Cannabis at the Pharmacy: 100 Years Later

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]O[/dropcap]ne-hundred years ago, cannabis pharmaceutical products could be found in just about any discerning pharmacy in America. Medicinal cannabis products could once again return to the pharmacy, with sweeping federal reform on hemp and cannabis becoming a reality—slowly but surely.

Amazingly, cannabis medical products were available over a century ago. To prove this point, 100 years ago E. R. Squibb & Sons released the 1919 edition of its Squibb’s Materia Medica. Contained within the pages are at least 15 pharmaceutical remedies containing cannabis—not including veterinary solutions or other types of remedies.

Fortunately, the Antique Cannabis Book provides information on over 2,000 pre-1937 medical cannabis products with an incredible assortment of documents from various pharmaceutical catalogues. There are many catalogs, photos, descriptions and information on cannabis medicines. While The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 began restrictions on cannabis in America, in 1937, The Marihuana Tax Act began the 80-some-year era of cannabis prohibition. It was heavily motivated by rampant racism.

“A complete alphabetical list of the Squibb Products, including all the articles of the United States Pharmacopœia (IXth Revision) and of the National Formulary (IVth, 1916, edition), together with the Non-official chemicals, pharmaceuticals and new remedies in general use; setting forth their origin, Latin and English titles, synonyms, physical and chemical characteristics, incompatibilities, antidotes, therapeutic indications, doses, etc.”

In the early 20th Century, cannabis was used an ingredient for remedies that you might not expect. Those medicines include bunion and corn removers, asthma remedies, cough syrups, migraine medication, headache medication and general medicinal tinctures.

For asthma, “medical cigarettes” were basically the equivalent to modern day pre-rolls. Apparently, in pre-1937 America, smoking cigarettes containing cannabis for the treatment of asthma was a normal thing.

It’s a shame that it’s taken so long to re-accept medical cannabis. For people who still doubt the efficacy of medical cannabis, show them how prevalent the plant was in medicine.