When was marijuana made illegal in the US?

Answer 1

America's first marijuana laws were enacted at Jamestown Colony, Virginia in 1619. A law "ordering" all farmers to grow Indian hemp was enacted. There were several other "must grow" laws over the next 200 years (you could be jailed for not growing hemp during times of shortage in Virginia between 1763 and 1767), and most of that time, hemp was legal tender taxes were paid with hemp. Hemp was such a critical crop for a number of purposes, including essential war requirements such as rope, clothing and canvas that the government went out of its way to encourage growth. The United States Census of 1850 counted 8,327 hemp "plantations" with a minimum 2,000-acre farm growing cannabis hemp for cloth, canvas and even the cordage used for baling cotton. Now cotton comes into the picture. The revolution in Mexico in 1910 spilled over the U.S.border, with General Pershing's army clashing with bandit Pancho Villa. Mexico produced much of the hemp coming into the US at that time and the U.S. cotton producers used the hatred of Mexico to further their own agenda. Utah in 1910 outlawed the growing of hemp for any reason followed by Wyoming in 1915, Texas in 1919 and the rest of the US by 1927.