Harry J. Anslinger, a prominent figure in American history and former head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, is known for his relentless crusade against marijuana. Yet, less known is his equally damaging campaign against the hemp industry, an influential chapter in the plant's history that continues to color public perception today.
In the aftermath of the Prohibition era, Anslinger found himself in a precarious position. His aggressive campaign against alcohol had been a failure, with the nationwide ban lifting after just 13 years due to its ineffectiveness and the rise of organized crime. Anslinger, in need of a new target, turned his sights on marijuana and, by extension, its non-psychoactive cousin, hemp.
Despite hemp's long history of industrial use and its clear distinction from marijuana, Anslinger lumped the two plants together, using the public's unfamiliarity with the distinction to his advantage. He launched a widespread disinformation campaign, depicting hemp and marijuana as one and the same, a dangerous narcotic that threatened the social fabric of America.
Anslinger's propaganda machine was relentless. He used his influence on the media, particularly through sensationalist newspaper stories and films like "Reefer Madness," to stoke fear about the supposed dangers of hemp and marijuana. This fear-mongering, though widely discredited now, was distressingly effective at the time.
The culmination of Anslinger's campaign against hemp was the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act, which effectively outlawed the cultivation, sale, and possession of all cannabis plants, including hemp. Though the law did not explicitly outlaw hemp, the bureaucracy and taxes it introduced made its cultivation virtually impossible.
Anslinger's attack on the hemp industry had lasting repercussions. It stifled the development and research of hemp for decades, hindering a myriad of potential industrial applications. It also cast a shadow of stigma over hemp, one that the industry has had to work tirelessly to overcome, even after hemp was federally legalized in the U.S. in 2018.
In conclusion, Harry J. Anslinger's campaign against the hemp industry following his failure at Prohibition was a dark chapter in the history of this versatile plant. Yet, despite the damage he inflicted, the resilience and potential of the hemp industry have outlived his legacy, with the plant now hailed as a sustainable alternative for various industries.
