I.   On February 23, 2009 I witnessed both my text and e-mail inboxes become flooded with messages imploring me to contact my local representative in either support or opposition of newly introduced legislation that would tax marijuana similarly to alcohol. The purpose of this speech is to provide citizens with a comprehensive background of what they are voting on. First, I will introduce the man mainly responsible for the prohibition and give examples of the propaganda used for prohibition. Second, I shall present the major supporters of such a bill and what personal interest each held in getting it passed. Finally, I shall speak about the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 and its opposition. The history of marijuana legislation is an important factor to consider when making a decision to overtune years of misconceptions. 
II.  A. The origin of marijuana prohibition can be traced back to one man: Henry J. Aslinger.
        1. Henry J. Aslinger was given control of the newly made Federal Bureau of Narcotics in 1930, when he swiftly began his battle against marijuana as a way to further his political career.
        2. He drew upon documents such as the "Gore Files" to promote prohibition.
            a. These were tales of the sex, murder, mayhem, and "horrendous" interracial relations marijuana allegedly caused.
            b. In relation to the Gore Files, he was quoted saying, "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are [Blacks], Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with [Blacks], entertainers, and any others."
      B. Aslinger was also aided by William Randolph Hearst and various pharmaceutical companies, specifically Dupont chemical company. 
             1. Hearst was the owner of multiple newspaper chains (such as the New York Journal) whose stock in the timber/paper companies was threatened by the production of  hemp paper.
             2. Hearst avidly hated hated Mexicans and often published lucrative tales of violence supposedly caused by Mexicans while high.
                    a. An excerpt from one of Hearst's publications: "Was it marijuana, the new Mexican drug, that nerved the murderous arm of Clara Phillips when she hammered out her victim's life in Los Angeles?...THREE-FOURTHS OF THE CRIMES of violence in this country today are committed by DOPE SLAVES -- that is a matter of cold record."
                    b. Because of this, people came to associate the term Marijuana with Mexicans smoking a drug rather than the plant itself, a misconception that helped the passage of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937.
              3. Dupont patented nylon and wanted to eliminate hemp as competition.
              4. Pharmaceutical companies would be unable to regulate marijuana and therefore make no profit.     
          C. Aslinger's Tax Act of 1937 passed despite opposition by the American Medical Association.
               1. Dr. William C. Woodward, the head of the AMA, contested that they had no medical evidence to pass a bill with such a large effect.
                     a. Woodward pointed out that there were no representatives from any of the supposedly affected bureaus such as Education, Prison, Treasury or the Public Health Service.
                     b. He also told the lawmakers that any inquiry into Office of Education revealed  that they knew nothing of the raging addiction children were being said to suffer from.
                2. He also reproached the Bureau and Legislation for utilizing the term Marijuana instead of Cannabis as a way of playing on people's sympathies.
                     a. The fact that people associated the word marijuana with the violent stories  they read in the newspapers meant that those who really had a reason to oppose the bill ended up supporting it.   

                     b. He stated, "The bureau of Public Health Service has also a division of pharmacology. If you desire evidence as to the pharmacology of Cannabis, that obviously is the place where you can get direct and primary evidence, rather than the indirect hearsay evidence.
[ref: Why is Marijuana Illegal? http://marijuana.drugwarrant.com]