Hey Siri – Why is Weed Illegal?
First and foremost let me get this off my chest. FUCK William Randolph Hurst + Harry Anslinger. For those of you who are not familiar, these two are the men who are responsible for the prohibition of hemp + cannabis as a result of selfish greed and racism. Let’s check out the basics before we dive in to this corrupt subject.
So... Why is Weed Illegal?
1.William Randolph Hurst: owned a giant media company with a large stake in the paper biz.
William Randolph Hurst (WRH)
This guy… WRH built an media empire with a large stake in the timber and paper industries – these served as the backbone of his wealth, and he wasn’t going to let some measly plant tear it down. You see, President Roosevelt introduced Hemp as a plant to aid struggling farmers in the south. This “miracle plant” had emerged as budding alternative to destructive resources such as paper, plastic and pharma. Because of Hurst’s power to control the media, he was able to curate, publish and distribute propaganda surrounding the devils lettuce across all of his media platforms. Remember, without the internet and social media, the citizens of the U.S. were subject to these conglomerates messages. Gross. In addition, Hurst owed a significant amount of money to Canadian paper supplied, so an emerging alternative to paper posed a MAJOR threat to his wealth.
2. Harry Anslinger was a political drug enforcer hired by President Hoover to help fight the rise of narcotics.
Harry Anslinger
Harry Anslinger was a former politician and leader of the Alcohol prohibition charge – soon after was named the first Commissioner of the U.S. Treasury Department Bureau of Narcotics. Just like all politics, there was a good amount of persuasion and corruption surrounding his motives. Hemp posed a major threat for three emerging cash cows in the U.S - Medicine, Textiles and Plastics. Not only was Anslinger swayed by corruption, he was also a prominent racist, especially when it came to cannabis.Reefer makes darkies think they’re as good as white men. The primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races.He also claimed that most weed smokers... “most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others.
The Gist?
Ignorance, racism. greed.
Not only did the actions of these two hussies put a lot of innocent people in jail, but it delayed the commercialized discoveries and medicinal usage of the hemp plant for nearly a century. We’re now just realizing that Hemp can be the solution for some of society's most prominent issues. It can combat mass deforestation, help create a sustainable alternative to plastics and serve as alternative to addictive pharmaceuticals. For more information on this incredible failure in american history, check our podcast on the topic!
Peace, Love & Munchies- Steel