It started as just a night out with the homies -- it became a rabbit hole about America's history with marijuana. The green plant has bent some legislation halls and is a topic of conversation among many of us. It's mostly about the legalization of cannabis and the never-ending war about whether it's harmful to consume. We're drowning in a cesspool of misinformation (as a society) on many subjects, including marijuana. It's easy to get lost trying to disseminate facts from myths.

"Marijuana has been illegal at the federal level since 1937," writes Michigan Attorney Bruce Allen Block. Individual states approach the conversation differently but federal guidance has been shaky, at best. It's classified as a, "Schedule 1 controlled substance, alongside hallucinogens​, LSD, peyote, heroin, most opiates, methaqualone, and ecstasy." It's interesting that it's been illegal for longer than it's been understood. Recent research, including this article by Healthline, investigates the negatives and positives of using marijuana. It's clear that it has some power as the medical field has embraced it's health benefits for centuries.

A sad view of the conversation is when I stop to think about the 40,000(+) inmates who are currently still serving time for marijuana possession (even though -- it's practically everywhere now). That's a wee-bit more political than I think we'll get on this journey but it's mentioned. I definitely came out of this one with a greater understanding of Marijuana's broken relationship with the American government.

Let's explore on Episode 169.

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