History: Prohibition Part 1

Cannabis has had a rough history in this country. As you know, it’s still far from over. Curious how the prohibition started? Cannabis wasn’t always illegal. American production of hemp was encouraged by the government in the 17th century for the production of goods like rope, sails, and clothing. Encouraged to the point that the Virginia Assembly passed legislation in 1619 requiring all farmers to grow hemp. It was even allowed to be exchanged as legal tender in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland. Have you ever seen those old glass medicine bottles with “Cannabis extract”(or something similar) on them? Yes, those are real. In the late 1800’s, cannabis became a popular ingredient in many medicinal products including children's medications and was sold openly in public pharmacies. It wasn't until the turn of the 20th century, that the prohibition began. Why? The simple answer: Racism. The first, Pure Food and Drug Act, was created with the intent to prevent the manufacturing, sale, and transportation of poisonous or harmful foods, drugs, and liquors. Shortly following the Mexican Revolution, Mexican immigrants came into the U.S. with recreational cannabis, introducing it to American culture. This led to cannabis being directly associated with immigrants. The prejudice about the Mexican newcomers, and the fear tactics that were created around the prejudice and exclusion, ultimately became associated and blamed on cannabis. Anti-drug campaigns began promoting news of crimes and violence that were attributed to cannabis and the Mexicans who used it. With the start of the Great Depression which led to mass unemployment, resentment towards the Mexican immigrants increased and in turn further pushed cannabis into this dark light. This is where the birth of drug propaganda began. Reefer Madness, famously known in our community as a must watch stoner film for it’s comical extreme exaggeration of cannabis use, was originally created in 1936 as propaganda. People actually believed it. Shortly following the release of this film, congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act criminalizing cannabis and restricting possession of the “drug” to individuals who paid an excise tax for certain authorized medical and industrial uses. This is a brief introduction to the history of cannabis up until the first signs of criminalization. A lot more to discuss in future history series posts regarding the plant and it’s origins, history of prohibition until now, etc. Until then...Questions? Hit us up!