# Why is marijuana illegal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 25, 2002, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-marijuana-illegal/99931 "2002-03-25T02:49:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-marijuana-illegal/99931/21 "2002-03-28T19:45:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tomndebb \* > \*\*How would marijuana be less taxable than tobacco (if Congress chose to change the laws)? \*\* my assessment of that: 1. Many folk, if it were legal would simply opt to save some seeds and grow sufficient quantities for their own personal consumption at home. (I’ve heard) it isn’t difficult to grow indoors and (I’ve heard) that it wouldn’t be that difficult to grow enough for own personal use. In addition, the processing (I’ve heard) to take it from green plant to smokable stuff isn’t too difficult. 2. For cigarettes, I’m not certain that one could grow sufficient quantities for personal use (back when I smoked, I was a two pack a day habit). And I’m not certain that it can be grown indoors, and the level of processing is different as well (in order to get it to burn evenly you have to cut it in I think, and -I’ve heard- that it’s not so critical for mj)\> 😃 ---
**Author:** ![scotth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@scotth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotth)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-marijuana-illegal/99931/22 "2002-03-28T23:30:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by heptapod \* > \*\*Any cites regarding the fact that marijuana is illegal because it was used by non-whites? \*\* Here is an snippet from congressional testimony: > [@](#): > > In the Great Depression, Harry Anslinger of the Federal Narcotics Bureau pushed Congress for a federal law against marijuana. He claimed it was a “killer weed” and he spread stories to the press suggesting that it induced violence especially among Mexican-Americans. Although there was no evidence that marijuana was widely used, much less that it had any untoward effects, his crusade resulted in its criminalization in 1937—and not incidentally, a turnaround in his Bureau’s fiscal fortunes (Dickson, 1968). In this case, a new drug law was put in place by a militant moral-bureaucratic entrepreneur who played on racial fears and manipulated a press willing to repeat even his most absurd claims in a context of class conflict during the Depression (Becker, 1963). While there was not a marked scare at the time, Anslinger’s claims were never contested in Congress because they played upon racial fears and widely held Victorian values against taking drugs solely for pleasure. You can find the complete text here: [http://www.ips-dc.org/downloads/addicted-testimony-socialimpact.PDF](http://www.ips-dc.org/downloads/addicted-testimony-socialimpact.PDF) That should be just what you are looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-marijuana-illegal/99931/23 "2002-03-29T00:24:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qwertyasdfg \* > \*\*Originally it was to discriminate against Mexicans and Blacks who smoked it. \*\* Can you back this up with, say, facts? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-marijuana-illegal/99931/24 "2002-03-29T00:26:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Derleth \* > \*\*Can you back this up with, say, facts? \*\* Belay this order. I just read **waterj2** ’s post. ---
**Author:** ![DPWhite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-marijuana-illegal/99931/25 "2002-03-29T00:39:17Z")
Smoking anything is disgusting. Notwithstanding, the making of decent booze to get high on is somewhat complicated and can be done profitably in a business. Same with tobacco. Neither is cost efficient to make at home. Mary Jane, on the other hand, can be grown quite nicely in your backyard with plenty to use. And the dealers and pushers don’t like that becuase it puts them out of business, and interferes with the highly profitable money laundering business that dirty banks do. In short, it’s illegal so that booze, tobacco, pushers and banks can make money off of its illegality. ---
**Author:** ![heptapod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@heptapod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heptapod)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-marijuana-illegal/99931/26 "2002-03-29T01:06:49Z")
When I originally posted this thread I had a tiny bit of text in the message body that simply reiterated the thread’s title. I have no idea why it went through without the message. I posted it here because I figure that laws have a basis in fact and there would be a factual answer. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Frink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Mr.Frink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Frink)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-marijuana-illegal/99931/27 "2002-03-30T04:32:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wring \* > \*\* > > my assessment of that: > > 1. Many folk, if it were legal would simply opt to save some seeds and grow sufficient quantities for their own personal consumption at home. (I’ve heard) it isn’t difficult to grow indoors and (I’ve heard) that it wouldn’t be that difficult to grow enough for own personal use. In addition, the processing (I’ve heard) to take it from green plant to smokable stuff isn’t too difficult. > \*\* Sure there might be a _few_ people who would opt for growing their own cannabis as opposed to purchasing it, but not enough to make much of an impact. The fact is that it is much much more convenient to purchase it than to grow it. If it were legal and easily available I don’t think many people would go through all the trouble of growing it just to avoid paying tax on it. \*\*Case in point: \*\*The Netherlands! ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-marijuana-illegal/99931/28 "2002-03-30T04:41:56Z")
Does there remain a General Question here? ---
**Author:** ![biker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce7236/32.png) [@biker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biker)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-marijuana-illegal/99931/29 "2002-03-30T05:43:19Z")
the reason marijuana is illegal is because to damn many people vote for republicans. jimmy carter tried to decrimialize it and look what happened to him. right wingers hate to see anyone have a good time, including bill clinton. ---
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-marijuana-illegal/99931/30 "2002-03-30T06:53:36Z")
Shootin’ guns is fun! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-marijuana-illegal/99931.md?page=1)