You are kidding, right? Marijuana cultivation is one of the largest cash crops in the US (there is some question as to whether or not it is the largest, but there is no disputing the fact that it is in the top five.)
> The US was built with the money from Tobacco, not Marijuana.
The US was built with money from tobacco, sugar, and slavery. Not really a great mix for us to be crowing about. BTW, when you see period documents that talk about "hemp" and how all colonial settlers should be encouraged to grow this valuable crop you are reading an exhortation from the government to grow marijuana (we don't grow the same varietals now, but it is the same plant...)
Marijuana cultivation is one of the largest cash crops in the US
Maybe, but are Marijuana growers as dependent on their crop as Tobacco growers? Do they have as powerful a lobby? Are they as heavily taxed?
I've read that period documentation. "Hemp" is not marijuana as we know it today and it was grown for rope, not as a drug. It never did catch on though, the climate wasn't very good for it.
"when you see period documents that talk about "hemp""
Good point I read some place that the reason people originally wanted to out law marijuana was in order to make it illegal to grow hemp which was competing with their cotton crop. So really this all just started out as a government enforced monopoly to please some corporate fat cats.
While that theory has some support, I would also suggest that you not discount the synergistic effect of the popular association between marijuana and that "scary" jazz/beatnik scene which probably seemed quite threatening to the dominant culture of the time.
You are kidding, right? Marijuana cultivation is one of the largest cash crops in the US (there is some question as to whether or not it is the largest, but there is no disputing the fact that it is in the top five.)
> The US was built with the money from Tobacco, not Marijuana.
The US was built with money from tobacco, sugar, and slavery. Not really a great mix for us to be crowing about. BTW, when you see period documents that talk about "hemp" and how all colonial settlers should be encouraged to grow this valuable crop you are reading an exhortation from the government to grow marijuana (we don't grow the same varietals now, but it is the same plant...)