1937 Marijuana Tax Act
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In the United States, the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act was one of the cornerstone bills that led to the criminalization of Cannabis. It was introduced to U.S. Congress by the Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics Harry Anslinger. One quote from the hearing was:
- (From the Floor): "Did anyone consult with the AMA and get their opinion?"
- (Representative Vinson): "Yes, we have . . . and they are in complete agreement."
This statement was not correct since the AMA had only become aware that the "marijuana" referred to in the bill was actually the cannabis that had been prescribed for the last 100 years two days before their evidence.
The bill was passed on the grounds that marijuana caused "Murder, insanity and death". Today, it is generally accepted that marijuana caused none of these, and in 1951 Harry Anslinger himself claimed that he had no evidence to support that thesis. However, new reasons had emerged by then, which pushed through a bill that outdated the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937.
The Act is often used by advocates of the decriminalization of marijuana, as now it has become apparent that it was based mostly on racism and wild, entirely unsupported claims. For example, Harry Anslinger said that "Marijuana makes darkies think they're as good as white men".
External links
- Full Text of the Marihuana Tax Act as passed in 1937 (http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/taxact/mjtaxact.htm)
- Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do (http://www.mcwilliams.com/books/books/aint/toc.htm)