Since it's April 20th, I thought I would regale you with some interesting facts about marijuana, hemp, and the general cannabis culture in the U.S. [caption id="attachment_1086" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Courtesy of warrantedarrest on Flickr"]

[/caption] 420 The term 420 originated at San Rafael High School in 1971, among a group of students who enjoyed their marijuana.  The term was shorthand for the time of day the group would meet to smoke pot; 4:20 PM.  Intent on developing their own discreet language, they made 420 code for a time to get high, and the rest is history.  Contrary to popular belief, it is not a police radio code. History of Cannabis Use The use of hemp throughout the world has predated history. Evidence of the use of hemp fiber in Taiwan dates back nearly 10,000 years, while the consumption of marijuana predates history itself. In fact, evidence of the inhalation of marijuana dates back to the 3rd millennium B.C. as indicated by charred cannabis seeds found at an ancient burial site in modern-day Romania. It is known that marijuana has been consumed by various civilizations throughout history including by ancient Hindus, Assyrians, Scythians, etc. Criminality in the U.S. Cannabis became illegal in the USA in 1937, due to an extensive propaganda campaign by William Randolph Hearst and Lamont DuPont, of DuPont Company fame. Hearst owned many newspapers throughout the U.S. and supplied most of the country with paper made from wood pulp. Making paper from hemp, while much more efficient and better for the environment, would have cost Hearst millions of dollars. DuPont had patented the method of making synthetic nylon from coal and competition from the natural hemp products would have cost them, too. The popularity of the name marijuana also dates from this time and is also due to the same propaganda campaign from Hearst and DuPont. Marijuana is just the Spanish name for the English word hemp; popularizing usage of the name marijuana made the plant sound strange and foreign and thus easier to criminalize despite the fact that hemp had been cultivated in the U.S. for many decades previously. In fact, the U.S. Constitution was drafted on hemp paper. For more insight into the science of Marijuana use, be sure to check out Understanding Marijuana

The Truth About Marijuana - A Youtube video series brought to you by the Marijuana Policy Project