Ep. 98 Cannabis: How Racism Led to the Demonization of a Rather Useful Plant

This week I'll explore the social history of the cannabis plant including its use since ancient times as a fiber, medicine, and for its psychoactive properties both ritualistically and recreationally. I'll explore how cannabis first made its way to the Americas and how it became a main crop of colonial planters that they were actually required by law to grow. I'll explore it's use in 19th century American medicines and do some digging to find out why it came to be banned in 1937 following an influx of Mexican immigrants who brought recreational use of "locoweed" or "marijuana" with them. You're in for a wild ride! 

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Sources: 

• NPR "The Mysterious History of Marijuana"
• CBS News "The man behind the marijuana ban for all the wrong reasons"
• DEA "Drug Scheduling"
• Wikipedia "History of Cannabis"
• American Addiction Centers "History of Marijuana"
• History.com "Marijuana"
• University of Georgia "History of Marijuana Regulation in America"
• Nature Magazine "A Potted History"
• Encyclopedia Britannica "Why Is Marijuana Illegal in the US?"
• Mount Sinai "Herbal Medicine"
• FindLaw "Marijuana Possession Laws by State"
• American Association of Medical Colleges "Alcohol related deaths are spiking. So why don't we take alcohol addiction more seriously?"
• Associated Press "US poised to ease restrictions on marijuana in historic shift, but it'll remain controlled substance" 
• Wikipedia "Datura stramonium"
• National Park Service "Wildlife in the Tropical Rainforest"