n prevalent since the mid-nineteenth century, however primarily for medicinal purposes. Marijuana grew fervently throughout the United States, and was therefore, readily available. By this time, our government was stuck in the habit of prohibiting practically anything that provided pleasure to its citizens. Although the effects of marijuana use were widely known not to be of an extreme nature, the United States Government launched into a massive campaign of anti-marijuana propaganda, and policy. 1930 marked the creation of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, an agency designed to influence public awareness and support against drug use. Not surprisingly, this agency is responsible for deceptively spreading misinformation about the “horrors” of marijuana use, and even the classification of marijuana as a narcotic. This categorization of all drugs being regarded as narcotics led to regulatory attacks by Harry Anslinger, a government official determined to inflict more and more anti-drug legislation. By the 1930s, the media was buzzing with fabricated horror stories and exaggerations of actual happenings. One movie, “Reefer Madness,” is laughable as it attempts to demonstrate the corruption of several upstanding young citizens when given marijuana. This movie displays a severe, disoriented craze caused by marijuana use, and a total lack of judgment, and inhibition. One scene in the movie portrays a young student getting stoned in his car, and then speeding crazily around a busy downtown street without regard, documented occurrences of which do not exist. He then runs over a pedestrian, and conceals his crime. This movie contains many scenes, obviously exaggerated, proving to be one of the period’s largest pieces of anti-drug propaganda. Another news story from the 1930s was deliberately spread across our nation like wildfire.An entire family was murdered by a youthful [marihuana] addict in Florida. Wh...
