t-nip. Have you ever seen the family cat under the influence of catnip? Well, that is something what the effects of the cigarettes are supposed to have on people” (Grinspoon., 17). The FBI even released statements which accused marijuana of causing insanity and cave man like tendencies. In Lester Grinspoon’s book Marihuana Reconsidered, Grinspoon quotes the FBI saying, “He really becomes a fiend with savage or ‘caveman’ tendencies. His sex desires are aroused and some of the most horrible crimes result. He hears light and sees sound. To get away from it, he suddenly become violent and may kill” (17). With lack of information, scientists and officials could not diminish these false rumors. Therefore, many believed that where there was crime, the cause was marijuana. Ironically it was the U.S. Army that first published supportive and factual information about marijuana in 1933 concluding, “the drug was harmless and did not cause maladjustment in the user” (Grinspoon, 19). In 1942 A.S. deRopp wrote an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association containing many false reports about marijuana according to Lester Grinspoon, author of the book Marihuana. DeRopp was a strong believer that marijuana is a dangerous drug which causes mental and physical misconduct, and it should remain illegal. However, in response to A.S. deRopp’s article a man named La Guardia produced a study published a month later. “Conclusions, previously recognized but now better supported with these studies, are to the effect that marijuana smoking, at least as ordinarily practiced in this country, does not lead directly to mental or physical deterioration, does not develop addiction or tolerance as is characteristic of opiates, and is not a direct causal factor in sexual or criminal misconduct” (Grinspoon, 29).In the 1950’s, marijuana’s popularity died down because of m...
