Surprisingly, this is where weed came from!

The word weed plays a very interesting role in the cannabis community. The culture has pushed the term marijuana to mean something more friendly than what we were accustomed to in previous years. So, here is where weed originally came from so that you may have a better understanding on the origin of it.

The Mexican Revolution

1840-1900:

The word marijuana didn’t exist in American culture before 1910. Pharmaceutical companies such as Bristol-Meyer’s Squib and Eli Lilly which included cannabis.

Prior to 1910, “marijuana” didn’t exist as a word in American culture. Rather, “cannabis” was used, most often in reference to medicines and remedies for common. Around this time using cannabis was more of a social trend popularized by celebrities.

1910:

Between 1910 and 1920, over 890,000 Mexicans legally immigrated into the United States to find safety from the aftermath of civil war. The idea of consuming cannabis through smoking did not happen in mainstream American consciousness when the mexican immigrants arrived.

1913:

In 1913, the first bill criminalizing the cultivation of weed was passed California.

The bill was pushed heavy by the Board of Pharmacy as a means to control opiates and psychoactive pharmaceuticals.

The Aftermath

1930s:

The Great Depression had hit the United States, and the American people needed someone to blame. Due to the amount of immigrants coming into the country and the rise of suggestive jazz music, many Americans treated cannabis as a foreign substance that damaged the society and corrupted those of low class. Right before federal criminalization of marijuana, 29 states banned weed.

1937:

The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was Anslinger’s legacy. It was the first pillar to complete prohibition. The bill criminalized cannabis on a federal level. To discourage the production of cannabis use, the Tax Act of 1937 placed a one dollar tax on those who cultivated or sold marijuana plants. The bill also mandated that you were forced to comply to enforcement provisions, and violating these provisions would result to imprisonment or a fine up to $2000.

Although weed is not a popular topic in today’s society, its history is rooted deeply in race, politics and culture. Very much like today, marijuana has become one of the biggest talking points when it comes to race, politics, culture and business.