Madison NORML

Source: Vernon County Broadcaster
Pubdate: Monday, July 28, 2008
Author: Clifford A. Schaffer

BROADCASTER ARTICLE ON MARIJUANA DIDN’T MENTION ORIGINS OF ITS LEGAL STATUS

by Clifford A. Schaffer, letter to the editor

Your otherwise excellent article on marijuana (Broadcaster, July 17) failed to mention two important points. The first is why marijuana was outlawed in the first place.

There were two major reasons for the marijuana laws. The first was because "All Mexicans are crazy and marijuana is what makes them crazy." It was racial prejudice against Mexicans that used it.

The second reason was the fear that heroin addiction would lead to the use of marijuana — exactly the opposite of the modern gateway idea.

The second point is that every major government commission that has studied the marijuana laws in the last 100 years has concluded that the laws were based on ignorance and nonsense. They all said that the laws should have been repealed long ago because they do more harm than good.

Anyone interested in more reading on the topic can find numerous historical references and documents at http://druglibrary.org/ schaffer/History/history./htm.

The full text of the major government commission reports can be found at http:// druglibrary.org/schaffer under Major Studies of Drug and Drug Policy.

Clifford A. Schaffer

Director, Schaffer Library of Drug Policy

Agua Dulce, Calif.