Forgotten Roots of Cannabis Prohibition: 1925 International Drug Control Agreement
In recent groundbreaking news, the Ghanaian Parliament officially approved cannabis production, signaling the country's embracement of medical cannabis and paving the way for cultivation licenses within the Republics newest industry. This news is especially significant for our friend and partner, Ms.Davisha L. Johnson (aka the Hemp Lady of Africa), co-founder of the AIE Project, an organization operating at the forefront of hemp/cannabis innovation and economic advancement on the motherland. Their tireless efforts of advocacy, implementation, and education have played an instrumental role in shaping this development among the African continents heavily restricted use of cannabis.
Although this recent development is promising, it raises intriguing questions, with the foremost being: why now? As we witness a shifting landscape in the United States, several states are reconsidering their stance on cannabis, driven primarily by financial prospects and a growing sense of social responsibility (in that order). Maryland serves as a notable example, as it recently embraced adult-use cannabis legalization and is actively establishing a social equity branch within the Maryland Cannabis Administration. This initiative aims to grant over 800 licenses to those disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs.
While the United States has been a focal point in discussions surrounding cannabis prohibition, it is essential to recognize that the foundation for prohibition was laid years earlier in the 1925 International Drug Control Agreement, originating in Africa. As we witness these transformative shifts in the cannabis industry, we cannot overlook the historical impact of cannabis and its underlying connection to exploited labor.
The 1925 International Drug Control Agreement, also known as the Geneva Convention, represented a milestone effort to foster international collaboration in regulating drug trade and usage. Its principal objective was to combat drug abuse and control access to substances deemed harmful or addictive. Notably, South Africa and Egypt were among the countries that initially imposed restrictions on cannabis, however, as history reveals, their perspective later shifted to prompting the inclusion of cannabis on the list of controlled drugs due to concerns over its impact on their people.
In his seminal work, "The African Roots of Marijuana," Chris Duvall illuminates a troubling aspect of this historical narrative. British colonials recognized the influence and potential of cannabis to serve as a tool for laborers' endurance and enhancement, resorting to compensating them with dagga (cannabis) instead of providing proper food, goods, or cash. This exploitative practice had devastating consequences for communities, leading to behavioral addictions, illness, and even death. Workers were assigned hazardous tasks, which often resulted in injuries and this in turn instilled fear and stigma for generations. Sound familiar?
This poignant historical account underscores the importance of gaining a comprehensive understanding of the culture surrounding cannabis, as well as its impact transcending medicinal or recreational applications. It speaks to the complexities of past decisions that have profoundly shaped societies worldwide, laying bare the devastating consequences of exploitation and neglect. If we do not educate ourselves on our history of cannabis, we will set our future up for a cycle of death and destruction. This knowledge serves as a guiding light to shape how we operate in and outside the cannabis space, putting people first, as well as the prioritization efforts in shifting drug policies to redress the harm caused by exploitative practices on full display in America and throughout the world.