HerbStory
- Riane Ashley
- Feb 2
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 3
We have his-story. We have her-story. Now history has been writing HERBSTORY for decades and it is time we share with the world the amazing story behind CANNABIS.
HISTORY OF CANNABIS
There are many questions regarding the use of cannabis in the United States of America. It has a long and complex history, however the wall for Cannabis Prohibition in America is losing its 70-year battle to historical, scientific and medicinal research. Individuals dedicated to proving Cannabis as a non-addictive plant has been fighting the Federal government since the Great Depression. To understand the complexities cannabis businesses has in America we need to go back to the beginning of the Cannabis American History.
Hemp, the sister to the cannabis plant was regarded as a highly recommended crop for farmers to grow to make materials like clothing, rope, and sails in the 1600s. The Virginia Assembly in 1619 passed legislation for farmers to grow hemp and some states recognized hemp as a legal tender. In the 1840s cannabis was widely accepted as medicine and was found in over the counter medicines. Cannabis was added to the US pharmacopeia in 1850 and later removed in 1942 after the Marijuana tax act was passed, 26 states made it illegal and after Mexicans introduced recreational use after the Mexican revolution. Cannabis was at the center creating the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, Controlled Substance Act and DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) from the 1930s-1970s. In 1944, The New York Academy of Medicine2 published a report stating marijuana was only a mild intoxicant.
Though the Cannabis Prohibition continued through the heavy push of preventing the use of gateway drugs in the United States, there were states that decriminalize marijuana in 1970, Oregon, Alaska and Maine. In 1996 California passed and approved of Proposition 215, the legalization of Marijuana for medicinal use. Today more than 20 states permit the sale of marijuana for medicinal use. According to Gallup, American’s view on legalization marijuana use in has reached a new high, 68% of Americans support the legalization of marijuana use to include recreational and medicinal. In a more detailed study done by Pew Research Center 91% of Americans support the legalization of Marijuana. With the growing acceptance of marijuana use in America it provides opportunity for entrepreneurs to start up their own company.
Incorporating Cannabis
The most important aspect of incorporating cannabis is education. Without an understanding as to why you are incorporating this plant into your medicine arsenal, you will be flying blind on your own patient medication management. Knowing what symptoms, you want to alleviate with cannabis is where you want to start. Have a dedicated note section on your phone or in a journal to track your cannabis intake. I do my tracking like this below. You can adapt it based upon how you see fit especially when you microdose.
Symptom(s) & severity - ie: PTSD, chronic pain, insomnia, appetite, etc. | Cannabis strain | Modality - RSO, crumble, flower, etc. | Track your response. Did it alleviate your symptoms? |
Keep your cannabis medicine in a specific area. Stay up to date with cannabis policy & laws on a state and federal level Cannabis is an important piece to my medicine arsenal, because it has been the one medicine that works for my chronic pain. It alleviates not just muscle and joint pain, but neuropathy pain as well. Some key words to familiarize yourself with are:
THC - Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol
8THC - Delt-8-Tetrahydrocannabinol, hemp derived cousin of the delta-9-THC
THCA - this is the raw compound to cannabis and when heated creates THC
THC-O acetate - this is considered 3x stronger, acetic anhydride is added to delta-8 THC molecules to make this compound.
CBD- Cannabidiol. It’s derived from hemp and is non-psychoactive.
CBN - Cannabinol. Non-intoxicating compound that is best known as the cannabinoid created when THC ages. Great for sleep and relaxing.
CBG - Cannabigerol. Often known and called “mother of all cannabinoids”. Derived by hemp plants and research indicates it can bind to the CB1 & CB2 receptors in the endocannabinoid system.
Sites For Cannabis Research, Advocacy and News:
Cannabis is the greatest medicine in my view. It has helped with my neuropathy pain, arthritis pain, insomnia, nausea and appetite. I started using cannabis for post traumatic stress disorder, however I slowly began to realize that cannabis has helped with the pain I have.
Stay tuned on this blog for more information on the strains that I have used for management. If you have any questions on cannabis consumption, don't hesitate to reach out to me.
-Riane
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