Cannabis has been utilized for thousands of years by indigenous peoples. The earliest known documentation was in 2350 BC; a description was found for cannabis as being used MEDICINALLY in ancient Egyptian texts.

Prior to 1937 in the US, Cannabis was one of the top 3 remedies prescribed. Cannabis had been introduced to the US and Europe in the mid 1800’s, due to numerous reports in the medical literature of its therapeutic properties.

The push to tarnish cannabis as a dangerous drug began in the 1930s.

Secret meetings were held to discuss the perceived threat posed by the Industrial Hemp Industry, with both government officials and industry leaders attending. Organized by Harry Anslinger (Commissioner of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Federal Bureau of Narcotics), these meeting were frequented by “titans of industry” such as William Randolph Hearst and the DuPont’s. They set out to create an element of fear around Industrial Hemp. They used misinformation, media manipulation and they introduced new, “scary, foreign-sounding” words like MARIJUANA, which they unscrupulously tied to Industrial Hemp to tarnish its reputation.  Their efforts were highly successful, eventually leading to the passing of the Federal Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. It was at this point that the Industrial Hemp Industry in America officially died.

The propaganda was pervasive. It was spread through newspapers, posters, the radio and even movies with great effect. The success was largely due to the insidious use of that new word, “MARIJUANA.” Prior to imposing the new, scary word on the American public, HEMP was widely accepted as an important American industrial crop, and CANNABIS was accepted and widely used medicinally by many physicians and their patients. MARIJUANA, however, was said to cause “REEFER MADNESS,” which causes violence, antisocial behavior and sex crazed attacks, particularly against white women. The fundamental message of this propaganda was:

“MARIJUANA is the Devil’s Weed, it’s used by immigrants and minorities and they’re coming for your white daughter– Oh and by the way, marijuana, cannabis and hemp are all the same.”

Rapidly, this message took root in the consciousness of the American majority. From this point, it took no time at all for people who were still taking cannabis medicinally to get rid of it.  As for hemp, it was easily dismissed and quickly forgotten. The “Refer Madness” propaganda had worked, and the population’s majority was now properly indoctrinated.

Once propaganda is fully accepted, it becomes a self perpetuating narrative amongst the masses.  It’s the populace itself that keeps the lie in place by preaching it to each other, generations after generation– it’s brainwashing 101. This was the first step towards making cannabis illegal, and it would remain in place for the next 80 years.

Fear is a powerful agent, and when wielded with money and influence, it can do irreparable damage that takes years to counteract. Numerous attempts over the years to decriminalize cannabis were stonewalled. Even in the face of overwhelming evidence:

JUDGE FRANCIS L. YOUNG goes down as one of the first government officials to acknowledge the beneficial use of medical marijuana, saying, “Cannabis is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. Marijuana has been accepted as capable of relieving distress of great numbers of very ill people.”