Why was cannabis made illegal…
In the 1850’s the recreational use of cannabis was popular throughout most of the US. Most major cities had oriental style hashish bars. Hemp was also commonly used for paper, textiles, and other fibrous materials.
The first restriction on cannabis came in the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act. This required many drugs, including cannabis, to be accurately labelled on products, rather than being listed as a “secret ingredient”.
This was fair enough as it compelled manufacturers to tell people what drugs are in their products. However the noose tightened…
Harry J. Anslinger
Harry J. Anslinger, the head of the US Federal Bureau of Narcotics, is often noted as one of the pivotal members in cannabis prohibition in the US.
According to Johann Hari in his book “Chasing The Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs,” Anslinger began his focus on cannabis after alcohol prohibition ended in 1933. Until then Anslinger allegedly saw no problem with cannabis, mainly as it didn’t hurt anyone nor make anyone violent.
However Anslinger changed his mind, noticing that (according to Hari) he was in charge of a big department with nothing to do. Anslinger then warned people about the effects of cannabis. His warnings claimed – it would throw you into a delirious rage. Then you’d suffer from erotic dreams and hallucinations. Then finally reaching the inevitable endpoint – insanity.
Mexican Immigration
Between 1910 and 1920 there was a huge wave of Mexican immigration into the US. With them they brought the custom of cannabis use for recreational purposes.
In order to control immigration, this big part of Mexican culture was demonised.
Americans were familiar with “cannabis”, so instead the Mexican “marihuana” was demonised.
This allowed the authorities to create a hostile environment for Mexican immigrants. It allowed them to stop and search, and detain and deport Mexican immigrants.
By the 1930’s mechanised hemp production was seen as a threat to jobs in the paper industry. Until then hemp was commonly used in a variety of products including paper and textiles. In 1916 the government was considering stopping cutting down trees in favour of exclusively using hemp paper. Naturally the paper industry jumped on the band wagon and lobbied to outlaw cannabis. With the momentum already behind them, it was easy to demonise hemp. This is despite it being more sustainable and of a higher quality than paper.
The US then appeared to push their agenda across the world through the UN.
Now you know the answer to the question – Why Was Cannabis Made Illegal? Here’s some interesting facts about hemp…
Interesting Facts About Hemp
The first Bibles, maps, charts, and the first drafts of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, were made from hemp.
It was legal to pay taxes with hemp in America from 1631 until the early 1800s.
Refusing to grow hemp in America during the 17th and 18th centuries was against the law.
All schoolbooks were made from hemp until the 1880s.
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and other founding fathers grew hemp.
Benjamin Franklin owned one of the first paper mills in America, which also processed hemp.
For thousands of years, 90% of all ships’ sails and rope were made from hemp. The word “canvas” is Dutch for cannabis.
Henry Ford’s first Model-T was built to run on hemp gasoline. The car’s bodywork was also made from hemp. On his large estate, Ford was photographed among his hemp fields. The car, ‘grown from the soil,’ had hemp plastic panels whose impact strength was 10 times stronger than steel.
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