Today in Labor History August 2, 1937: The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was passed, making marijuana illegal. It was drafted by Harry Anslinger, head of the new Narcotics Division of the Treasury Department and former Prohibition Cop. He also can be considered the Father of the War on Drugs. Anslinger was a racist who targeted African-American musicians, particularly Billie Holiday, whom he set up for several busts. He pushed for cannabis prohibition, in spite of advice from doctors and scientists, including the conservative American Medical Association, who said that it was nonaddictive and did not lead to crime or violence. He exploited propaganda by yellow journalists, like William Randolph Hearst, to make cannabis seem dangerous, particularly by equating it with violence by blacks.
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