Should cannabis be legalized for medicinal purposes or will it remain an illegal drug? This has been discussed in many countries for years—and has been a point of contention for much longer than expected: Already in Mexico in the 18th century, priest and scientist José Antonio Alzate y Ramírez campaigned for the healing effects of the controversial plant—against the position of the Spanish Crown and the Inquisition. The historian Dr. Laura Dierksmeier from the Collaborative Research Center Resource Cultures at the University of Tübingen examines the public debate at that time in Mexico. Her study “Forbidden herbs: Alzate’s defense of pipiltzintzintlis” was published on July 7th in the journal Colonial Latin American Review.
Click here for original story, Forbidden herbs? The effects of cannabis were a controversial topic 250 years ago
Source: Phys.org