The History of Cannabis Prohibition in the U.S.

Early Cannabis Use in America

• 1600s-1800s: Hemp was widely grown in the U.S. for rope, textiles, and medicine.
• 1906: The Pure Food and Drug Act required labeling of cannabis in medicines.
• 1910s-1920s: Anti-cannabis sentiment grew due to racial and political fears.

The 1930s: The Birth of Prohibition

• 1936: The film Reefer Madness fueled anti-marijuana propaganda.
• 1937: The Marihuana Tax Act effectively banned cannabis at the federal level.

The War on Drugs & Modern Legalization

• 1970: The Controlled Substances Act classified cannabis as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin.
• 1996: California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana.
• 2012-2024: Multiple states legalized recreational cannabis, challenging federal law.

Key Takeaways

• Cannabis was widely accepted before the 1930s but was banned due to racist and political reasons.
• The War on Drugs criminalized cannabis for decades.
• State-level legalization is reversing prohibition, but federal law still considers cannabis illegal.

The future of cannabis policy depends on continued legislative reform and social advocacy.