Racism, Power and Money: How Cannabis Became Illegal
“There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, results from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and others.” “Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality and death.” “Reefer makes darkies think they're as good as white men.”
These are the words of Harry Anslinger. He was appointed to the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in 1930, the precursor to the Drug Enforcement Agency or DEA. He was our first drug czar. He was appointed by his wife's uncle, Secretary of Treasury, Andrew Mellon of Mellon bank. This bureau and position were created specifically for Anslinger by Mellon. Up until that time, Americans had never heard of the term “marijuana”. The plant Anslinger was referring to was known to Americans as cannabis, it's actual Latin scientific name. They had known this plant as medicine that could be purchased at the pharmacy as cough syrup or a tincture. It was used for insomnia, pain, headache and restlessness. Mexicans began pouring into America after their country's’ revolution. They brought with them their language, customs and culture. There was a plant that they consumed as medicine and smoked for relaxation. This plant was cannabis but they called it "marihuana”. Smoking was not a way that Americans usually consumed cannabis. Thus, it appeared to them to be something different. Neither did the medical nor industrial communities realize what the term “marijuana” was referring to, until it was too late. Anslinger used that to his advantage.
El Paso, Texas became the first city in America to ban cannabis in 1915. Any Mexican caught smoking it, was deported. Anslinger was concerned that with the prohibition of alcohol having been overturned, his new Bureau might not have anything to do. He gave speeches and wrote many racist, inflammatory and usually false articles to frighten Americans. These articles were happily printed by William Hearst in his newspapers and magazines. Hearst was a very wealthy timber mogul, the Rupert Murdoch of his day. He, too, was not fond of minorities, especially after he lost 800,000 acres of timberland to Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution.
In the 1930s, hemp was becoming an economical alternative to the emerging paper and plastic industries. Hemp is the non-psychoactive version of cannabis. It has been used for clothing, paper, rope and biofuel to name a few. The Declaration of Independence was written on paper made from hemp. Lammot du Pont of the DuPont Chemical Company had just developed cellophane, rayon, nylon and plastics. Andrew Mellon was a heavy financial backer of Dupont industries.
The propaganda campaign against cannabis and people of color, culminated with the anti-marijuana film "Reefer Madness" in 1936. The American Medical Association made one last ditch effort to appeal to the poorly attended Congressional committee working on the legislation to restrict cannabis. This legislation was drafted by Anslinger and introduced by a representative from North Carolina who also happened to be an ally to Mellon. The AMA’s physician representatives stated there was no evidence that cannabis was harmful and the prohibition would prevent future research on medical uses. The AMA's position was later falsified to the full Congress and it was stated that they had no problem with the legislation. The Marijuana Tax Act was passed in 1937. It made it illegal to have cannabis unless it was for medical or industrial purposes. The Act levied a prohibitive $100 an ounce tax on cannabis. Thus, cannabis, including hemp, were effectively banned.
In summary, racism, power and money paved the way for the prohibition of cannabis. By playing on people's fears, the rich and powerful used politicians to shape public policy. This led to the elimination of their competition, continued discrimination against people of color and prohibition of a plant that had been prescribed to and used by Americans for decades.
Dr. Dawson is a medical cannabis advocate, educator and consultant. She has dual board certification in obstetrics and gynecology, as well as integrative (holistic) medicine. She offers online educational consultations regarding medical cannabis, CBD and holistic gynecology.
