WIlliam O'Shaughnessy introduces cannabis sativa into Western medicine.
Around the early 1840's, regulations were established requiring drugs to be labeled. Some states listed "hemp and its preparations," on bottles, while others labeled it as a "poison."
The State of New York passes a bill which prohibits the sale of cannabis without a note from a physician. This bill was repealed in 1862, but cannabis was still required to be labeled.
A bill is drafted in California to ban the sale of opium, cannabis, and other "narcotic poisons." This bill was replaced with a bill specifically going after opium, but bills would follow aimed at cannabis and other hemp-based drugs in 1885 and 1889.
Eight states list cannabis under " sale of poison" laws: Louisiana, Maine, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia. Many other states which didn't label cannabis as a poison still required it to be labeled.
Congress passes the "Pure Food and Drug Act," requiring labels for non-prescription cannabis.
California becomes the first state to officially classify cannabis as "poison."
Massachusetts becomes the first state to regulate cannabis beyond the parameters of the Pure Food and Drug Act.
California becomes the first state to make possession of hemp-related extracts/compounds a misdemeanor.
New York and Maine follow Massachusetts and tighten regulation of cannabis. New York's "Towns-Boylan Act" restricted the sale of cannabis. It also prohibited refills of cannabis prescriptions to prevent addictions, as well as sale to people with a habit.
Harry Alsinger, head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, tries to make all recreational drug use a crime. He said cannabis made people act irrational, violent, and overly sexual.
The United States refuses to sign the convention, saying that the punishments for cannabis-related charges were too weak.
The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 made cannabis possession/trade illegal in the US, except for industrial and medical purposes. High tax rates were placed on the industrial/medical uses.
The Boggs Act and the Narcotics Control Act made a first-time possession offense punishable by a minimum 2 year jail sentence and a fine of up to $20,000. These acts were repealed in 1970.
Oregon becomes the first state to decriminalize cannabis possession of less than 1 oz. Alaska, California, Colorado and Ohio did the same in 1978.
California relaxes its marijuana penalty laws, making what was once a felony possession charge a citable misdemeanor. The state previously spent at least $35 million on cannabis-related laws.
Robert Randall sued the federal government, saying he needed cannabis to treat his glaucoma. The government allowed him to grow cannabis on a farm at the University of Mississippi. George H. W. Bush ordered it to be shut down in 1992 when Randall tried to obtain eligibility for AIDS patients into the program.
The U.S. Supreme Court votes by a 6-3 margin to rule that even when used for medical purposes, people who grow, possess, or sell cannabis, even if it is state-approved, are in violation of federal law. As a result, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) currently targets medical marijuana patients for crime.
Colorado and Washington State become the first states to legalize cannabis growth, possession and sale for recreational use (less than 1 oz.). Colorado allows an individual to grow their own plants; Washington does not allow this. Sales are regulated by the state instead.
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