when restricting mere vegetable produce.

Obama stood for Prez in '09,

and spoke of his teen toker daze,

and many protested for recreational use,

of the plant like it was some kind of craze.

By November, the 6^th, 2012,

Colorado and Washington smashed the mold,

against other states, they chose to rebel,

and gave thumbs up to the blessed green-gold.

Taxes flowed in like a river,

both sides of the fences were happy,

now hemp was in shops just as liquor has been,

alongside the crisps and the candy.

In 2013, Uruguay,

was the first country to lift off the ban,

the 'weed' was now legal, for medicine, for play,

and for the Earth, on this small patch of land.

And so we see throughout the ages,

that the Government laws come and go,

but what stays the same is the simple truth:

hemp will help your divine garden grow.

So if you have got half a clue man,

conclusion put in a hemp shell:

This plant truly helps every human,

every environment, and every cell.