It was a regular crop found on most farms. Farmers grew hemp for the seed to feed the farm animals, and the fiber for making clothing, rope and horse bedding. A few farmers had discovered that the flowers could be smoked providing a relaxed feeling of well-being at the end of a hard days work. Hemp (cannabis) was a useful plant and a friend to the farmer.

   One day a group of friends were discussing their businesses. One published a newspaper, one patented and produced chemicals and the other was a banker. Their names were Hearst, Du Pont and Mellon, respectively. They came to realize that each could benefit from working with the other. Since the banker was the financier his interest was really only money, nothing new there. However the other two had a common enemy, which provided much competition in their markets. Their competition, was none other than our friend hemp. The three of them contrived to eliminate the competition.

   WHY WAS HEMP COMPETITION TO A NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER?   HOW COULD A PLANT THREATEN A CHEMICAL COMPANY?

... Keep reading!

   The newspaper publisher also owned large tracts of land covered in bast timber, better known as trees, from which his paper for printing was made. Hemp produces four times more fiber per acre than trees when grown annually over the same period it takes the trees to mature. Tools were emerging that made it easier to make paper from hemp than to make it from trees. Most of the chemicals used in the manufacture of tree based paper were produced by Du Pont. Along with scores of synthetic products including nylon, cellophane and other plastics.

   Other companies were working towards the same type of synthetic products, yet made from renewable bio-mas resources - especially hemp. You see you can't patent a plant. Chemical formulas and compounds can be patented, protecting the patent holder from competition.If hemp's commercial potential were fully realized the petrochemical and pulp and paper industries stood to loose billions of dollars. After all, hemp could produce most of the products that were being made through patented synthetic chemical creations.

No competition! No competition for synthetics, no competition for tree based paper products. You might also like to know that Du Pont provided the cotton industry with expensive pesticides. Eliminate hemp and even the cotton industry has nothing to fear from competition.

   That's all fine and dandy, but how did they do it? Get to the juicy stuff already!

   It's called Propaganda. Disinformation. These friends created a plan to eliminate the competition through outrageous public lies. Utilizing the newspaper they ran headline stories about "Marijuana - The Assassin of Youth".

People had never heard of Marijuana before. The newspapers played it as a "Killer Drug", running stories about teens dying in horrible car crashes in which were found "Marijuana Cigarettes". "Reefer" was causing white women to associate with black men. Did we mention that this all took place in the 20's and 30's? Yes, racism had a part to play, in that they were able to play with people's emotions and tap into the existing hatred. This time they made the focus of the hatred, our friend the hemp plant.

   They successfully lobbied the Treasury Department for the prohibition of cannabis. Since Marijuana came from the hemp plant, and all the things that the hemp plant could offer were easily made through synthetic process, they could safely ban it's production. It wasn't immediately banned, however they did impose an excise tax and a transfer tax upon any dealings with the plant. Manufacturers, sellers and distributors had to register with the Treasury and pay related fees.

   This effectively made cannabis too expensive to remain in the farmers field. When coupled with the raging "Reefer Madness" and hysteria surrounding "Marijuana" the end was near for our friend hemp. A new protagonist joined forces in the fight to eliminate the plant. His name was Anslinger. He was the founder of the Bureau of Narcotics and made it his personal goal to eliminate the "Devil's Weed", and wipe out "Marijuana" use. He managed to get congress to swallow that 50% of all violent crimes in America were committed by individuals under the influence of Marijuana. Marijuana users are "Out of Control", killing friends, family and themselves.

   Marijuana was added to the list of controlled substances (Drugs). Prohibition was now fully in place.

   The reality is that most had never encountered "Marijuana" before and none had any idea at all that while they were pushing to eliminate this "Societal Plague", they were really eliminating cannabis. The "Smoke Screen" had worked. Everybody was against Marijuana, yet no one knew they were talking about cannabis - hemp. If hemp had not been made illegal, most of Du Pont's business would never have materialized.

   That in a nutshell is the Madness behind the Reefer.

   If you want references, dates, full names or just want a more in-depth history then you would do well to buy and read the following titles:

The Great Book of Hemp

The Emperor Wears No Clothes