Cannabis has had a very interesting and storied history.
Cannabis has had a very interesting and storied history. Its usage dates back farther than you might think. Some people believe that cannabis was first used by the Egyptians. While others believe it was actually in fact the Chinese. Regardless of whoever started using it initially, cannabis has been around since way back before any of us. When pray tell exactly? In the BC times. Don’t remember that? None of us should, unless you’ve somehow discovered The Fountain of Youth. Let me know how you did, after reading this of course.
People have used cannabis for all sorts of reasons. Medicinally, spiritually and/or recreationally, just to name a few. What’s your preferable method? Do you like to smoke it? Or ingest it as an edible? Or even capsules as a possibility. A lot of people these days use vapes to preferentially tickle their individual green-thumb-fancy. There are two predominant types of cannabis: indica and sativa. There’s also a third kind known as a hybrid between the two.
Indica is predominantly known as a “downer”. That’s not a bad thing per se, it just means that indica is associated with mellowing you out. Indica causes more of what can be considered a full body high, which can relax you and help with sleep. Conversely, sativa is considered to be more of an “upper”. It’s predominantly felt in your cranium You’ll often hear the term “head-high” when someone talks about this type. Sativa can also make you feel more energized and focused. Got a test to cram for? Not a bad idea.
Marijuana became illegal in Canada in 1923. This was coming hot off the heels of the opium epidemic that really took prominence in the 1800s. The illegality of weed really gave itself an ironic edge. Conventional wisdom says that the more you tell someone they can’t have something, the more aggressively they’ll go out of their way to get that very sacred thing. If you make cannabis illegal, that won’t stop people from enjoying it. Those who already enjoy it will likely enjoy it even more.
It could and has backfired in the past, to the point that those who wouldn’t ever dream of trying cannabis, might become genuinely intrigued to give it a shot, by the very nature of the fact that it became illegal. There’s power to be had in fighting the established order. There’s also power to be had in experiencing something that’s considered to be culturally taboo. Cannabis in many ways became the poster child for the “Freedom Revolution” and hippy movement of the 1960s. Cannabis and Woodstock are definitely two things that are inextricably linked together.
Now in Canada, it's legal everywhere. Whereas in the U.S. it’s both legal and illegal in the same breath.
It just depends on which particular state you’re in. So if you’re planning to visit our neighbours down south, just make sure you’re in the right state first before forking over a Ben Franklin or two.
Mary-Jane