Do any of you know why marijuana was made illegal in the first place? It wasn’t always illegal, you realize.
Let’s say you didn’t like a certain type of people–for example, people who are left-handed. All you have to do is figure out something most lefties do that most righties don’t, make it illegal, and voila! you have the means to lock them up.
In this case, in the 1930s marijuana was used mostly by minorities. Outlaw marijuana and you can lock them all up.
Here are some quotes from Harry Anslinger, who was director of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics:
There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and 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.
There were, of course, other reasons. Hemp had industrial uses. There were men of industry who didn’t want the competition from hemp. Make it illegal and end the competition.
All in all, there was little, if any, health-related reason in the decision to ban marijuana.