A Brief Overview Of The Book Homegrown By Isaac Campos

Between the 1840s and 1920, marijuana carried a largely negative tone throughout Mexico. The drug was known to make people violent and cause madness. Isaac Campos, in his book, “Homegrown,” attempts to identify how and why marijuana earned this reputation in Mexico during this time. This study scientifically examines the environmental, sociocultural and political ramifications of human history and marijuana. Campos’s book closely examines and documents the origin of cannabis within Mexico, from its introduction to the country as a fiber-producing industrial plant in the 1530s, to its nationwide prohibition in 1920. Thus, this book also traces the origins of prohibitionist drug laws in Mexico and later the origins of Mexico’s war on drugs.

Cannabis was first introduced to the new world during European conquest and colonial expansion during the sixteenth century. According to Campos, cannabis was not native to the land of Mexico when many indigenous thought it was. Its original name, pipiltzintzintlis, was first introduced to Mexico in the 1530s by conquistador Pedro Quadardo and it was to be cultivated and commercialized as a source of fiber for clothing, rope and sails for ships. However, during the 1770s a new purpose for cannabis arose and it involved smoking it. The indigenous people began smoking cannabis during this time for religious and ceremonial practices. The indigenous people adopted cannabis into their pharmacopeia as well. It was used as indigenous forms of medicine. According to Campos, cannabis spread throughout the nation, on a small scale, and reached indigenous pharmacopeias, prisons and even soldiers barracks. Marijuana reached a new level in the 1850s, following a rediscovery of the drug. Eventually the name, pipiltzintzintlis, was done away with and the new name marijuana came about throughout Mexico. Local botanist sought to find value within the drug during this time but eventually did not as they would find this drug as an, “…indigenous narcotic causing madness, violence, and

Did this drug actually make people mad and cause violence or was it being overblown in any way. According to Campos, there was an overwhelming stigma that marijuana did in fact cause madness and violence amongst its users. Hundreds of indigenous reports of violence were conveyed and being spread to the masses. In chapter four of this book, Campos shows the ways marijuana was portrayed in the media and by yellow journalism. In the early twentieth century, media outlets had picked up substantially in North America, including Mexico. Also at the time, alcohol and marijuana were both described similarly in the press. Both could cause violence and were largely consumed by the poor and indigenous populations. However, alcohol gained a counter discourse from its users during this era whereas marijuana did not. An argument for alcohol was that Europeans drank and drank quite often and their society was doing rather well. The Mexican government wanted to advance in the world they were in at the time and drinking alcohol like the Europeans would appeal to Europe in their eyes. It would make Mexico look as if they were advancing into a better future and striving forward. Marijuana on the other hand did just the opposite. It was viewed as immoral, unjust and degenerating the race. It could not be taxed like alcohol could be taxed. There was no moderation like