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I said I was done, but I couldn't help myself.
Was prohibition of Alcohol racist too?
I don't think so.
Regarding Majijuana and Racism: WHY IS MARIJUANA ILLEGAL?
There is a very real social stigma built around weed, and it can sometimes be hard to separate the myth of marijuana from the reality.
There are decades upon decades of economic, political, medical, and even racial views of this drug that need to be peeled away to uncover the truth.
Marijuana, besides being one of the most common drugs, is also one of the oldest. Everyone from practicing Hindus to the Assyrians routinely used cannabis as both a medical treatment and a religious ritual.
Marijuana was even sold openly at medical markets in the U.S. from the 1700s through the late 1800s.
However, the legality of marijuana was heavily influenced by racism and xenophobia in the early 20th century. In 1910, large numbers of immigrants came into the U.S. to flee the Mexican Revolution and brought with them the concept of smoking hash recreationally.
Many Americans, especially the multitude of unemployed at the time, feared and resented the immigrants. By 1931, 29 states had passed anti-cannabis legislation.
The federal government's attitude towards marijuana was also one of racism and suspicion.
Take Harry J. Anslinger, the first director of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, who, in 1937, said, "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers," he said. "Their satanic music, jazz and swing result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others."
Clearly, a vicious social stigma was being built around marijuana, and it would prove to be long lasting.
This perspective was widely disseminated in the 30s. The Marijuana Act was in 1937.