Colonial and Agricultural Era
1600s - 1800s
1890
Queen Victoria uses cannabis to treat her menstrual cramps. Present day research has revealed that the endocannabinoid system plays a role in alleviating menstrual cramps through compounds like THC, which activate cannabinoids and induce myometrial relaxation.
1876
Tourists at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition are able to sample Turkish cannabis-derived hashish, one of the most popular exhibits.
1874
Mexican soldiers are reported to be using cannabis cigarettes in the United States and Mexico.
1857
Fitz Hugh Ludlow publishes his autobiography, The Hasheesh Eater, which describes his flights of fancy while high on cannabis-derived hashish. The book’s popularity gives rise to private hashish clubs being established throughout the United States.
1850
Cannabis is added to the US Pharmacopeia, which lists it as a treatment for various ailments.
1753
Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist Carl Linnaeus includes the species Cannabis sativa in his book Species Plantarum.
1745-1775
George Washington, among other founding fathers, grows hemp at Mt. Vernon.
1619
The Virginia Assembly, which included the Jamestown Colony, passes a law mandating all farms to grow hemp, which also was used as legal tender.
