It’s hard to imagine a time when cannabis wasn’t just federally legal in the United States but widely accepted, too. Yet in the 18th and 19th centuries, that was the reality. Farmers grew it, doctors prescribed it, and no one batted an eye.
So how did we end up with modern cannabis prohibition and stigma?
To understand today’s cannabis policies, we have to look back—before the war on drugs, before Reefer Madness, before the fear campaigns. This is the story of cannabis in the U.S. before the ban, and when the plant was treated not as a threat, but as a tool.
Was Cannabis Ever Federally Legal in the United States?
For most of American history, cannabis was not federally restricted. There were no national laws against it, no agencies targeting its use, and no widespread panic surrounding it.
Hemp, the non-psychoactive variety of cannabis, was widely cultivated for industrial use. Meanwhile, medicinal cannabis became increasingly common in the 19th century, prescribed by doctors and sold in pharmacies to treat a range of ailments.
The legal and cultural shift didn’t begin until the early 20th century—when politics, propaganda, and prejudice gave rise to prohibition. But for generations before that, cannabis was legal, useful, and far from controversial.
When Did Cannabis Come to the United States?
Cannabis arrived in North America in the 1600s, brought by European colonists. British settlers brought hemp seeds to Virginia to support farming, textiles, and shipbuilding. Spanish colonists introduced the plant to the Southwest.
Later, psychoactive strains of cannabis began arriving through trade with Mexico and the Caribbean. But in these early years, cannabis wasn’t cultivated for its intoxicating effects. It was grown for work.
How Important Was Hemp in Early American Life?
Hemp wasn’t just useful in early American life—it was essential.
In 1619, the Virginia Assembly passed a law requiring every farmer to grow hemp. Other colonies, like Massachusetts and Connecticut, encouraged cultivation as well. Hemp supported the shipping industry, clothed soldiers, and even served as a substitute for money in times of economic scarcity.
Fun fact: both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp on their farms—not as an experiment, but as a reliable, profitable crop.
Common uses of hemp in early America included:
- Rope and rigging for ships
- Sails and canvas for naval fleets
- Textiles for clothing and military uniforms
- Paper for books, records, and currency
- Oil from seeds for lamps and machinery
- Livestock bedding and building insulation
- Barter and trade in place of currency
How Was Cannabis Used as Medicine in the 1800s?
By the mid-1800s, cannabis was widely used in American medicine. Physicians prescribed it for everything from chronic pain to insomnia, often recommending it as a milder, safer alternative to opium.
Pharmacies sold cannabis extracts—typically in tincture form—made with imported Indian hemp. The plant was listed in the U.S. Pharmacopeia and featured in many medical handbooks of the time. Major pharmaceutical companies manufactured and distributed cannabis-based products.
Even in the 1800s, the medicinal potential of cannabis was well-known and widely accepted. Ironically, we now live in a country where federal law still claims the plant has no accepted medical use—despite that very use being a foundational part of its American history.
Common medical uses of cannabis in the 1800s included:
- Chronic pain and inflammation
- Muscle spasms and convulsions
- Anxiety, depression, and insomnia
- Menstrual cramps and childbirth pain
- Migraines and neuralgia
- Appetite stimulation and digestive support
- Opioid withdrawal and substitution
When Did Cannabis Become Illegal?
In the early 1900s, the plant became linked to Mexican immigrants and Black communities, fueling racist rhetoric and political scapegoating. Media headlines stoked panic, blaming “marihuana” for crime and insanity without evidence.
Cannabis wasn’t banned because of science—it was banned because of fear.
By 1937, the Marihuana Tax Act made cannabis nearly impossible to access legally, marking the start of federal prohibition. The plant hadn’t changed—but the story around it had.
Looking Back to Move Forward
Cannabis didn’t start out as a crime—it started as a crop, a medicine, and a tool. Its role in early American life was practical, not political. But history shows how quickly public opinion can be reshaped when fear enters the picture.
Understanding this forgotten past isn’t just about looking back—it’s about rethinking what we’ve been told, and why. Because before the bans and the stigma, cannabis was simply part of the American story.
