40: Puff, Puff, Pass: Dark History of Cannabis
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This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

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What are your self-care non-negotiables? The things you know make you feel better, even when it's impossible to make time for them. Like that workout you try to squeeze in between kids' activities, work, and everything else you have going on, and before you know it, it gets pushed to tomorrow.

Sound familiar? But it's the moments when you feel like you have no time for yourself when those non-negotiables are more important than ever. Those are the things that keep you strong, healthy, motivated, and prepared to take on everything life demands of you. So why not make therapy one of them?

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Hi friends! I hope you're having a wonderful day today. My name is Bailey Sarian and I'd like to welcome you to the Library of Dark History. Now this is a safe space for all the curious cats out there who think, "Hey,

Is history really as boring as it seemed in school? Oh, nay, nay. This is where we can learn together about all the dark, mysterious, dramatic stories our teachers never told us about. You get it, I hope. Joan over here, she's got a little joint going. I've got my little weed robe. Feeling very Mother Nature right now. What do you guys think? Well, if you're listening...

Just imagine that something's going on. I don't know. Whip up some nachos, slip on the biggest hoodie you got, bust out some eye drops and melt into your couch because today's episode is about the wacky tobaccy, the sticky icky, the reefer, the old giggle smoke, the devil's lettuce, maybe? That's right. Today we're talking all about the dark history of cannabis.

Now, when I was digging into the story, I did a lot of research. And we actually tried to film this episode once before. And I was like, you guys, we should smoke weed and film the episode. That would be so fun. And then, bitch, let me tell you, that shit backfired real quick. I got so paranoid. I was on fucking Jupiter. And we were trying to film. And I was like, I gotta get the fuck out of here. And then I just bolted and...

You guys, it wasn't a good idea. I don't recommend getting high and filming, at least not for me. Anyway, so I'm doing this again, sober. Thank you so much. Joan here, you could smoke all you want. Did you know the word marijuana has a terrible racist past?

Yeah, because actually it does. And we'll get into that a little bit. So I'm just gonna call it cannabis because that's what it is. Weed comes from the cannabis plant and she changed the world, really. But then some powerful villains in the United States decided this poor little plant was a criminal. But before we get into that, let's go way, way, way, way back and talk about what life was like for our girl cannabis. I'm gonna open up my little dark history book to my favorite chapter.

Oh, there it is. Nope, that's not it. Once upon a time, in about 12,000 BCE, in Central and South Asia, a little green flowering plant was born. Then around 8,000 BCE, research missions in Japan found some seeds that could like grow this plant.

Soon after they started growing it from the seeds, they gave her a name, which was cannabis, or is cannabis. Now, some think she could be one of the earliest plants ever farmed by humans, but we know for sure a few thousand years later, around 4000 BCE, cannabis was definitely being farmed. But just as important as cannabis being grown

was what they were growing it for. It's now the year 2,500 BCE and history has just started being recorded. Yes, cannabis has been on the scene longer than written words. So since things are being recorded, we find out around this time, fabric, clothes, and shoes were being made using cannabis in both China and Korea. Some even call it the first fabric known to man. And they were using something called hemp.

It's basically the stem of the cannabis plant, which is peeled into long thin fibers and then woven together. It's not too far off from like a fine linen and can be used for all sorts of stuff. For example, when I was in high school, hemp necklaces were super popular. And this one hot guy, Dylan, he was like, "Did you know hemp is weed?" And I was like, "Shut up, Dylan. Oh my God. Stop Dylan. You're so stupid, Dylan."

Well, here's the thing. Hot Dylan was right. Weed and hemp are just two different names for cannabis. In the eyes of science, they're the same damn thing. But in the eyes of today's law, they couldn't be more different. This is like the natural version of crack versus cocaine.

But we'll get into that later on because early cannabis still has some surprising tricks up her sleeve. So cannabis decided fashion wasn't enough. She was like, hi, I'm going to do medicine now. And her best known chemicals, specifically THC and CBD, were

It could help people sleep, make them euphoric, and act like an anesthetic, aka a painkiller. So cannabis was used during early versions of surgeries, and around 2000 BC, Persians mixed hemp seeds with beer to help menstrual cramps and other lady issues. Why are we not doing this now? The ancient Egyptians started using it for similar reasons too.

Remember in our episode about menstruation? The Egyptians would mix it with honey and put it right up their old hoo-ha. And like, who are we to judge? Because, I mean, if it worked to get rid of period cramps, sign me the heck up. And while all this is going on, hemp was being used to create food like hemp milk and hemp seed. Plus the Chinese were even using it to make an early form of paper. So, I mean, it's a very versatile little plant, isn't it?

And with all these accomplishments under her belt, cannabis still isn't even done. So cannabis had been hanging around the Middle East for a bit. And then in 800 BCE, she was found on a couple of religious altars in what is now present day Israel. Because she was in a residue form, most believe cannabis was being used by people to get a little high during ceremonial or ritualistic events.

But the oldest, most solid evidence of humans smoking weed was found in the mountains of western China. A stone-filled bowl with THC residue was found, and it dated back to about 480 BC. Wild.

Earlier cannabis users either burned the plant and like inhaled the smoke called vapors or they just ate it. And yeah, I'm talking like ancient edibles here. So from this point to like the middle ages, every culture that comes into contact with cannabis dabbles in the drug's psychoactive properties.

Whether it be for religious reasons or for just funsies, they were getting high. The oldest evidence we have recorded is from 440 BC, when a Greek writer known as the Father of History documented a nomadic tribe smoking hemp vapor and shouting for joy. So it's safe to say our girl cannabis was pretty revolutionary and popular.

I mean, think about it, for thousands of years, she kept people warm, fed them, numbed their pain, brought them closer to God, and reduced their anxiety during what I'm pretty sure weren't the easiest times to live through. I'd want to get high. Shit. So it just makes sense why nomads, traders, armies, and explorers took her from the grasslands of Central Asia into China, Korea, Japan, Russia, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, Europe.

and south through Africa. In 1455, the Gutenberg Bible was published, which was not only the first mass-produced book sent all across the world, it was printed on hemp paper. Oh shit, that's wild. So things, again, are just going really great for cannabis at this time. In fact,

In fact, things were really going well for cannabis for a long time. But what cannabis didn't know was that she was on a crash course with one continent that would put her into full crisis mode. Welcome to North America, cannabis. You're gonna hate it here. But how did cannabis even get to the Americas in the first place? Some theories claim that cannabis hitched a ride to the continent back in 1492 with America's favorite colonizer, Christopher Columbus.

But those claims aren't really backed up by much. Plus, it seems like more bullshit to make Columbus seem cool, you know? But there are some reports that cannabis first stepped ashore in the Americas in Brazil and Chile after a long-ass haul across the Atlantic from Africa. And then there were tales that Spanish conquerors introduced cannabis to Mexico to farm the hemp. Is one of these true? Are all of these true? I don't freaking know.

There is no concrete research to tell us exactly when cannabis arrived, but we know she was here because production of hemp is on record in the 13 colonies. The farming of hemp was encouraged by local governments in the 1600s on the East Coast. They did this for a few reasons. It was a valuable thing that could be sold or turned into clothing. But the most important reason was that hemp could be used to help the

growing military. It was a strategic move because hemp was used to make ropes, a material to seal the gaps in ships, and also canvas sails. Wow. Wow. Just everything. Fun fact, the word canvas actually comes from the word cannabis.

Ain't that some shit? Our girl was so important that in 1619, the territory of Virginia required every farmer to grow hemp, and other territories even allowed it to be exchanged as currency. I mean, this stuff was as in demand as actual money. And if that's not enough, there are even some theories that some of the earliest drafts of the Declaration of Independence were printed on hemp parchment as well.

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and even Andrew freaking Jackson grew hemp on their plantations. Now, I know what you're wondering. Bailey, give us the tea. Were they smoking it? Were the founding fathers getting as high as Ben Franklin's kite? Unfortunately, there's no evidence of it, but come on. If you're growing it, you're just having it laying around.

You're gonna maybe smoke it, right? You gotta at least try it once. Anyway, the United States was officially established as a nation in 1776, and by 1850, cannabis became a federally approved medicine. What a time to be alive. That same year, the US census recorded 8,327 hemp farms growing cannabis for all sorts of uses.

Now, in order to be counted, the farm had to be at least 2,000 acres. In total, that's at least 16 million acres of hemp. To put that in perspective, that's a bigger area than the size of all of West Virginia. Oh, shit. That's big. We basically had a whole ass state dedicated to hemp. What happened?

And then later in the century, cannabis started popping up as a beloved ingredient in a bunch of medicines that were sold directly to people in pharmacies. It was used to treat everything from migraines to inflammation to insomnia. So yeah, I mean, our girl cannabis was out here killing it, just like she had been for thousands of years. But when something is at the top of their game, a lot of people just want to see it come crashing down. We're going to pause for an ad break.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24, 7, 365 days a year so you're protected no matter what.

This is an ad by BetterHelp.com.

What are your self-care non-negotiables? The things you know make you feel better, even when it's impossible to make time for them. Like that workout you try to squeeze in between kids' activities, work, and everything else you have going on, and before you know it, it gets pushed to tomorrow.

Sound familiar? But it's the moments when you feel like you have no time for yourself when those non-negotiables are more important than ever. Those are the things that keep you strong, healthy, motivated, and prepared to take on everything life demands of you. So why not make therapy one of them?

BetterHelp Online Therapy makes it easy to get started with affordable phone, video, or live chat sessions you can do from anywhere, and the option to message your therapist between sessions if anything comes up. Never skip therapy day with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com slash darkhistory today to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp, H-E-L-P dot com slash darkhistory.

While cannabis was a medical wonder drug, it also gained steam as a fashionable narcotic in the United States. Now that wasn't just word on the street. That exact phrase came from an 1853 article in the New York Times. Along with this, people in the United States had also started to get into like the recreational use of smoking hash, which is a

which is a super potent form of cannabis. It's a dried resin that's pressed into small blocks. I mean, there were even hash parlors opening up alongside opium dens up and down the East Coast. I mean,

I mean, that sounds like a good time. But because we can't have fun, we can't have nice things, a couple of dipshits came and ruined the party for everyone else. In 1884, the Baltimore Sun detailed the story of a guy who went to the hospital, stoned out of his mind on hash, just fucking, oh yeah, shit, right? And told a doctor he couldn't find his face. His legs were gone. And he was walking on his chin.

Ah, yes. But reports like that made a lot of people afraid of cannabis. I don't know, that sounds like bath salts or something, man. And then the United States government took a step that sealed cannabis's fate forever. In the early 1900s, there was a growing push to regulate food and pharmaceuticals because...

Some assholes were selling stuff and like lying about what was inside. And in order to protect consumers, the United States passed something called the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. This required drug labels to disclose any of 10 specific ingredients thought to be quote unquote addictive or dangerous. Things like cocaine, right? Opium, heroin, they're on the list and that makes sense.

But because cannabis was now considered a narcotic, and there were reports of people walking on their chins, it also made the list of 10. While the law didn't ban anything, cannabis was now considered a poison.

So our girl is catching a bad rap and it only gets worse when blatant racism enters the picture. So for the next part of our story, we're going to hop on over to Mexico, specifically Mexico in the year 1910. Now at this time, there was death and chaos in the streets of Mexico. I guess the country's dictator, who had been in power since 1876, had been overthrown. And what remained of the country's government were fighting against a bunch of rebel forces.

This became known as the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Now, why is this so important to our story? Well, this revolution caused a wave of Mexican immigrants to pour into the United States because they were seeking refuge. But that's not what they got. Because along with their incredible culture, some brought with them their recreational use of cannabis. And remember, at this point, cannabis was considered poison. But like we mentioned earlier today,

It's also used for so much other stuff. My God. Unfortunately, people started associating cannabis with incoming Mexican immigrants, and this caused fear in the United States, and they pushed anti-drug advocates to warn against the marijuana menace. That's what they were calling it. Horrible crimes that were being committed at the time were blamed on Mexicans who were using marijuana. I mean, it didn't matter if it were true or not. They just...

I want someone to blame. Marijuana is definitely a word that comes from Mexico, but its true origins aren't entirely known for sure. One expert believes it comes from Mexican soldiers slaying for brothel, Maria Iwana. Oh. Oh. Other theories say it came from Chinese immigrants in Mexico. It could be a combo of syllables that refer to cannabis in Chinese, ma-ren-hua.

Or maybe it came from an informal way of saying Chinese oregano in Spanish, which is "mejorana chino." Don't come for me, okay? I—we're trying. So the word marijuana could have come from a lot of different things, really.

But back in the 1800s, most references in the press to cannabis refer to her medical benefits or how hemp makes cool shit like fabric, rope, and paper, so they used the scientific name. But then, in the early 1900s, major outlets like the LA Times took racism and anti-cannabis stances mainstream.

And this is when we really start to see the M word gain in popularity. For example, they published a story titled "Delirium or Death: Terrible Effects Produced by Certain Plants and Weeds Grown in Mexico." So marijuana started to become tied to Mexicans who were then stereotyped as dangerous pot smokers.

and then just fanned the prejudiced flames and led to racism and anti-immigrant feelings in the United States, which I'm sure we can all agree is insane. I mean, for a lot of reasons, but also because cannabis was legal to trade over the border and was being grown, sold, and used by white people in the United States. So a little double standard, wouldn't you say? So let's recap. Cannabis was a badass wonder plant, a goddess, a beautiful creature.

A gift sent from the Jesus. Baby Jesus sent us this beautiful plant and named her Cannabis. But then she got labeled addictive and dangerous. And then racism got involved. So the stage is set for like the darkest years in Cannabis' life. Her formal criminalization.

But the road to getting that done was long and difficult. So difficult that it requires a gang of villains we've actually talked about before on this show. Now, they didn't know each other at first, but soon they would get to know each other. Because with their powers combined, they're going to make life in the United States a nightmare for a lot of people. So buckle up for the most toxic villain crossover this show has ever seen. But first we have to pause for an ad break. I know. BRB.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24, 7, 365 days a year so you're protected no matter what.

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Your cash back really adds up. Now, remember, cannabis has been a huge part of the American economy for a really long time.

Whether cannabis was used for fabrics, goods, food, medicinal purposes, or even making the paper in the freaking Bible, a lot of people had jobs in the cannabis industry. And even more people relied on those products themselves every day. So if a powerful group has the goal of completely erasing cannabis from the country, they're going to have to do it systematically. They're going to have to attack from four very important angles, the press, the

the banks, big business, and finally the government. It's like, why do they wanna ruin this so bad?

We learned about the marijuana menace bullshit earlier back when people were blaming the Mexican refugees for crimes. But even the United States government was pushing out anti-cannabis propaganda, solidifying the shaky connection between cannabis and Mexican immigrants. And because it was from the government, it validated a lot of the toxic myths already out there while continuing to keep racist stereotypes alive and well.

But this PR campaign from hell really got a shot in the arm from someone we've met in this show before. The first villain in our gang, who I'm gonna call the dude involved in cannabis killing, aka Dicks, because that's what they are, is none other than Mr. William Randolph Hearst. Remember him? Yellow journalism episode? The castle house, remember? I've been there. Did I tell you? I went to the Hearst Castle, really cool place.

I mean, yeah, he's a bad guy, but really cool house. I'd live there. Anyways, when we left our boy William, he was fighting with Joseph Pulitzer and started the Spanish-American War, all while creating a worldwide media empire. So who better to spread insane propaganda than Mr. Sensationalism himself? Lying in his own newspapers was second nature to him, but this time there was a huge financial reason to do it.

You see, William had investments in the timber industry. You know, chopping down trees so they can be turned into newspapers. Great for William. Terrible for Earth. But then a big-ass problem shows up for William. Because remember how I said earlier that paper can be made from hemp? After slavery was abolished, the hemp industry hit some rough times because hemp required a lot of labor to be farmed and processed.

The formerly enslaved did most of that work because hashtag USA, but something called the decorticator was invented. And this sexy new machine changed the game. It kind of automated the whole system of processing hemp. It became easier and it didn't need as much labor. And this meant that hemp paper was made faster, cheaper, and more sustainably than wood paper, which Earth is like, yay, great.

But William, nah, he wasn't happy. He's like, fuck that. With his timber investment starting to face tough competition, William is looking for any way to take down the hemp industry. Now this guy hates losing money. I mean, have you seen his house? He needs the money. I mean, like he needs that money, okay?

In addition to this, William's politics when it came to Latin America were pretty clear. He felt it should be conquered and taken over by, you know, the white people. He is on record saying, quote, I really don't see what is to prevent us from owning all Mexico and running it to suit ourselves, end quote. And this was something he was actively trying to do. Some estimates say he owned 7.5 million acres of land in Mexico.

And because of his win at all costs mentality, William had the disgusting idea to use his journalism empire to kill two birds with one stone, save his timber investment, and help spread hate towards Mexican immigrants so he can get more land. He's got to build more house. Have you seen his house? The castle? Have you been there?

I should do PR for them. In 1923, a paper owned by William reported that marijuana is a shortcut to the insane asylum. And if people smoke joints, the brain will be nothing but a storehouse for horrid spectators. Oh, shit. There were also reports that, quote,

The devil marijuana weed caused violence. Oh, shit. The devil's juice. Then in 1928, William ramped it up a bit with one of his papers reporting that marijuana was known in India as the murder drug and people who were stoned would run through the streets

hacking and killing everyone. Goddamn, man. And then in another claim, this guy's just going. He's all the hits. Boom, boom, boom. Because in another claim, an article said just a small gardening box full of cannabis could

could quote, "Drive the whole population of the United States stark, raving mad." I think it's safe to say this William guy has never smoked weed. He really should have tried it before being so judgmental. All of this probably could have been prevented. And what's even worse, all these crazy ass headlines sold more papers and made William even richer. Shame. Shame. Shame.

I feel like I've made this very clear. So when William started banging the racist drum, screaming that marijuana is gonna kill everyone,

He planted the seed that Mexican immigrants and their drug were going to kill everybody. Oh, yes. And it's easier to fear something if there is a human face tied to it. Suddenly, white United States citizens become scared shitless and they start to turn on cannabis, which is what William wanted. What William wanted most was to make it all illegal.

And this was not something William could do on his own. He needed help. And this is how we meet our next villain from our gang of dicks, D-I-C-K-S. So let me introduce to you Mr. Andrew Mellon. Andrew was born on March 24th. March! March!

Man, all the villains are born in March, it seems like. There's something up with March. Andrew was born on March 24th, 1855 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1874 after graduating from Western University. Okay, Andrew. He entered the family business. That business was started by his dad and was called T. Mellon and Sons Bank. I don't know why Mellon's making me giggle. I just keep thinking of titties. And I'll tell ya.

The business was pretty good. To this day, the Mellons are one of the richest families in the United States. Oh, shit. But this isn't about the family. It's about Andrew, okay? He was so good at the finance stuff that his dad just gave him the bank in 1882 when Andrew was just 26.

Must be nice, huh? Over the course of the next 30 years, Andrew took what his dad started and turned it into a powerhouse in the United States banking world. I mean, tons of corporations turned to him for cash. As the United States developed into the early 1900s, Andrew and his bank were involved in hugely important industries like oil, steel, electricity, aluminum shipping, and booze.

So you get it, Andrew was a financial and industrial titan. The Mellons were huge. This guy was connected. And by the early 1920s, he was one of the richest dudes in the United States. Good for you. Okay, so now you know Andrew. Banking, powerful, got it. So under Andrew's watch, T. Mellon & Sons rebranded and became known as Mellon Bank.

It was one of the biggest banks at the time, and they had a very important client. You see, there was one industry I left out when I listed everything Andrew was involved in. That industry was petrochemicals. So this is where we welcome back to the show one of the most destructive and dangerous villains I've had the privilege of talking shit about. The third member of our gang of dicks is none other than the DuPont Company. Yeah.

Circle back to episode one. Wow. We did it, Joan. We do that callback all the way to episode one. Iconic. That was pretty good. DuPont, did you guys watch that episode? That's my favorite episode for sure. That one had menstruation. I like this one too, but check those out too. Okay, you get it. All you need to know for this story is that DuPont was...

and still is, a chemical company that, along with other stuff, developed synthetic fabrics from fossil fuels. And they were behind a huge-ass scandal where they poisoned the drinking water in West Virginia. Some Aquatofana shit. Anyway, DuPont banked with Andrew.

That means he'd lend them money so they could operate their company. If DuPont did well, so did Andrew. If they shit the bed, so did Andrew. And Mellon Bank was most invested in DuPont's process of turning wood fiber into paper. Maybe you see where this is going?

Now, Mellon's investments started to look pretty bleak when the United States Department of Agriculture concluded that hemp paper was favorable in comparison with those made with wood pulp.

Hemp paper didn't turn yellow as it aged, whereas wood paper covered in chemicals did. Chemicals bad, who would have thought? And not only this, but an acre of hemp could make more paper than an acre of trees. Plus, on top of that, hemp grows four times faster than trees do with half the amount of water, which means it replaces itself faster than trees do.

So as hemp gets harvested, there would be less damage to the environment because there's less of a need to knock down trees and just wait for them to like grow back to make more paper. But guess who got his wood-based paper from DuPont? Stop the presses because it's William Randolph Hearst. Have you seen his castle? It's wild.

Like William, Hemp was seriously threatening DuPont in Andrew's bottom line. The dark forces are starting to align. So a few years pass, then Andrew became the Secretary of Treasury in 1921, smack in the middle of Prohibition. Now in this position, Andrew handled all financial matters for the U.S. government.

So he holds some serious freaking power. And even though he technically became a civil servant, he stayed involved with his bank and remained tight with DuPont. It's like a conflict of interest, right? You'd think. So it's around this time when our three established villains start to mingle. Now, we don't know for sure if Andrew and William colluded directly on this next part, but a lot of interesting coincidences begin to happen.

In the late 1920s, DuPont was making this amazing new product that we all know today. It was called nylon. Oh, yes. But other companies were making a competing product for way cheaper. The main ingredient? Hemp. So now cannabis is affecting two products for DuPont, paper and nylon. Oh, they're fucking pissed, right? So one day, Andrew was sitting in his office at the Treasury Department when he remembered, wait a minute, wait a minute.

It's prohibition. Cannabis, like alcohol, was one of those 10 things listed as addictive or dangerous by the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. And alcohol is now illegal. That's when Andrew gets his big-ass light bulb moment. Why not make cannabis illegal?

Ooh. So in 1930, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics was established. It was a division within the Treasury Department, which Andrew oversaw. And Andrew had to appoint a director of narcotics.

And yes, that's where the word narc comes from. It meant narcotics officer. Anyway, it didn't take long for Andrew to come up with a man who was like perfect for the job. Okay, so now we're gonna introduce the final member of our gang of dicks, a devout racist we met before in the jazz episode. Wow, they're just all coming together like a boy band. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Harry Anslinger.

Now, if you remember, Harry loved prohibition, super big fan. And once he was appointed chief narc, he saw the gig as like a solid career opportunity. He found himself running an agency that was able to define the drug problem and then solve it. So he had the ability to make up some BS to stay employed. And that's exactly what he did. Now, opiate and cocaine use like wasn't enough to build his agency and cannabis was way more popular.

So he shifted focus and started the ball rolling on making cannabis illegal. To bring attention to this problem, he fanned the flames of mass hysteria, violence, and racism using something called the Gore Files. Sounds brute. These files were a collection of quotes from police reports about graphic and brutal stuff supposedly committed by people high on cannabis. Like people axe-wielding psychos. Grandmas getting shot.

and families being murdered, often committed by people of color. But here's the thing. Lots of people believe Harry just invented the connection between these crimes and the cannabis use. And there were 200 crimes listed in this thing called the Gore Files.

Some historians say 198 of them, so almost all of them, falsely blamed cannabis. And that's funny. And even the final two were in question. So Harry, I don't know, man, it's not adding up. But still, he frequently read from and promoted the Gore Files, which received a ton of support from

William Hearst. Have you seen his castle? It's incredible. Harry's anti-cannabis reports were filled with such open racism that a bunch of politicians called for his immediate resignation. And guess what? He's like, nope, and didn't resign. So this piece of garbage ran a major federal department for 32 years, which leads us to a little thing called reefer madness. That sounds like a

In 1936, a film called Reefer Madness was created by a church group produced with the support of Harry and his Bureau of Narcotics and then distributed nationwide on the educational film circuit.

but educational it was not. It was a silly ass piece of propaganda and I really hyped up the anti-cannabis hysteria spewing from our gang of dicks. And because there weren't a ton of movie options at the time, it made its way to the general public. Here's the plot of the movie because it's a good one. It's wild.

So some innocent high schoolers, they get lured into trying cannabis. And because they're high, they experience a cartoonish series of events that includes a hit and run, manslaughter, suicide, attempted rape, and a kid who literally loses his freaking mind. But the film seemed official and educational. So of course, a lot of Americans out there ate it up. They're like, oh my God, have you heard of this cannabis thing?

The public perception of cannabis was worse than it had ever been because of this stupid movie, Reefer Madness. And as a result, a real shitstorm for cannabis arrived. In 1937, Harry testified in front of Congress armed with his deceptive gore files, a bunch of William Hearst sensational articles, and a heaping pile of racism.

Harry explained why marijuana needed to be banned. His whole argument was that it led to crime. He kept repeating the word marijuana over and over. It was also written in the actual legislation being proposed. But the attorney for the American Medical Association knew, like, what the hell was up?

First, he said there is zero primary evidence that cannabis use causes crime. And second, he publicly scolded Harry for not publicizing that this bill actually applied to cannabis, including hemp. The attorney knew Harry was using the word marijuana because it was tied to racism towards Mexicans and cannabis was not. And this is how fear is weaponized, people. Because it didn't matter what the American Medical Association said,

The damage was done. That same year, Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act, which effectively made possession of cannabis illegal. So lame. Even though this happened, not everyone was a fan of the Marijuana Tax Act.

In 1944, the New York Academy of Medicine issued a report that outright said marijuana did not induce violence, insanity, or sex crimes, or lead to addiction or other drug use. My

My God. Even in World War II, the Department of Agriculture started a Hemp for Victory program where the government gave farmers hemp seeds to grow. They'd use the fiber for military stuff like parachutes. So the government makes cannabis possession illegal, but then is telling people to grow it? It's like, what is it? Pick a lane, people. Pick a lane. But the hypocrisy didn't matter because more laws were coming.

and they cemented something in place that proved destructive to black and brown communities all over the United States. Mandatory minimum sentences. Let's pause for a little ad break.

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Like that workout you try to squeeze in between kids' activities, work, and everything else you have going on, and before you know it, it gets pushed to tomorrow. Sound familiar? But it's the moments when you feel like you have no time for yourself when those non-negotiables are more important than ever. Those are the things that keep you strong, healthy, motivated, and prepared to take on everything life demands of you. So why not make therapy one of them?

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So there's this thing called the Boggs Act of 1951. It was passed. And this did something beyond crazy. It mandated that people convicted of cannabis offenses receive the same punishment as heroin offenses. Oh, shit. Two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000 for just holding it, this plant that the Lord up above created. I think that's, I don't think you could do that.

This $20,000 fine is equal to $210,000 today. Then the Narcotics Control Act of 1956 got the death penalty involved. So this act made penalties even harsher for not just cannabis dealers, but addicts as well. Harry justified these wild punishments because he claimed cannabis was a stepping stone to drug addiction, or like maybe you've heard of this, a gateway drug.

which we had already known for 12 years was absolutely not true. But by the time Harry retired in 1962, a bunch of baby box acts popped up in individual states, some of them even tougher on cannabis than the federal laws. For example, in Louisiana, simply possessing cannabis could land you in prison for five to 99 years.

Holy shit. Some states were even passing out life sentences and the death penalty. What do you even say to that? That's so sick. So Harry, remember he retired in 1962. Thank God, right? Well, a few years back, Andrew Mellon, he died in 1937, followed by William Hearst in 1951. Great castle, still there. Harry met his maker later in 1975. Tragically, the DuPont company is still alive and well.

Hey DuPont, how's it going? But for our story, this is when the dicks are eliminated from fuckboy island and things start to look a bit better for cannabis. So attitudes towards cannabis change, you know, in the 1960s. And it wasn't just because of the Grateful Dead. Reports from both the Kennedy and Johnson administrations found something we already knew.

Cannabis is not a gateway drug, nor does it cause violence. So policy began to include options for treatment along with criminal penalties. I mean, hey, it's a step in the right direction, I guess.

So why did this happen? Cannabis became popular among white middle-class college kids. That's it. For decades, cannabis laws targeted Mexicans and African-Americans, but the country didn't care. As soon as all the Abbeys and Logans and fucking, you know, they started smoking and getting pinched,

All their parents were like, oh my God, this is so unfair. You can't do this to them. So shortly after this, Congress got rid of most of the mandatory penalties for cannabis-related offenses. They realized it did nothing to stop drug use and was just freaking harsh. It's funny when it happens to their kids. That's when they have this epiphany. But the good news was short-lived because things once again take a turn for the worse for cannabis.

It's almost as the dicks pass their toxic torch directly to another dick. Literally, President Richard Nixon. Or a tricky dicky. Tricky dick.

but I like tricky dicky. Nixon signed the Controlled Substance Act in 1970. And this one is important to know because it classified cannabis as a schedule one narcotic, which it still is to this very day. Now, schedule one narcotics are considered to be the most dangerous drugs ever.

And our poor sweet girl cannabis is on this list with drugs like freaking heroin. To put it in perspective how insane that is, the list of Schedule 2 substances include meth, PCP, fentanyl, and cocaine, meaning they are considered safer and more medicinal. Girl, what happened? What happened?

How these drugs were categorized had nothing to do with cannabis or science. I'm paraphrasing a high-level Nixon administration official, but it was because they wanted to criminalize being counterculture and being black. But since they couldn't criminalize a movement or a person, they associated them with drugs, which they could criminalize.

This Nixon official went on to say, quote, we could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did, end quote. And there you have it.

Great. And then in 1971, President Nixon labeled drug abuse public enemy number one and announced to the world the start of the war on drugs. To put it simply, Nixon hated two groups of people, people who were against the Vietnam War and people who were black. But here's the thing, wars end, being black does not. It does need to be said that there were some people fighting the good fight on behalf of cannabis in the 1970s.

It wasn't all complete shit. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, Q, was founded in 1970. Now, they're the oldest and largest cannabis advocacy group in this country, and they provide a voice of reason against anti-cannabis propaganda coming from the government.

So during the 70s, despite all of Nixon's efforts, they helped decriminalize cannabis in 11 states. They're still hard at work today and we love them for it.

Okay, I just feel like that was so sad, but like, yeah, okay. In 1976, a study was made by Dr. Ernest Small that established the difference between cannabis and hemp. You ready to find out what the difference is? The only difference between cannabis and hemp was how much THC was in it. If it had less than 0.3% THC, it was hemp. More than that, cannabis. And you're probably thinking, well, why 0.3%?

Well, Dr. Small himself said he randomly picked a number. I love this country. America, we are so great.

Well, unfortunately, the government just like, they ran with it. They're like, sure, sounds great. And this leads us to our final player in cannabis' downfall. Everything the dicks and Nixon did set the table for this person. And my God, did he screw up a lot of people's lives. But first, we're going to pause for one more ad break, baby. ♪

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.

So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive.

Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. This is an ad by BetterHelp. What are your self-care non-negotiables? The things you know make you feel better even when it's impossible to make time for them.

Like that workout you try to squeeze in between kids' activities, work, and everything else you have going on, and before you know it, it gets pushed to tomorrow. Sound familiar? But it's the moments when you feel like you have no time for yourself when those non-negotiables are more important than ever. Those are the things that keep you strong, healthy, motivated, and prepared to take on everything life demands of you. So why not make therapy one of them?

BetterHelp Online Therapy makes it easy to get started with affordable phone, video, or live chat sessions you can do from anywhere, and the option to message your therapist between sessions if anything comes up. Never skip therapy day with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com slash darkhistory today to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp, H-E-L-P dot com slash darkhistory.

So I'm not going to spend too much time here, but no episode about cannabis is complete without calling out President Ronald Reagan. In 1986, Reagan signed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act. This bill instituted mandatory minimum sentences. Remember we did a crack and cocaine? You remember. If you don't, crack and cocaine. Go watch that episode or listen to it after this.

And along with the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984, which Reagan also signed into law, it increased cannabis penalties by a lot. Now, I think we can all agree that heroin is a very damaging drug, right? Far worse than cannabis.

but Reagan didn't think so. Having 100 cannabis plants got a person the same penalty if they got caught with 100 grams of heroin. Reagan is telling America cannabis is as bad as heroin.

And then Reagan put in place a policy called three strikes and you're out, which triggered an automatic life sentence in prison for repeat drug offenders. So if a person was found with half a joint three times, their life was over. And Reagan's like, well, they just should have said no.

Speaking of which, there was an ad campaign, an educational program started in the 1980s called Just Say No. And guess who created it? Reagan's wife, Nancy. This whole campaign was geared towards stopping kids from using drugs and that anyone doing drugs was scary. Now it's hard to oppose a program that says they just want to keep kids safe, right? Yeah, duh, everyone does.

But what came out of Just Say No was anything but helpful. Some studies suggest that kids in those programs were more likely to try alcohol and drugs. Also, it taught kids to stigmatize people who use drugs, as if every single one of them is actively in control of their addiction and are bad people. So while President Reagan was empowering cops...

prosecutors and judges. Nancy was making her way into schools and living rooms, putting the fear of God and government into the people. You know that one commercial that's like, this is your brain. Now this is your brain on drugs. And then like the girl smashes an egg into the frying pan.

Yeah, that was Nancy. That was Nancy. She was like, this is a great idea, you guys. I love it. So all that progress made by Normal and other cannabis advocates at the state and federal levels went out the window. Goodbye. Cannabis laws passed in the 1980s were like nothing this country had ever seen. Law enforcement got bigger budgets and were more empowered to lock people up.

After people were arrested, punishments were significantly harsher than they were in the 1930s during all that reefer madness. Madness.

And oversight was laughable, if it was even present at all. All the tools used to fight heroin and cocaine were now directed primarily at cannabis. The government pulled out all the stops. I mean, not to mention the president after Reagan, George Bush Sr., yeah. He doubled down on the war on drugs. He just kept pushing the false destructive narrative, as did a few of the presidents who followed him. So what did the criminalization of cannabis get us?

I don't know. Well, in 2018, more than 43% of all drug arrests, about 700,000 to be exact, were related to cannabis.

In that same year, according to the FBI, cops made more arrests for cannabis crimes than for all violent crimes combined. Combined. And while arrest rates for cannabis possession were lower in 2018 than in 2010 for both black and white Americans, black people were still getting arrested more.

According to the NAACP, just 5% of illegal drug users are African American, but they make up 33% of people in jail for drugs. The kicker? All races of people use cannabis roughly at the same rate in the United States.

Over the past couple of decades, the public has warmed up to the idea of legal cannabis. I mean, most people no longer think of it as this menace it once was painted to be, you know? How do we know? Well, according to a 2021 Pew Research poll, 91% of Americans are in favor of legalizing cannabis for recreational or medical use.

91%. I don't think that many Americans have agreed on anything ever. Yeah, I don't think so. Wow. Yeah, that's wild, you guys. Who's the other 9%, you fucking douche? Anyway, despite nationwide support, on the federal level, cannabis is still a Scheduled 1 narcotic, unjustly hanging out with PCP.

That's insane, right? Absolutely. This is like a joke, but it's not, unfortunately. Medical cannabis is now legal in 37 states and recreational cannabis is legal in 18 states and Washington, D.C. While this is incredible progress, it shines a light on a painfully ironic issue.

Overwhelmingly white-owned companies are growing cannabis, building edible factories, and selling the product out of storefronts all over the freaking country. They're capitalizing on this booming industry. Meanwhile, a lot of black and brown Americans are still sitting in prison for minor cannabis crimes. And the people and communities hit the hardest by the war on drugs are being left out of this billion-dollar industry. In fact, legal cannabis brought in $18.3 billion in 2020.

I mean, cannabis has over 25,000 uses. So the possibilities are endless. But because the federal government continues misusing science, they still believe that cannabis is the devil's lettuce. Well, my friends, that is today's episode about marijuana, aka cannabis, aka the devil's lettuce, aka whatever. You know, you get it. Thank you. I feel very bad for cannabis.

Because she does so many great things and so many products can be made out of her. And for some fucking reason, it's still banned. We could be making so much stuff here in America if we just started growing hemp, right? Paper, clothes, everything. I mean, yeah, the bird of Greece. Joan, fucking go off, Joan.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is, you know, do your own research, of course. But the one thing you'll find out is that for years and years and years, centuries and centuries, whatever, it's been used for so many things. It's such a good thing. I don't know. We have the power. We can vote and we can make this legal, right? But also we should be demanding that those in jail get lesser sentences, are released, are...

Expunged, their records expunged. I mean, my God, it's disgusting. And that should be top priority on our list. I'm gonna leave down in the description box some places that we can go to to help further educate ourselves on it, how we can help and further information. If you're looking, you should look into helping because there's so many people who need our help. Thank you for learning with me today.

Remember, you know, don't be afraid to ask questions and get the whole story because you deserve that. Anyways, I'd love to hear your reactions to this story. So make sure to use the hashtag dark history so I can follow along. Join me over on my YouTube where you can watch these episodes on Thursday after the podcast airs and also catch my murder mystery and makeup, which drops every Monday. I hope you have a great day today. You make good choices and I'll be talking to you next week.

Goodbye. Dark History is an Audioboom original. This podcast, let me tell you about it. It's executive produced by Bailey Sarian. Hi.

Kim Jacobs, Dunia McNeely from 3Arts, Fanny Baudry, and Claire Turner from Wheelhouse DNA. Produced by Lexi Kiven. Research provided by Tisha Dunstan. Writers Jed Bookout, Joey Scavuzzo, and Kim Yeagid. Edited by Jim Lucci.

Shot by Tafadzwa Nemerundwe. Thank you to our historical consultant, Jared Leety, develop manager at Weedmaps. And I'm your host, Bailey Sarian. Goodbye. Pound it. Yeah.