The prohibition of Cannabis has been a long process carried out over the course of a century in the United States of America. It started in the 20th century due to political, cultural, and economic concerns of the US government. The public perception of the cannabis plant changed as other cultures spread into the West. Some of the first users of Cannabis in America were African Americans in New Orleans and Mexican immigrants. Cannabis played a large role in the culture of Mexican immigrants as well as in the Jazz culture of New Orleans.
In the 1910’s, Mexican citizens came to America escaping the violence of the Mexican Revolution, and sailors and immigrants from the Caribbean into New Orleans. The prohibition of cannabis was born out of racial prejudice and fear. Cannabis was referred to by the Mexicans as “marihuana” and the term became a derogatory term for cannabis used by propagandists to push for prohibition. The emergence of Mexican Immigrants and the Jazz culture of New Orleans, and the cannabis consumption that followed in the early 1900’s caused fear in the hearts of prejudiced white folk. They feared that the Mexicans would steal their jobs and the Jazz culture would taint the hearts of Americans.
A man by the name of Harry Anslinger, also known as the “father of cannabis prohibition”, used the mainstream media to demonize the substance we still call “marijuana” to this day. The public perception of cannabis was completely changed by the misinformation and propaganda spread by Mr. Anslinger. Cannabis drove people “mad” and made them do things they wouldn’t normally do. The use of Cannabis in jazz clubs during this time is associated with satanic practices, hence the term “devil’s lettuce”. The idea that white women would initiate sexual relations with black men if they smoked cannabis and listened to jazz also became prevalent at this time. None of this propaganda was based on any kind of scientific evidence, only fear of a plant they didn’t understand. The prohibition of Cannabis was a targeted means of imprisoning and attacking the character of black and Mexican immigrants in the USA.
Herb is the healing of a nation, Alcohol is the destruction
– Bob Marley
Quote retrieved via http://www.goodreads.com
The economic concerns with Cannabis began with the emergence of industrial hemp as an alternative to the man made paper and the cotton industry. Hemp has a wide array of applications and would’ve taken revenue from these large industries. The economic interests of cotton, paper, and even tobacco business owners, as well as the political interests of the government, led to an increased desire for the prohibition of cannabis in the United States during the 20th century. The roots of the movement was in part motivated by these economic and political interests; however, I believe one of the primary reasons prohibition started in the US was due to the racist ideals and white nationalism instilled in the American population and government from the days of slavery and the civil war era in this country.
The worst part of it all is not much has changed. Many Americans still hold these sentiments and Cannabis is currently a schedule 1 substance one hundred years later according to the federal laws. Despite state legislation supporting cannabis, hundreds of thousands of POC and minorities are still servings sentences for non-violent drug charges, along with many others robbed of opportunities after their incarceration. The only way we can begin to make right the atrocious actions committed by the government is to change the public perception of Cannabis and the laws surrounding its consumption, cultivation, and distribution on the Federal Level.
Cannathusiast 