Drug use and abuse has been a rising issue in America for decades and has a major impact on the criminal justice system. Although it is unclear as to when drugs were first discovered, we can date back to at least 12,000 years ago when cannabis (inherited the name marijuana from Mexico) was cultivated. Cannabis Sativa is considered humanity’s oldest cultivated crop with a long history. These plants are believed to have emerged in Central Asia in the regions of Mongolia and southern Siberia. Around 7000 B.C. hemp was used to make rope and woven fabrics in Central and South Asia. The Chinese were also using the hemp plant as clothing, paper, and bowstrings. The first recorded use of cannabis as a medicinal drug was in 2737 B.C. by a Chinese
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In his writings, he referred to the euphoriant effects of cannabis as “Liberator of Sin.” Nung recommended cannabis for medical like gout, rheumatism, malaria, beriberi, constipation and …show more content…
It was first cultivated in 3400 B.C. in lower Mesopotamia. Opium was given the name Hul Gil, the ‘joy plant” by the Sumerians because its effects were considered magical and mystical. Throughout the years, opium was passed to the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Egyptians, the Middle East, Europe, Persia and India, and China. By 1729, the opium problem had become so widespread that the Chinese banned the use of opium for anything other than licensed medical use and in 1799; all opium trade was banned in China. After the ban, the opium smuggling industry sky rocketed. Numerous well-known Americans began entering the trade, like Charles Cabot, John Cushing, and John Jacob Astor. John Jacob Astor of New York City was the first successful American to start a regular opium trade with Chin, using his American Fur Company. In 1803 Friedrich Setuerner of Germany discovered the active ingredient of opium; morphine (principium somniferum), by dissolving it in acid then neutralizing it with ammonia. His discovery was considered a milestone and opium had finally been declared “tamed” by the medical community. The dependency of opium was growing steadily in England, Europe, and the United States. By the 19th century, opium was found in everything from teething powders to analgesics; it was even being used for colicky babies. To make matters worse, a Doctor by the name of
In his writings, he referred to the euphoriant effects of cannabis as “Liberator of Sin.” Nung recommended cannabis for medical like gout, rheumatism, malaria, beriberi, constipation and …show more content…
It was first cultivated in 3400 B.C. in lower Mesopotamia. Opium was given the name Hul Gil, the ‘joy plant” by the Sumerians because its effects were considered magical and mystical. Throughout the years, opium was passed to the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Egyptians, the Middle East, Europe, Persia and India, and China. By 1729, the opium problem had become so widespread that the Chinese banned the use of opium for anything other than licensed medical use and in 1799; all opium trade was banned in China. After the ban, the opium smuggling industry sky rocketed. Numerous well-known Americans began entering the trade, like Charles Cabot, John Cushing, and John Jacob Astor. John Jacob Astor of New York City was the first successful American to start a regular opium trade with Chin, using his American Fur Company. In 1803 Friedrich Setuerner of Germany discovered the active ingredient of opium; morphine (principium somniferum), by dissolving it in acid then neutralizing it with ammonia. His discovery was considered a milestone and opium had finally been declared “tamed” by the medical community. The dependency of opium was growing steadily in England, Europe, and the United States. By the 19th century, opium was found in everything from teething powders to analgesics; it was even being used for colicky babies. To make matters worse, a Doctor by the name of