Marijuana
This article is about the term marijuana as a term used in U.S., to see the information about cannabis plant and its health effects, see cannabis.
Marijuana is a term primarily used in United States to denote the cannabis plant, often in the context when the plant is used as a psychoactive drug. The term itself was originally borrowed from Spanish by people who worked to prohibit the plant in United States.
History
The use of cannabis plant in medical, spiritual, and industrial fields by humans has a long history. In United States the plant was once used extensively to produce fiber. The plant was usually called "hemp" in United States. However, in the 1920-1930s, the cannabis plant was increasingly used as a recreational drug, often by Mexican immigrants. People like Harry J. Anslinger and William Randolph Hearst began to work to prohibit the possession, cultivation, and distribution of the cannabis plant. They borrowed the term "marihuana" from Spanish to invoke the racist sentiment against Mexicans. The spelling was later changed to "marijuana" in the current form. In 1937 the Marihuana Tax Act was passed and signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, effectively prohibited the cannabis plant.
Current status
Currently, "marijuana" as a term is both used officially and colloquially for cannabis plant in the United States. In the U.S. Controlled Substance Act today marijuana is listed as a Schedule I drug, meaning it has high potential of abuse and no medical value. However, there is a movement to downgrade its scheduling to allow medical use, since it has been reported that the plant has medical values to treat a variety of diseases. Twelve states have state law allowing medical use of marijuana, but the federal law still does not recognize the validity of these state laws.