Marijuana
In the United States, "marijuana" is the most common term for the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa) and the drug derived from hemp. The hemp plant is native to Asia, where it is grown legally. One species of the plant is grown for its fiber content (it is used to make strong rope) and another for its drug content. In various Asian countries, drugs derived from hemp are called bhang, ganja, and hashish.
The History of Marijuana
Cannabis has been used for several thousand years. The earliest references to the plant are in ancient Chinese and Indian writings. From India, the use of cannabis spread eastward to Persia (now Iran) and the rest of the Near East. The Arabs adopted and spread it through North Africa as they conquered those lands for Islam from the seventh to the fifteenth centuries. In Arabic, cannabis is called hashish, meaning grass. Islam forbids the use of alcohol but not hashish, since it was adopted after the Prophet Muhammad established Muslim law. Although the Arabs ruled in parts of Portugal and Spain until 1492, use of cannabis did not spread to this area. However, the Spanish conquistadors (conquerors) introduced cannabis into the New World, where it was adopted by African slaves.
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