The History of Medical Marijuana can be traced back 27,000 years.  Since then, many civilizations have depended on it for many things.  One of the most important things was it’s medicinal value. It has been discovered that the Ancient Egyptians, Chinese and many other cultures used cannabis for many medicinal purposes including childbirth, depression and nausea.

Cannabis continued to be widely used for medicinal purposes in the United States until a law was passed making it illegal in 1937 despite the overwhelming evidence supporting it’s medicinal values. Some diseases known to benefit from the use of Medicinal Marijuana include brain cancer, HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, lung cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Crohn’s Disease, and depression.

Even though Francis L. Young, the DEA’s Chief Administrative Law Judge, ruled that Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest active substances known and polls showed that 73 percent of Americans supported legalizing it for medicinal purposes, red tape prevailed and patients were still unable to acquire it legally.

Patients finally turned to state level in 1996 and legal use of Cannabis was allowed in California and Arizona.  In the coming months and years, a dozen more states followed. But the federal government started a campaign in 1997 that allowed the arrest of patients who used medical cannabis.  Two Supreme Court Cases came out of the raids and it was found that the federal government could continue their campaign if they choose.

Since then, the federal government has strengthened the war against patients across California.  So far, two dozen patients have been prosecuted and the defendants are not allowed to mention during their trials that they were using cannabis for medicinal purposes.  This nonsense has cost taxpayers ten million dollars.

Due to these raids on patients, in 2002, Americans for Safe Access was founded.  The ASA has been influential in determining the political and legal aspects of cannabis for medical purposes.  The group protects the rights of patients and its members are working to change federal policy so the needs of patients are met.

The history of medical marijuana has had a colorful and eventful history, things are being done to make sure that the rights of patients who want to use it for medicinal purposes are upheld.  There is still a long way to go in some places but it is a good sign to see that many places in the world have already taken this step.

It may still be illegal in many parts of the world but some countries that are taking a step forward in a positive direction include Austria, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Spain, Israel Canada and in the United States: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

Hopefully the future of medical marijuana is better than what it has been in recent times.  It will aid in minimizing the suffering for so many people and allow them to live their lives with less pain which I hope the people who are trying to keep it away from those who need it realize is not such a bad thing.

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