Marijuana became illegal in the United States in 1937. The plant has been grown here since 1611, primarily for the hemp products made from the stalk of this hearty, naturally occurring weed.

George Washington, raising support in France for the American Revolution, gave this excuse for cutting his visit short: "I wouldn't miss the hemp harvest in Mount Vernon for all the tea in China." Pot plants weren't magically discovered in some hippie's dorm room during the '60s, as popular culture would have us believe.

[continues 538 words]