What is behind the war on cannabis — both medicinal and recreational? Will marijuana ever be legalized?
The Young Turks’ show “The Point” takes a look at these questions this week, with political comedian John Fugelsang leading the panel. He discusses cannabis with comedian Cornell Reid, The 420 Times editor Dave Brian, and Perennial Holistic Wellness Center owner Sam Humeid.
It was my honor to kick off the panel discussion with the first “point” of the show, 90 seconds on the rich, 12,000-year history shared by cannabis and the human race.
Here’s what I said on “The Point”:
Hi, I’m Steve Elliott, editor of Toke of the Town and author of the Little Black Book of Marijuana.My point is that marijuana has been an important part of human culture for thousands of years.
The Point It has accompanied humanity on some of our greatest adventures — in the form of hemp ropes and sails on ocean-going vessels — as well as on our explorations of consciousness through its perception-altering power.For much of human history, varietals of cannabis have been used not only for the psychoactive and medicinal effects of the flowers of the female plant, but also for the fiber harvested from its stalks. It’s been cultivated for 12,000 years the world over for these purposes.Cannabis is one of the 50 “fundamental herbs” of traditional Chinese medicine, and was prescribed for many ailments.Archaeologists sifting through the contents of bronze vessels from Scythian culture have found cannabis seeds.Surviving texts from ancient India confirm that the psychoactive and medicinal properties of the plant were recognized there as well.The tradition of marijuana use continued through the centuries in places like the Middle East, southeast Asia, throughout Africa, and now in the United States, South America and Europe.Cannabis was an important part of the American apothecary throughout the 19th Century right up until cannabis prohibition in 1937.This is a plant with a 12,000-year association with the human race. It’s only been illegal for 75 years.For the latest in cannabis news, keep an eye on TokeoftheTown.com.
All of the facts I used during my 90 seconds came from the research I did for The Little Black Book of Marijuana, which came out last year.