Conference Faculty Perspectives on Medical Cannabis History

Medical Cannabis Historical Review, with David Bearman, MD - 

At Second Clinical Cannabis Therapeutics Conference in Portland, OR (2002), Dr. David Bearman, of Goleta, CA, begins with ancient medicinal herbals in China and India, citing many uses for ganja(marijuana); then to Middle Ages, early America and extensive use of Cannabis in 18th century medicines; implementation of laws that restricted Cannabis as medicine; the "Reefer Madness" aspect and testimony at 1937 Marijuana Tax Act hearings; the inclusion of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act of 1970; findings of the Shaffer Commission in 1972; and the removal of Cannabis from the Investigational New Drugs program in 1991.

Marijuana Use Studies - A History, with Ethan Russo , MD -

Also at our 2002 Portland conference, Dr. Ethan Russo recounts major studies on the use of marijuana by different populations around the world. Beginning with the India Hemp Drugs Commission in 1893, Dr. Russo reports that every study came to basically the same conclusion -
Society has no cause for concern regarding the effects of Cannabis use on health or crime, and in fact, it has many positives - like medicinal value, spiritual traditions and productivity.
Other studies mentioned:
* Panama Canal Zone Army Study (1930)
* La Guardia Report ( 1943)
* Shaffer Commission (1972), with data from Greece, Costa Rica, Jamaica and America
* N.Y. Academy of Sciences (1976)
* and other N.I.D.A. investigations

Research Articles on History of Medicinal Cannabis

Russo, E. (2007). History of cannabis and its preparations in saga, science, and sobriquet. Chemistry and Biodiversity. 4: 1614-1648. (interesting historical review)