Marijuana Firsts: Everything You Need To Know About The Major Milestones Of Everyone's Favorite Plant
‘Firsts’ encompass what can be a profound movement, an unarguably momentous development, a step backward or even a lesson learned.
The past few years of new beginnings in the marijuana movement have been put under a microscope by our generation’s innate craving for minute-by-minute news and technological advances.
But, let’s give credit where credit is really due, and take a look at events that have molded the world’s perspective on weed.
1st Plant
It is tough to pinpoint when the first cannabis plant was intentionally grown, but traces of THC have been found in an Egyptian mummy which dates back nearly 3,000 years. This illustrates that cultivation may have begun even earlier, but the plant was used in Egypt, which has one of the longest histories of any modern state.
1st Written Word
The word ‘Marijuana’ has been found in Chinese records dating back to 28 BC. What we can take from this is that Chinese farmers grew marijuana more than 2,000 years ago.
1st Use of Medical Marijuana
China once again takes the distinction for this first. Possibly because of their knack for recording just about everything, Chinese Emperor Shen Nung documented the first use of marijuana as a medical drug in 2737 BC. He also went as far as to record its effectiveness in treating pains that come with gout and rheumatism.
1st Law in America
In 1619, when America was colonized, the first law written required farmers to grow hemp plants. Hemp is useful in the production of rope, clothing, sails and can be a food source. Read more about the current controversy over hemp.
1st Weed Conviction
The first conviction for the use of marijuana occurred on the exact date that the Marihuana Tax Act was enacted: October 2, 1937. Samuel R. Caldwell had two joints on him, but only spent three years in prison. He died shortly after his release.
1st Legalized for Medical Use
In July of 2001, Health Canada established Canada as the first country in the world to offer medical marijuana to pain-suffering patients. Currently, Canada has revoked home growing rights from medical patients.
1st Nation to Fully Legalize Marijuana
Uruguay fully legalized marijuana for growing, sale and smoking on December 10, 2013. This may yield substantial boost for the Uruguayan economy, though Monsanto is within earshot. Read the full story here.
1st United States President to Smoke
If you were thinking Barack Obama (Bill didn’t inhale, remember!), think again: George Washington, the first president of the United States of America smoked a fair amount of pot. He had his own hemp farm, and in 1762, he required Virginia farmers to produce hemp and penalized them if they did not grow this miracle plant.
Patricia Whitter | via Lexichronic, Top Photo Courtesy: Tumblr
