Ever Wondered Why Cannabis Is Illegal In The First Place? (Video)

More and more states moving to legalize recreational cannabis. Compared to things that are already legal and readily available to responsible adults makes one wonder why it was made illegal in the first place.

There are a few theories on this. The one that holds the most credence is the action of a newspaper mogul by the name of William Randolph Hearst. You see, Mr. Hearst was a big newspaper publisher from San Francisco. He also held a major share of the paper manufacturing business back in the 1930s.

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In the mid-thirties, thinking that hemp was going to be a major competitor to his paper industry, combined with the belief that Hispanics would not come to the U.S. if cannabis was illegal prompted Mr. Hearst to finance a propaganda film "Reefer Madness" in 1936.

"Reefer Madness" along with Hearst's connections in Congress spurred the prohibition of cannabis in the United States.

Cannabis was made a Schedule 1 drug. Other substances in the Schedule 1 category are heroin and meth. Research is not allowed on things that are categorized Schedule 1, thus no research was done on cannabis.

Just in the last couple of decades, much research has been done revealing many health and medical benefits of cannabis. William Randolph Hearst's efforts set cannabis back some 70 years.

Today, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/11/22/americans-overwhelmingly-say-marijuana-should-be-legal-for-medical-or-recreational-use/" target="_blank">the majority of Americans support the legalization of both medical and recreational cannabis</a>.

Today, the majority of Americans support the legalization of both medical and recreational cannabis. Whether you agree with legalization or not, I guarantee one or more people you will deal with on a daily basis uses cannabis on a regular or semi-regular basis. I believe it was totally up to the people, cannabis would be totally legal everywhere in the U.S.

Check out the original trailer for the anti-marijuana propaganda film that got the ball rolling on making cannabis illegal.