Weed. Pot. Kush. Bud. Whatever the name it is given, and no matter the country it is consumed in, marijuana is a contested topic with a rich history. Ancient civilizations in China and Egypt are claimed to have cultivated it. Societies throughout history are said to have used it for medicinal and spiritual purposes.
Despite marijuana's deep roots in society, contemporary governments and populations are at odds over its consumption. Beginning in the 19th century, nations began to outlaw the use of weed. Now, more than 100 years since cannabis was widely criminalized, regulations vary widely around the globe.
Weed laws are notoriously casual in the Netherlands. Any person over the age of 18 can buy it, and cannabis coffee shops dot its cities, most famously in Amsterdam. Some countries permit weed consumption for medicinal purposes only. Still more governments provide no crime-free avenue for citizens seeking a marijuana high.
With public opinion in America favoring decriminalization while federal regulations are on the rise, the legal future of marijuana is an open debate, in the U.S. and abroad.
Photo: Max Whittaker/Reuters
Shop Owner's Uncertain Future
Ainara, owner of the Hatorena Growshop, attends to business in her storefront in the Basque country of Spain. The shop sells products used for consuming and cultivating marijuana. The Basque government has yet to release any plans regarding the legalization of cannabis.
Photo: Vincent West/ Reuters
Mary J: A Medical Aid
Medical marijuana, an herbal therapy for various illnesses, dates back to ancient Chinese civilization. Today, many countries have outlawed both recreational and medicinal uses of marijuana. However, a few countries, such as Austria, Canada, Israel and parts of the U.S., allow doctors to prescribe it.
Haim, pictured above, was injured in a traffic accident about 10 years ago. He smokes cannabis at a medical center in Tel Aviv, Isreal, to alleviate effects of his injury.
Photo: Nir Elias /Reuters
Government-Sponsored Ganja?
A woman oversees the production of Ayurvedic medicine, a traditional Indian remedy made with cannabis. Due to limited quantities of fresh cannabis in Sri Lanka, the government has considered growing its own supply to support medical production.
However, it faces opposition in laws dating back to the late 19th century that prohibit transporting marijuana on the Indian Ocean.
Photo: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Reuters
Hemp Helps
A demonstrator displays the words "free hemp" on his fists during a pro-marijuana march in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Hemp, a type of cannabis plant, has many practical uses. It can replace chemicals found in lotion and cosmetics and can be made into paper, plastics, construction materials and diesel fuel.
Despite the environmental benefits of hemp, it is illegal in many countries (including the U.S.) because of its proximity to the cannabis family.
Photo: Nacho Doce/Reuters
Mexico's War on All Drugs
A Mexican soldier carries a bundle of marijuana toward a bonfire for incineration during the destruction of a plantation. In recent years, the Mexican government has cracked down on marijuana production in its pursuit of the eradication of drug cartels, a battle with a death toll that has surpassed 45,000.
Photo: Tomas Bravo/Reuters
NORML-ize It
In the U.S., activists and organizations are working toward the legalization of marijuana. Above, Keith Stroup, the executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), speaks at press conference in New York.
The NORML Foundation has made progress in decriminalizing marijuana-related offences in the U.S. Additionally, it is working toward legalizing recreational and medicinal use of weed.
Photo: Peter Morgan/Reuters
Creating Weed Experts
Renowned marijuana activist Dennis Peron sits outside Oaksterdam University, a trade school for the cannabis industry, in Oakland, California. Peron is co-author of California's Proposition 215, which permits patients with a valid doctor's recommendation to possess and cultivate marijuana.
Photo: Robert Galbraith/Reuters
Education and Regulation
Richard Lee, president of Oaksterdam University, speaks to students during class. Oaksterdam has been educating students on marijuana law and cultivation since 2007 and also operates a medical marijuana dispensary.
The City of Oakland recently passed Measure F, which creates a new business tax rate for medical marijuana dispensaries. Many dispensaries resist the legalization of marijuana for recreational use due to the potential of higher regulations.
Photo: Robert Galbraith/Reuthers
Washingtonians Push for Kush
"Grow Master" Jake Dimmock waters cannabis plants at Northwest Patient Resource Center in Seattle, Washington. Supporters of legalizing marijuana for recreational use recently gathered enough signatures to put the matter on the ballot for the 2012 election.
Photo: Cliff DesPeaux/Reuters
The Raid
Handcuffed suspect Gerald Ware, center, watches as Kalamazoo police officers execute a search warrant for marijuana during a raid in his Michigan home. Similar raids in California have been launched against property owners and commercial marijuana activities.
In light of soaring deficits, more states are seeking to decriminalize marijuana, at least in medical use.
Photo: John Gress/Reuters
Politicians vs. Pot vs. the Public
Democratic candidates in the 2008 presidential race raise their hands at a debate signaling their opposition to legalizing marijuana. The Obama Administration has condemned the legalization of medical marijuana in several states.
Despite federal government action, more than a dozen U.S. states allow the sale of weed to the ill. Additionally, according to GALLUP Politics, 50 percent of Americans support the legalization of marijuana, up from around 30 percent in 2002.
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