Watched a very interesting programme this evening about the banning in the USA in the 1930’s of marijuana when hemp was a common crop.
It seemed to suggest that new ways of harvesting agricultural hemp and the commercial uses it could be put to threatened large industrial interests such as the newly-founded synthetic fiber and plastics industries and the timber industry and that these influenced the then head of the US Narcotics agency Harry Jacob Anslinger to “declare war on it” (because that always works) .
As among other things, “This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and many others.” (not had this quote verified). Quite interesting to see the plethora of lurid and frightening horror stories concerning what happens to those who used it in a number of newspapers at the time.
