Our love/hate relationship

Americans have a love and hate relationship with cannabis, it seems, sometimes, in equal measurements. Of course it can be considered to be involving Americans of various types. All people are different, even within their own countries, towns, and villages. This is especially true with the United States of America, whose Civil War took a heavier toll on its people than any other war they have engaged in since. In recent wars the causality rate has gone down, due to advanced technology, body armor, etc. To put it succinctly, Americans differ on numerous topics within. In the case of marijuana, it goes as far back as to its colonial days, in a way even to its first president, George Washington. In his journals he refers to growing hemp, the product of cannabis that has very low THC content. He even encouraged other farmers to grow it, as the rope product is very strong and hemp is easy to grow in many environments. It was not used for psychoactive or medicinal purposes however, as far as we know.

After that, word about cannabis seemed to taper off until it resurfaced in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. It started to appear as an ingredient in various medicinal concoctions going around. It was prohibited by Harry J. Anslinger, at a time prohibited mind-altering substances was in fashion. After World War I America was enjoying considerable prosperity, like it never had before. Perhaps people in power decided what is good and what is not good for the masses, taking it upon themselves to make the decision. It is now understood as a method to keep Mexicans and other immigrants from South America out of our country.

It appeared on the Beat scene, in the early 50's by iconic figures Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, among others. Since the days of slavery, forms of cannabis have been used to help creativity flow. With slaves toiling in the fields, they would smoke cannabis to reduce anxiety, thus the roots of blues music. It is believed one of the first instances that cannabis appeared in the New World, was slaves brining it over from Africa in the slave trade. Along with heroin, the most popular illegal drug being used by musicians was marijuana. Especially in the genres of Blues and Jazz. Later, via the Beats and Hippies, it was used by Rock musicians, strongly influenced by blues music. Allen Ginsberg can be used as a guide to the cultivation and usage of marijuana, and nearly every important anti-war movement, hippie sit-in, and rebellious groups during the 50's and the 60's. Some of his articles are some of the best pro-marijuana documents ever written. Here is an article by Lester Grinnspoon which talks about Ginsberg's relationship with cannabis. And here is the most famous article about marijuana written by Ginsberg.

Key figures like Ginsberg and John Lennon are prime examples of Americans perspectives of marijuana. Despite Lennon being an Englishmen, he was essentially kicked out of America for smoking weed. Ginsberg was kicked out of almost every country he visited in the mid to late 60's, including the former Czechoslovakia and Cuba. Another big figure of the time was Timothy Leary, who was able to convince congress to revoke an old law about marijuana and stamps. It implied that if you want marijuana, you must declare it but in the act of declaration, you can be arrested for possession, Leary said that was unconstitutional and he won. The government has always had a very anti-pot viewpoint, therefore it has been exceptionally popular with counterculture.

Certain Americans passion for cannabis has resulted in the perfection of the mind-altering capabilities of the magical plant. This is evident in its best in Amsterdam, where marijuana has been decriminalized and you can purchase it at places called coffee shops. You can choose from numerous strains, all of which are based on the original strains of sensimilla cannabis developed by Americans, primarily in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California in the late 80's. Once again Amsterdam is the place to be if you have a passion for a particular plant, before it was the Tulip, now it is Cannabis. A marvelous article written by Michael Pollan, a regular contributor to the New York Times, in his book Botany of Desire. America is both responsible for the marvelous sensimilla and its being prohibited in most of the world.

1. Michael Pollan, Botany of Desire (book, specifically sections titled "€œTulips"€ and "€œCannabis")

2. Lester Grinnspoon, Allen Ginsberg and Mary Jane (article, Marijuana Uses)

3. Allen Ginsberg, The Great Marijuana Hoax (article, Marijuana Uses)

4. Carl Sagan, Mr. X (article, Marijuana Uses)

5. Erowid Cannabis Vault (good overall web resource)