In the early 1900s, two men in California stood out as leaders in the movement to legalize marijuana. Both men were arrested for their efforts to put marijuana on sale, and one of them was killed in the process.
The first man to attempt legalized marijuana was a physician named George McGinnis. He worked with the San Francisco Board of Health to get cannabis legalized in 1907. Unfortunately, his attempt failed and he was arrested and sentenced to prison.
The second man to try attempting legal cannabis legalization was a police captain named William Murphy. He worked with Dr. McGinnis again, this time setting up a dispensary for cannabis in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district.
Fred Miller
Fred Miller was one of the first people to invest in cannabis in the early 1900s. He was a wealthy man at the time, and he decided to use his fortune to support cannabis legalization.
He made numerous trips to Canada and Europe to purchase goods that included marijuana, so it is not out of the realm of possibility that he supported legalization before it existed.
While he may not have been the leading figure behind federal and state-level marijuana legislation, his influence nonetheless paved the way for today’s movement.
Today, Fred is considered an inspiration for people who fight against drug prohibition. His story has been turned into documentaries and documentaries about drug warriors who support legalization are becoming more common.
Aaron Lloyd
Aaron Lloyd was one of the first people to use cannabis as a treatment for disease. He is credited with developing a method of smoking cannabis that allowed him to test his theory on its effectiveness.
By testing the effects of smoke upon emotions and other senses, he was able to determine what works and what doesn’t. He put this knowledge to use in the early 1900s when he developed his personal therapy, Continuum Care, which consisted of smoked marijuana, massage, and exercise.
Continuum Care was particularly popular during the beginning stages of cannabis use when dosing was difficult or nonexistent. Many physicians refused to treat patients who smoked at such a low dosage level. However, Continuum Care patients were clear and forthful about their needs so much so that many trusted it as a super drug therapy.
Today, this therapy is used by many therapists who can not force their patients to come into contact with them because of their low dosage level needs.
Mary Jeanette Sherman
Mary Jeanette Sherman was one of the first women to enter the cannabis community in the 1900s. She became a dealer in Reno, Nevada where she met and worked with many other women entrepreneurs.
She helped establish many of her businesses and was instrumental in spreading cannabis enlightenment throughout the country. Many consider her a pioneer in the cannabis community due to her influence on opening and running a business, as well as marketing and public relations skills she developed over the years.
Some of her businesses included a cafe, night club, drug store, massage parlor, day care center, health club, library branch, theater, museum and more. All were open to women only until 1972 when it was made illegal for all sexes to meet.
She also helped found several professional organizations for members including The Cannabis Control Board (CCB) in 1975 which regulates medical marijuana sales in California today.
Jack Rosenberg
Jack Rosenberg is probably California’s greatest unknown cannabis pioneer. He was a chemist who developed several important drugs including the first anti-anxiety drug and sleep aid.
He was responsible for developing the first sleeping pill and anti-anxiety medication in the late 1800s and early 1900s. These drugs were revolutionary for their time as they helped people get a good night’s sleep without having to take an active drug such as alcohol or opium.
He also helped develop the first sedative, cough suppressant, appetite stimulant, and pain reliever in modern times.
James B. Carter
James B. Carter was one of the first people in the United States to realize a marijuana-like plant could be used for medicine. He was also one of the first people to market it for that purpose.
He founded an institution in Los Angeles called The Carter Institute, which trains doctors in advanced medicinal marijuana techniques. Today, his legacy lives on through The Carter Center, which operates drug and alcohol treatment centers around the world and offers medical marijuana applications.
These days, doctors use it to treat patients with severe pain and nausea during chemotherapy, among other conditions. It is also common at rehabilitation facilities to help patients who have trouble with cannabis apologetically get what they need without fighting against their doctors’ orders.
The popularity of this program has only grown as time goes by as more people learn about its benefits.
Harry Mathias
Most people are not familiar with the man named Harry Mathias who in the 1910s began developing and marketing marijuana in California. His actions helped lay the foundation for today’s cannabis industry.
While most people are not aware of his contributions to the cannabis movement, he played an instrumental role in introducing people to cannabis as a healing substance and in treating diseases and other conditions.
His efforts helped introduce people to the benefits of marijuana as a recreational drug and also as a treatment for disease. He was also one of the first individuals to market marijuana as a valuable source of revenue.
His efforts had a significant impact on how marijuana is sold and how people interact with it. Today, there are still individuals who do not know about this historical figure who played such an important role in modern day cannabis cultivation, marketing, and sales.
Charles Brownell
Despite his infamy as the man who beheaded Jeff Ford with a knife in the 1978 TV series The Matador, few people know about Charles Brownell’s important role in establishing and funding scientific research on cannabis.
As the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 1959 to 1963, he helped establish the National Institute on Drug Abuse (now called The Office of National Drug Policy) and provided its first budget. He also helped found medical research centers like Harvard University’s Cannabis Research Unit and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Program on Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
In 1971, Brownell cofounded Medical Marijuana Inc., one of today’s leading cannabis companies. He served as its president until 1994, when he stepped down due to allegations of financial fraud.
Theodore (“Ted”) Parker Jr.
Ted was one of the first to use cannabis as a healing agent, and he is often forgotten. However, his contributions to the cannabis movement are necessary and important, and should not be ignored.
During the early 1900s, there were many ways to heal your body and mind. Some people used antibiotics, herbal medicines, and various drugs. However, there was only limited research surrounding all of these things, so they were not widely accepted.
As time passed and new scientific discoveries came out, people began to consider certain things sacred. Things that seemed mythological were suddenly recognized as medical properties, making a big impact on modern day culture.
In the early 1900s, there was a widespread acceptance of cannabis as a healing drug. People believed that because it had been known for a long time as an antiseptic, they would take it seriously as medicine.
