College and University Blog

Cannabis has been a part of civilization for thousands of years, in one form or another. It has been most widely used under the name of hemp. The hemp plant yields very strong fibers that can be used to make fabric, rope, and paper among other things. It also yields seeds that are very high in protein. For hundreds of years, the plant has been harvested in many parts of the world to supply these basic needs. It was one of the first crops planted in the new world and was harvested by many of our founding fathers.

Some strains of the plant – cannabis sativa and cannabis indica – were harvested and processed to remove a resin that was smoked and ingested. This resin is still a part of the world’s economy. The rest of the plant is no longer necessary due to the creation of synthetic fibers like nylon and rayon. Due to the resin produced by this plant, it holds a special place in the world of trade. It commands a relatively high price and is not subject to taxation. It enjoys these conditions because it is illegal.

Cannabis has not always been illegal. The push to make cannabis illegal came in the mid to late 1930’s. During this time, the U.S. Agriculture Department had been pushing for the use of hemp to ease the problem of possible deforestation. In 1936, a machine was built that could separate the pulp and the fiber in a cost effective manner. During this same time, a group of powerful companies had developed a new method to produce whiter paper. A lot of money had been invested in this project. If cheaper hemp was to be used, they stood to lose a significant amount of money. These industry giants had many government connections and were very powerful. In order to save their investment, they were going to exploit one of the properties of the cannabis plant: The fact that when smoked, it would produce a sense of euphoria.

This attribute of the plant was not well known by most of the American public. A disinformation campaign began. A Mexican slang term for the plant,

Posted on 11 Feb