The Real Reason Cannabis is Illegal

This is in response to the article Marijuana: Gateway Drug or Bringer of Benefits? by Question Everything. 

Marijuana did not exist in America until the early 1900’s. Hemp, or cannabis as it was also known, had been used for thousands of years all over the world for medicinal, industrial, religious and recreational purposes, but the Mexican slang term “marihuana” was not observed in use until 1895, and that was by the revolutionary Pancho Villa, in Mexico. 

Throughout American history, going back to the Mayflower pilgrims themselves, hemp was a major agricultural commodity, with such importance that its cultivation was mandatory throughout many of the early colonies. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were outspoken advocates of hemp cultivation, and it was upon hemp paper that the Declaration of Independence was drafted. At the Centennial Exhibition in 1876, hashish was served to guests. Hemp has been used to make fabric, paper, rope, and later even cars and fuel by Henry Ford. It was used to relieve many medical conditions, including loss of appetite, whooping cough, and addiction to drugs such as alcohol and opium. When fabric was needed for the war effort in WWII, the U.S. government, after it was made illegal that is, began their “Hemp For Victory” campaign, encouraging American farmers to grow this illegal crop. 

Hemp paper can be made at less than half the price of wood-pulp paper, with less use of toxic chemicals, and without destroying large trees which take many years to grow back to a viable size. So why exactly is this incredibly beneficial plant illegal still today, over 50 years later? Well, I’ll tell you this- it’s not because it is a “gateway drug”. In fact, everything the Drug Warriors say about cannabis is a lie. Yes, everything. It’s all a lie. Most of us know this already, but to say so is seen as a heresy. Why is it a lie? Because there are two reasons, neither of which is drug use or personal health, that cannabis is illegal- money and racism. Let me explain.

William Randolph Hearst

Credit: don't know

Copyright: public domain photo