The Racist Roots of Marijuana Prohibition
The war on marijuana was a product of American’s growing prejudice towards the influx of Mexican
immigrants after the Mexican Revolution.
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
David McDonald
Politics Justice War on Drugs Marijuana
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The history of marijuana (or cannabis/THC) stems back over 10,000 years and is widely recognized as
one of the most useful plants on the planet. Yet it was made illegal in the United States in the early 20th
century due to political and economic factors.
History of The Drug
Let’s get one thing clear: marijuana was not made illegal because it caused “insanity, criminality, and
death” as was claimed by Harry J. Anslinger. It was made illegal in an attempt to control Mexican
immigration into the United States and to help boost the profits of large pharmaceutical companies.
Humans have been using the plant for almost 10,000 years to make necessary items such as clothing
and pottery. But the first direct reference to a cannabis product as a “psychoactive agent” dates back to
2737 BC in the writings of the Chinese emperor Shen Nung.
Southern states feared the plant so much, it was called the “marijuana menace.”
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The focus was on its healing powers, primarily how it healed diseases such as malaria and even “absent-
mindlessness.” The plant was used recreationally by Indians and Muslims as well.
