Throughout history marijuana has been used to serve various purposes in many
different cultures. The purposes have changed over time to fit in with the
current lifestyles. This pattern is also true in American history. The use of
marijuana has adapted to the social climate of the time. Marijuana, whose
scientific name is cannibis sativa, was mentioned in historical manuscripts as
early as 2700 B. C. in China. (Grolier Electronic Encyclopedia, 1995).
The cultivation of the marijuana plant began as far back as the Jamestown
settlers, around 1611, who used hemp produced from the marijuana plant's fibers
to make rope and canvas. It was also used in making clothing because of it's
durability. These uses fit in with the social climate of the time, because the
main focus was on survival rather than for psychoactive purposes.
During the prohibition, marijuana was widely used because of the scarcity of
alcohol. Prohibition was repealed after just thirteen years while the
prohibition against marijuana lasted for more than seventy five years. This
double standard may have resulted from the wishes of those in power. Alcohol
prohibition struck directly at tens of millions of Americans of all ages,
including many of societies most powerful members. Marijuana prohibition
threatened far fewer Americans, and they had relatively little influence in the
districts of power.
Only the prohibition of marijuana, which some sixty million Americans have
violated since 1965 has come close to approximating the prohibition experience,
but marijuana smokers consist mostly of young and relatively powerless Americans
(American Heritage, pg 47). Alcohol prohibition was repealed and marijuana
prohibition was retained, not because scientists had proved that alcohol was the
less dangerous of the various psychoactive drugs, but because of the prejudices
and preferences of most Americans (American Heritage, pg 47).
In 1937 the government issued the Marijuana Tax Act, which levied a dollar an
ounce tax on marijuana, coupled with fines of $2,000 for drug posession and jail
sentences for evasion of the tax. For this reason marijuana use in the United
States appears to have gone into decline in the late 30's (Grolier Wellness
Encyclopedia, pg 54).
