In 1970, virtually all the marijuana consumed in the US mainland was
imported. Home-grown pot was far inferior and only consumed when there was
nothing else available.
Marijuana is bulky, and difficult to import. It is, however, a hardy
weed that will grow almost anywhere. So, the result of interdiction and
eradication efforts was to find places to grow it within the states.
Marijuana growers learned to grow high quality pot in rural areas of
many states, particularly in the South and far West (California). Drug warriors
used military methods to sniff those out and destroy them (and still do).
So, the next step was to begin growing it indoors. It grows now in rural
barns and other buildings, suburban basements and attics, city office buildings,
warehouses, and apartments. With good lights, little soil, and water, a
room can be crammed full of high-quality cannabis. Often the growers are
not on site and cannot be identified.
It has been difficult to prove the medical value of cannabis with prohibitions
against research. But every year the list of medical associations (American and international) that support the use of medical marijuana gets longer, despite on-going drug war rhetoric from the United States.
History Lesson #9: When marijuana interdiction
was intensified, growers became innovative and created a superior product
domestically.
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