1545 - Spanish bring cannabis cultivation to Peru.
1563 - Queen Elizabeth I decrees that land owners with 60 acres or more must grow cannabis or face a UKP5 fine.
1564 - King Philip of Spain orders cannabis to be grown throughout his empire from modern day Argentina to Oregon.
1500 - 1600 - Dutch achieve Golden Age through hemp commerce.
1500 - 1600 - Explorers find 'wild hempe' in North America.
1606 - British take cannabis to Canada to be cultivated mainly for maritime uses.
1611 - British start cultivating cannabis in Virginia.
1619 - Virginia colony makes cannabis cultivation mandatory, followed by most other colonies. Europe pays hemp bounties.
1621 - 'The Anatomy of Melancholy' is published. It recommends hemp for depression.
1631 - Cannabis used for bartering throughout American colonies.
1632 - Pilgrims bring cultivation to New England, they learnt about the cultivation of hemp from the Native American People.
1637 - Hartford, Connecticut. The General Court ordered all families to plant one teaspoon of hemp seed.
1639 - The Massachusetts courts follow those of Hartford.
1753 - Cannabis sativa classified by Linneaus
1763 - 67 You could be jailed in Virginia for not growing hemp due to a shortage. (Herndon, G.M., 'Hemp in Colonial Virginia', 1963; 'The Chesapeake Colonies', 1954; L.A.Times, Aug 12, 1981; et al)
1764 - 'The New English Dispensary' suggested applying hemp roots to the skin for inflammation.
1776 - Decleration of Independence drafted on hemp paper.
1783 - Cannabis indica classified by Lamarck.
1791 - President Washington sets duties on cannabis to encourage domestic industry. Jefferson calls cannabis 'a necessity' and urges farmers to grow cannabis instead of tobacco.
Posted in association with The Legalize! Initiative - the international action forum for all people concerned about the effects of current drug policy.