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Marijuana used in Medicine
Dating back to the ancient Chinese, Egyptian, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Greek civilizations to well before written and recored history, the human race has used cannabis in medicine ever since emperor Shen Nung discovered the healing properties of the ephedra, ginseng, and marijuana plants.. -
Pure Food and Drugs Act
All medicine must now be clearly labeled with the ingredients, known as the Wiley Act. This includes alcohol, morphine, opium, cocaine, heroin, cannabis, chloroform and more. -
Massachusetts
Massachusetts becomes the first state in the United States that institutes a ban on cannabis. -
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Recreational Use of Marijuana in America
The use of marijuana for recreational purposes began in the 1920s when the Mexican immigrants came to the United States. This incited a racist themed smear campaign against marijuana led by Harry J Anslinger and William Randolph Hearst. -
Second Opium Conference
The League of Nations sponsors the Second Opium Conference in Geneva, and Egypt proposes that hashish be added to the list of narcotics allowed/banned. Normal cannabis is still allowed for scientific and medical purposes but restrictions on resin are put in place. -
1930s Marijuana Based Medicine on Rise
Parke-Davis and Eli Lily, two American pharmacutical companies are selling extract of Marijuana as medicine as an analgesic, antispasmodic, and sedative. While Grimault & Company are selling marijuana cigarettes for asthma. -
All 48 States have Laws Regulating the Use of Marijuana
By the end of the year, all 48 states are regulating the use of Marijuana and the use of cannabis in medicine was declining as opium-derived drugs were introduced like morphine and aspirin. -
Reefer Madness
A propaganda film aimed at showing parents about the dangers of cannabis use, first financed by a church titled "Tell your Children" and was rediscovered in the 1970s as a comedy to those attempting to legalize marijuana. -
Franklin D Roosevelt
President Franklin D Roosevelt signs legislation that bans the use, production and sale of cannabis; including for industrial hemp across the United States. -
Marijuana Removed Completely from Medicine
The last companies to supply medical marijuana in any form within the United States have removed their products and moved to other medicines. -
Executive Order 9280
Franklin Roosevelt signs an executive order that allow for emergency hemp production, for industrial use, during War World II for canvas, cordage, rope, and oil. Mostly produced in Missouri and Kentucky. -
End of World War II
With the closing of World War II, the Roosevelt administration removed their executive order and re-banned industrial hemp, virtually overnight. -
NORML is Founded
No, Willie wasn't really there for the founding, but he is wearing a NORML shirt; it stands for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Founded in 1970 by a lawyer and funded by the Playboy Foundation with $5,000. -
Federal Government creates the DEA
With constant challenges to the anti-cannabis laws caused by "Reefer Madness" the federal government created the Controlled Substances Act as well as the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) -
Nixon Will Not Legalize
While on television, while speaking about a recent conference called the "White House Conference on Youth" which recently had voted to legalize marijuana, President Nixon said, "As you know, there is a Commission that is supposed to make recommendations to me about this subject; in this instance, however, I have such strong views that I will express them. I am against legalizing marijuana. Even if the Commission does recommend that it be legalized, I will not follow that recommendation." -
Nixon Waterbong Tapes
Many people are familiar with the Watergate scandal during Nixon's presidency but there were many other suspicious sound bites from these tapes, "You know, it's a funny thing, every one of the bastards that are out for legalizing marijuana is Jewish. What the Christ is the matter with the Jews, Bob? What is the matter with them? I suppose it is because most of them are psychiatrists." -
Nixon Waterbong Tapes 2
While meeting with Raymond Shafer, the commissioner of the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse, "You're enough of a pro," Nixon tells Shafer, "to know that for you to come out with something that would run counter to what the Congress feels and what the country feels, and what we're planning to do, would make your commission just look bad as hell." -
Shafer Commission
Pushed by President Richard Nixon, a commssion to review the laws governing cannabis. The proper name is "National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse" -
National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse
A report presented to Congress by Raymond P. Shafer, the Commission's chairman, "Marijuana, A Signal of Misunderstanding" stood in favor of ending the prohibition on marijuana and using similar programs like those warning against alcohol abuse, unprotected sex, and smoking cigarettes. -
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Era of Decriminalization
From 1973 through 1981, there were a total of eleven states that had decriminalized the possession of marijuana; this "era of decriminalization" lasted until Ronald Reagan.
(AK, OR, CA, CO, NE, MN, MS, OH, NC, NY and ME) -
President Jimmy Carter endorses the Shafer Commission
Quote "Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself; and where they are, they should be changed. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against possession of marijuana in private for personal use... Therefore, I support legislation amending Federal law to eliminate all Federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce [28g] of marijuana." -
Robert Randall, First Legal Medical Marijuana Patient
Utilizing Common Law Doctrine of Necessity, Robert Randall became the first receipient of medical marijuana after a court ruling dismissed criminal charges against him for possession, and the government started providing him access to government supplies of medical marijuana. He had glaucoma. -
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NORML Has Trouble
Until they receive a favoral ruling by the DEA in 1988, NORML is struggling during the Reagan administration, even with pressure from politics and finances they were successfully able to lobby 36 states to work towards medical cannabis laws. -
California Legalizes Cannabis for Medical Use
First legalized with Proposition 215, by 2003 they added clarifications to the act and created a Statewide Medical Cannabis ID Card Program. -
Oregon Legalizes Cannabis for Medical Use
Oregon Ballot Measure 67 created the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program with most of the patients either suffering from severe pain or severe nausea. -
Alaska Legalizes Cannabis for Medical Use.
The law legalized the possession, cultivation and use of cannabis for patients who suffer from cachexia, cancer, chronic pain, epilepsy and other illnesses. 58% Support. -
Maine Legalizes Cannabis for Medical Use
Passing by a respectable 62% the voters of Maine legalized the pssession and use of medical cannabis for eligible patients. Later expanded to include a confidential registry of patients and an expanded condition list. -
Colorado Legalizes Cannabis for Medical Use
By passing Amendment 20 to the Colorado constitution, citizens of the state voted to allow the medical use of cannabis with 54% of the vote but it still carried criminal penalty for use in or in view of public property. -
Hawaii Legalizes Cannabis for Medical Use
Senate Bill 862 allows patients who qualify to possess medical cannabis as well as cannabis plants. -
Nevada Legalizes Cannabis for Medical Use
Passing by a majority of 65% the voters in Nevada allows qualifying patients to possess and grow cannabis. The law took effect immediately. -
Vermont Legalizes Cannabis for Medical Use
Medical marijuana became legal with the passage of Senate Bill 76 with the allowance to possess and grow cannabis in limited quantities if conditions are met. -
Rhode Island Legalizes Cannabis for Medical Use
Cannabis became legalized for medical use in Rhode Island with the passage of the "Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act, but so far there are still no dispensaries available in the state. -
New Mexico Legalizes Cannabis for Medical Use
Senate Bill 523 legalized the use of medical cannabis in the state of New Mexico, given authorization by a doctor and the state. -
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Obama eases pressure on medical marijuana states
Obama is releasing pressure and telling agencies to cease any inviestigations into patients in states with medical marijuana, such as California. -
Michigan Legalizes Cannabis for Medical Use
By passing the Michigan Medical Marijuana Initiative, they legalized the use for patients suffering from conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and HIV. -
New Jersey Legalizes Cannabis for Medical Use
The legislature passed an act to allow for the use of medical marijuana by patients with severe, chronic illnesses. -
Iowa Classifies Marijuana Class Two
With a high risk of misuse, Iowa changes the classification of marijuana to concede that there are large amounts of medical benefits, but does not create a medical marijuana program in the state. -
Arizona Legalizes Cannabis for Medical Use
Literally passing by an outcome of 50.1% the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, allowing an eligible patient to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana with doctor's note. -
Washington D.C. Legalizes the Medical Use of Cannabis
In a suprising move, the United States congress did not overrule a bill by the city council of Washington DC to legalize cannabis for medical use. Wouldn't you like to see that patient list? -
Maryland Legalizes Cannabis for Medical Use
After first passing by the state senate in 2003, the state amended the law to make sure that if someone was being prosecuted for possession that the state consider whether there is a medical necessity. -
Delaware Legalizes Cannabis for Medical Use
Passed through the state senate with a vote of 17-4, the state became the 16th state to legalize medical marijuana. -
Connecticut Legalizes Cannabis for Medical Use
The state senate of Connecticut passed a bill legalizing the medical use of marijuana, most of the law was effective immediately while the rest became effective on October 1, 2012. -
Colorado Passes Amendment 64
Colorado became the first state to completely decriminilize any use of cannabis, not just for medical uses, the first time in the country for almost 100 years. -
Washington Legalizes Cannabis
Becoming the second state in the country after Colorado, Washington legalized marijuana not only for medical use but the possession, use and cultivation for recreational use for those over the age of 21. -
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Obama Claims Marijuana Not Top Priority
Obama claims that they have "Bigger fish to fry" rather than recreational users of marijuana in the states of Colorado and Washington, the same approach he has been using for medical marijuana. -
"Respect States' Marijuana Laws Act"
Led by a Republican from California, Dana Rohrabacher, a group of US representatives introduced legislation to end all enforcement of federal marijuana laws in states that have "either legalized it or adopted medical marijuana laws."
