Marijuana Policy Foreword
Over the centuries, the marijuana (hemp) plant has had many uses — including for cloth, paper, rope, incense, and even legal tender. In 1619, all farmers at the colony in Jamestown, Virginia, were ordered to grow Indian hempseed to ship back to England, and it was a primary crop on the farms of George Washington at Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. Use of marijuana — or cannabis, as it was called — as a recreational drug did not become widespread until the prohibition era (1920 to 1933). Once the Federal Government banned alcohol, marijuana’s usage increased, and by…
