Cannabis in Vietnam
.svg) Location of Vietnam (dark green) | |
| Medicinal | Illegal |
|---|---|
| Recreational | Illegal |
Cannabis is illegal in Vietnam, but is cultivated within the country and is known as cần sa.
History
[edit]Cannabis was probably introduced to Southeast Asia around the 16th century, and used medicinally and in cuisine.[1]
In 1968, the government of the Republic of Vietnam "publicly condemned" the use or trafficking of cannabis, and instructed local chiefs to prevent its cultivation.[2] In 1969, USAID's Office of Public Safety began eradication of cannabis fields, including aerial eradication in the Mekong Delta. The program was popularly resented and also politically unpalatable; in 1971, OPS was advised not to eradicate cannabis in areas controlled by the Hòa Hảo sect, for fear of driving them to join the Việt Cộng (National Liberation Front).[3]
In the 1960s, the United States government became concerned with cannabis use by US troops in Vietnam.[4] Though alcohol was the drug most commonly used by American troops in the Vietnam War, cannabis was the second-most common. Initially rates of usage among deployed soldiers were comparable to those of their stateside peers, with 29% of troops departing Vietnam in 1967 reporting having ever used marijuana in their lives. A 1976 study however showed that from 1967 to 1971, the proportion of troops having used marijuana peaked at 34% before stabilizing to 18%, while the number of troops who had used cannabis prior to deployment stayed around 8%.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Sidney Cohen (6 December 2012). The Therapeutic Potential of Marihuana. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 3–. ISBN 978-1-4613-4286-1.
- ^ Vietnam Studies: Law at War: Vietnam 1964-1973. LLMC. pp. 120–. GGKEY:L7BC9KNKENA.
- ^ Jeremy Kuzmarov (2009). The Myth of the Addicted Army: Vietnam and the Modern War on Drugs. Univ of Massachusetts Press. pp. 206–. ISBN 978-1-55849-705-4.
- ^ Norman M. Camp (15 March 2015). US Army Psychiatry in the Vietnam War: New Challenges in Extended Counterinsurgency Warfare: New Challenges in Extended Counterinsurgency Warfare. United States Department of Defense. pp. 556–. ISBN 978-0-16-093790-3.
- ^ Roy W. Menninger; John C. Nemiah (1 November 2008). American Psychiatry After World War II (1944-1994). American Psychiatric Pub. pp. 23–. ISBN 978-1-58562-825-4.
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