There is a great deal of evidence to support the theory that marijuana was used for pottery, food, rope and medicine during the stone age. And ancient Chinese medical text references the plant in the treatment of gout, rheumatism, and sometimes even malaria. It was also used as an anesthetic for certain surgeries. The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans relied on the marijuana plant in lots of ways. And so because of this, the planting and harvesting of cannabis eventually spread throughout Asia, the Middle East, African and India, and also into North America and Europe in the sixteen hundreds. British colonies took advantage of hemp to start to produce textiles and use as medicine. It is widely believed that Napoleon came back home to France from Egypt in the 1690’s with marijuana on his ship. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp on their plantations. Then by the mid eighteen hundreds, marijuana was considered a mainstream remedy. I think it’s surprising that this rise in acceptance came to a hasty halt. And many people just believe that this was the result of proven research and setback side effects. However, the prohibition of cannabis really originates in greed, racism and cultural warfare! This all dates back to the Great Depression. In 1929, there was a growing fear and resentment toward foreigners. Then Randolph Hearst was making his cash in the paper business. And as hemp gave a cheaper and more readily available alternative, he sought to discredit marijuana! Suddenly, the newspaper he owned and operated carried frequent stories that were blaming marijuana for Mexican men losing their minds and murdering people. There were even stories of marijuana causing men of color to become violent enough to rape women! And unfortunately, these fabrications were enough to turn popular opinion against marijuana.