Even though marijuana has been used both recreationally and for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, it wasn’t until the 1890s that it was determined by lawmakers that it was bad news. Which in turn means that by the time it landed in the United States in the early 20^th century, it already had a reputation for being something of a nuisance. Why the sudden change of reputation? Well, apparently it all came down to a sizeable string of reports and unverified anecdotes linking marijuana use with crime, violence and ill-effects on the health. There was no real physical or scientific evidence to support any such claims, but given the fact that people tend to believe almost everything they hear/read, the reputation of marijuana took a nosedive.