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2727 B.C. — The Chinese document the use of cannabis as a medication.
1911 — South Africa becomes the first country to outlaw cannabis.
1913 — California is the first state to pass anti-marijuana laws.
1928 — Great Britain bans recreational marijuana use.
1936 — Reefer Madness is released in movie theaters.
1937 — The U.S. makes it illegal to possess pot.
1938 — Comedian Tommy Chong is born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
1944 — A New York commission debunks the dangers of reefer.
1956 — The U.S. puts marijuana in the same drug class as heroin.
1965 — An estimated 1 million Americans admit to having tried ganja.
1967 — The Beatles urge pot use, singing, “I’d love to turn you on” and “Everybody smoke pot.”
1972 — An estimated 24 million Americans admit to having tried marijuana.
1978 — Paramount Pictures releases Cheech & Chong’s classic Up in Smoke.
1980 — Robert Platshorn is sentenced to 64 years in federal prison for smuggling pot.
1996 — California makes Mary Jane legal for medical use.
2003 — Canada becomes the first country to legalize marijuana.
2004 — Tommy Chong is released after nine months in federal prison for selling bongs.
2008 — Florida imposes tougher criminal penalties against marijuana growers.
2010 — The Sunshine State outlaws the sale of water pipes at head shops.
More on Marijuana:
Medical marijuana: Taking a legal toke
