Marijuana has a long turbulent history in this country and the story is still unfolding to this day. pioneers of marijuana have fought for the rights of this plant since the benefits of using the cannabis plant were discovered. Cannabis was imported and grown in the very first settlements of the United States. The Jamestown hemp farm was probably not growing Train Wreck, but they definitely understood the limitless possibilities of the cannabis plant. Since that time weed has gone from a crop, to an illegal narcotic, to a prescribed medicine.

The history of cannabis in the U.S. can be traced back to before the revolution. All farms in the colony of Jamestown were mandated to grow the crop. It was used for everything from paper, to clothing, to home construction. The founding fathers of the country were also proponents of the versatile cannabis plant. Thomas Payne listed hemp as the first requirement for a successful revolution in what is widely considered the inspiration for the Constitution. In his famed publication Common Sense, he wrote that in the colonies the hemp plant flourished to the point of rankness. Meaning it grows almost too good.

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Ben Franklin were all known to have large portions of there farms devoted to the cannabis plant. It is not known whether they were marijuana smokers, but they certainly had access to the potent buds. George Washington's diaries indicate that he was separating the male and the female plants. He would express dismay if the plants were separated too late and were all pollinated. One of the only reasons for cultivating female cannabis plants is to produce THC. Thomas Jefferson was known for going to great lengths to smuggle "exotic hemp seeds" from China and India. These pioneers of marijuana and democracy understood the value of a versatile crop like the cannabis plant. It's a weed that will grow anywhere and a natural resource with a thousand uses.

When marijuana was outlawed in the 1930's a new brand of marijuana pioneer was born, the weed rebel. pot was now an illegal drug with serious felony consequences. The deliberate campaign against the cannabis plant in 20th century America could only be described as racist paranoia. Marijuana culture was forced underground and smeared with the stigma associated with hard drugs like heroin and opium. The federal government used a propaganda campaign to spread lies about cannabis and they succeeded. Public opinion quickly turned against the drug and its users. This is when artists began to take up the fight for marijuana rights.

Famous writers, musicians, poets, and artists began to use their work and notoriety to change the negative stereotypes that had been sold to the public. This new generation of marijuana pioneers took a stand when they saw the government creating legislation based on lies. Their positive experience with marijuana did not match up with the horror stories the Feds were using to outlaw the drug. The laws are quickly changing in favor of marijuana in thanks to the pioneers of marijuana in the past and present. Today you can walk into a privately run business in California and legally purchase high grade marijuana. This new cannabis industry has the potential to save a failing economy. If you give any credence to the advice of Thomas Payne.