The Cannabis Question
The Cannabis Question

Summary/Abstract: Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), which grows everywhere in the temperate zone, is one of the oldest plants cultivated by man, and there are countless cultural and historical records of its important industrial, commercial, food, medicinal and spiritual role in human culture over thousands of years. Drugs derived from hemp are often referred to simply as the collective name Cannabis, which refers to the genus name Cannabis in the Latin name of the plant. There are numerous historical records of the effects of cannabis consumption on the body, mainly mentioning medicinal uses. By examining the cannabis phenomenon, we can trace the path from total freedom to strict prohibition and back to free consumption of the material what is currently considered a drug in most countries. After nearly fifty years of a total prohibitionist approach (with the exception of the special situation of Dutch coffee shops under strict licensing), we witnessed a slow paradigm shift in cannabis use in the early 2010s. It seems very likely that the half-century-long strict ban is coming to an end. In the debate between the arguments for and against consumption, which have been in opposition for many years, it is very much the case that public opinion in more and more countries is shifting towards acceptance rather than prohibition.

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