The history of marijuana dates back more than 10,000 years – and it has been recognized for its medicinal properties, virtually from the very beginning. In fact, the argument has been made that marijuana may have been the first agricultural crop – and agriculture led to the development of modern civilization itself.

Our Denver medical marijuana lawyers are dedicated to protecting the rights of patients, dispensaries and growers from the intrusion of government. Despite medical marijuana’s legalization in Colorado more than a decade ago, far too many still find themselves subjected to the abuses of authority. Meanwhile, the federal government in 2011 reaffirmed its long-held contention that marijuana should remain a Schedule I narcotic – in the same classification as heroin and other hardcore drugs of abuse.

A Timeline: Medical Marijuana Rights in Colorado

While authorities would have you believe marijuana has long been illegal and its use as a medicine highly debatable, nothing could be further from the truth. The illegality of marijuana is a modern law enforcement phenomenon, while  its medicinal properties date to the dawn of modern civilization.

• 8000 B.C. Hemp cord was used in pottery in what is now modern day Taiwan.
• 6000 B.C. China used cannabis seeds and oil for food.
• 4000 B.C. China and Turkestan used hemp in textiles.
• 2737 B.C. The first recorded use of marijuana as medicine occurred in China
• 600 B.C.  A Persian religion first began using marijuana as a “good narcotic.”
• 70 A.D. A physician in Nero’s army lists medical marijuana.
• 200 A.D. Medical marijuana prescribed by Greek physician Galen.
• 300 A.D. Growing evidence of medical marijuana from Jerusalem to China.
• 1300 A.D. Marijuana pipes in Ethiopia suggest the herb has spread through Egypt and the rest of Africa.
• 1532 A.D. Benefits of medical marijuana mentioned in French literature.
• 1500s A.D. England begins to import hemp from Russia. Mentions of medical marijuana continue in China, South America.
• 1776 A.D. Hemp grown in Kentucky.
• 1800s A.D. Marijuana plantations flourish in New York, Nebraska, South Carolina, California, Georgia, and Mississippi.
• 1840s A.D. American medicines with a marijuana base are commonly available.
• 1850-1915 – Medical marijuana widely used throughout the United States.
• 1914: The Harrison Act defines the use of marijuana and other drugs as a crime in the United States.
• By 1927, states were outlawing it for medicinal use.
• 1937: Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act, officially criminalizing the drug.
• 1951: The Narcotics Control Act and the Boggs Act increases drug penalties in the U.S.
• 1977-1981: President Carter pushes for the decriminalization of marijuana, asking Congress to abolish federal penalties for possession of less than an ounce.
• 1996: California becomes the first state to legalize marijuana.
• 2000: Colorado legalizes medical marijuana.

Medical Marijuana Defense in Denver – (303) 573-0543 – Free Consultation