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The Word 'Marijuana' Is Racist.
- Thread starter ZenG
- Start date
This film and it's use of the word marijuana predates the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, Anslinger's involvement and the previously cited 1931 as the year it entered the US lexicon as a result of conspiracy.
Yes, I'm bored today. In a society where tobacco and alcohol are legal there is no reasonable basis to outlaw
1931 was not the first time it entered the US lexicon, it was the first time it was used broadly in a mass-market way to vilify cannabis.
Again, cannabis, weed, whatever you call it, was legal in the US and elsewhere until the 30s, when Anslinger amd others started using the word marijuana to associate it with undesirable social elements, stigmatize it, and criminalize it.
It was known by many slang names, but marijuana was not used widely in the American lexicon in association with it. It was mostly used by immigrants, hipsters, entertainers and the like seen as undesirables by the political and social mainstream.
The earliest known Western use of the term seems to be from 1894.
Again, cannabis, weed, whatever you call it, was legal in the US and elsewhere until the 30s, when Anslinger amd others started using the word marijuana to associate it with undesirable social elements, stigmatize it, and criminalize it.
It was known by many slang names, but marijuana was not used widely in the American lexicon in association with it. It was mostly used by immigrants, hipsters, entertainers and the like seen as undesirables by the political and social mainstream.
The earliest known Western use of the term seems to be from 1894.
Hah, recently there have been 2 stories in the news concerning the use of synthetic weed namely by a New England Patriot and two brothers attending Nebraska one of which will probably be a first round draft pick in the NFL. Oh he jumped out a 3rd story window at a hotel while his brother was hiding in the bushes and the Patriots linebacker ran to the rear entrance of the police station because dragons were chasing him 
smoking that synthetic commonly called "the noid"
smoking that synthetic commonly called "the noid"
I only knew the name Jack Herer as that of a sativa dominant strain of cannabis. I had no idea the strain was named after an author. I would imagine that a lot of the Latino kids working in Cali cannabis clubs are likewise in the dark as to this etymology.
Thanks for making me a little smarter...if not more stoned.
IIRC, Herer was jailed for drugs, and used his time in the clink to research the reasons he was there. Lots of interesting legal documents, Congressional records and reports, hearsay and BS in there, but mostly straight, honest info with a few deviations from fact. Worth a read for sure, if interested.
The Emperor Wears No Clothes: Hemp and the Marijuana Conspiracy: Jack Herer, Leslie Cabarga, Jeannie Herer, Roland A. Duby: 9781878125026: Amazon.com: Books
The Emperor Wears No Clothes: Hemp and the Marijuana Conspiracy: Jack Herer, Leslie Cabarga, Jeannie Herer, Roland A. Duby: 9781878125026: Amazon.com: Books
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Yet there it is, on the big screen in 1929.
The fact that the "undesirables" were using the term is reason enough for the "mainstream" to use it. You may be correct why it was chosen. Or not. I see evidence of racism but not proof that the word itself was chosen for it's racist connotations.
I tried a get a prescription from my doctor, but he was dead against it, and went on to tell me he was involved with studies about what cannabis does to the brain. He claims places where it's now legal are going to regret it.
Well, I doubt that there's a "smoking gun" 
paper that declares as such a plan that was enacted, but given the mood of the times (immigrants taking jobs, the Depression, etc) anti-immigrant attitudes were prevalent, and easily manipulated to achieve the desired results.
The flagrantly racist comments of the participants involved, including sitting members of Congress as well as Anslinger, Hearst, DuPont, etc. definitely indicate that a pro-America, pro-Caucasian bent was in place, and immigrants/jazz musicians/undesirables were demonized in a conscious effort to further criminalization.
Add in the corporate interests/profit motives of the corporate interests involved, and it was a pretty simple job of distracting the people with a "new threat to our values" and "foreign ways equal the Devil in disguise" in order to make it illegal.
Of course, the Hearst's investments in news papers and paper farms, the DuPonts patent on Nylon, the pharmaceutical investments in patentable medicines, the US Currency protectionists, etc. only fueled the fires of criminalization.
Also interesting that after criminalization in 1937, there was no more hemp for ropes, parachutes, etc,. and things got so bad that hemp was re-leagalized in 1942 to aid the war effort... After the war, criminal again.
paper that declares as such a plan that was enacted, but given the mood of the times (immigrants taking jobs, the Depression, etc) anti-immigrant attitudes were prevalent, and easily manipulated to achieve the desired results.The flagrantly racist comments of the participants involved, including sitting members of Congress as well as Anslinger, Hearst, DuPont, etc. definitely indicate that a pro-America, pro-Caucasian bent was in place, and immigrants/jazz musicians/undesirables were demonized in a conscious effort to further criminalization.
Add in the corporate interests/profit motives of the corporate interests involved, and it was a pretty simple job of distracting the people with a "new threat to our values" and "foreign ways equal the Devil in disguise" in order to make it illegal.
Of course, the Hearst's investments in news papers and paper farms, the DuPonts patent on Nylon, the pharmaceutical investments in patentable medicines, the US Currency protectionists, etc. only fueled the fires of criminalization.
Also interesting that after criminalization in 1937, there was no more hemp for ropes, parachutes, etc,. and things got so bad that hemp was re-leagalized in 1942 to aid the war effort... After the war, criminal again.
Perhaps all true and accurate but none of it means the word "marijuana" is racist, which is the title of the thread.Well, I doubt that there's a "smoking gun"
The flagrantly racist comments of the participants involved, including sitting members of Congress as well as Anslinger, Hearst, DuPont, etc. definitely indicate that a pro-America, pro-Caucasian bent was in place, and immigrants/jazz musicians/undesirables were demonized in a conscious effort to further criminalization.
Add in the corporate interests/profit motives of the corporate interests involved, and it was a pretty simple job of distracting the people with a "new threat to our values" and "foreign ways equal the Devil in disguise" in order to make it illegal.
Of course, the Hearst's investments in news papers and paper farms, the DuPonts patent on Nylon, the pharmaceutical investments in patentable medicines, the US Currency protectionists, etc. only fueled the fires of criminalization.
Also interesting that after criminalization in 1937, there was no more hemp for ropes, parachutes, etc,. and things got so bad that hemp was re-leagalized in 1942 to aid the war effort... After the war, criminal again.
Apparently, here it is for free.
Invalid Link Removed
Really gets interesting around page 39-40 and just goes on and on...
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Also, this:
"The actual Spanish word for hemp is "canamo." But using a Mexican "Sonoran" colloquialism - marijuana, often Americanized as "marihuana" - guaranteed that few would realize that the proper terms for one of the chief natural medicines, "cannabis," and for the premiere industrial resource, "hemp," had been pushed out of the language."
"The actual Spanish word for hemp is "canamo." But using a Mexican "Sonoran" colloquialism - marijuana, often Americanized as "marihuana" - guaranteed that few would realize that the proper terms for one of the chief natural medicines, "cannabis," and for the premiere industrial resource, "hemp," had been pushed out of the language."
- Dec 21, 2007
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Medical Cannabis "research" in the US is fundamentally flawed.
The gov't tightly controls who can do the research, and researchers must use only cannabis provided by the gov't.
And that gov't grown pot is the equivalent of "ditch weed" - very low concentrations of key cannabanoids and other important terpenes. VERY different than the strains that are actually being used medically.
Also, currently drug companies make no $$ on MMJ. So there's another vested, well funded lobby interest (the other being the Liquor industry) pushing the gov't to keep cannabis illegal.
