A Look Through Time on The Federal Ban
Written By: Louisa Baltodano With the recent changes in it's legal status, more and more states are moving towards the legalization of marijuana and industrial hemp, after it being banned since the early 1900's. The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 One of the first legal efforts against marijuana was the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937. This federal law imposed a tax on the sale of cannabis, hemp, or marijuana and was the first time when marijuana began to be regulated as a drug. The act did not criminalize the possession or the use of marijuana but what it did was penalize and enforce provisions to which handlers were subjected to. Up until this law was passed, cannabis products were legal to sell and often found in over-the-counter products in drug stores and pharmacies. What lead to this sudden negative mainstream ideology of the 1930s? Propaganda against the cannabis industry sought to demonize the plant as a dangerous substance. The paper industry for example campaigne...