1937Peer-reviewed · 2 sourcesWell documented
The Marihuana Tax Act and 'Reefer Madness'
On the timeline · around 1937 ·
What happened
In the 1930s, Harry Anslinger of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics led a sensational campaign against 'marihuana,' steeped in racial fear-mongering against Mexican and Black Americans. It culminated in the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act, which effectively criminalized cannabis in the United States.
Why it matters
This era, epitomized by the propaganda film Reefer Madness, entrenched the prohibition and racial stigma that would shape cannabis policy for generations.
Sources
Related timelines
- The Civil Rights Movement → — Prohibition built on racial fear-mongering