2006-07-10 06:44:11 · 9 answers · asked by ultimatefireblade 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
In the early 1900s, the western states developed significant tensions regarding the influx of Mexican-Americans. The revolution in Mexico in 1910 spilled over the border, with General Pershing's army clashing with bandit Pancho Villa. Later in that decade, bad feelings developed between the small farmer and the large farms that used cheaper Mexican labor. Then, the depression came and increased tensions, as jobs and welfare resources became scarce.
One of the "differences" seized upon during this time was the fact that many Mexicans smoked marijuana and had brought the plant with them.
However, the first state law outlawing marijuana did so not because of Mexicans using the drug. Oddly enough, it was because of Mormons using it. Mormons who traveled to Mexico in 1910 came back to Salt Lake City with marijuana. The church was not pleased and ruled against use of the drug. Since the state of Utah automatically enshrined church doctrine into law, the first state marijuana prohibition was established in 1915. (Today, Senator Orrin Hatch serves as the prohibition arm of this heavily church-influenced state.)
Other states quickly followed suit with marijuana prohibition laws, including Wyoming (1915), Texas (1919), Iowa (1923), Nevada (1923), Oregon (1923), Washington (1923), Arkansas (1923), and Nebraska (1927). These laws tended to be specifically targeted against the Mexican-American population.
When Montana outlawed marijuana in 1927, the Butte Montana Standard reported a legislator's comment: "When some beet field peon takes a few traces of this stuff... he thinks he has just been elected president of Mexico, so he starts out to execute all his political enemies." In Texas, a senator said on the floor of the Senate: "All Mexicans are crazy, and this stuff [marijuana] is what makes them crazy." Then after much controversy on August 2, 1937, marijuana became illegal at the federal level.
2006-07-10 07:01:26 · answer #1 · answered by DMR 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Marijuana and various other substances were made illegal in the year 1939. Check it out, it is in the law books.
2006-07-10 06:49:17 · answer #2 · answered by merlinsdragonfire 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i believe the americans made marijuana illegal. its a natural herb that grew in the caribbean and it would have created a large market for the caribbean nations so hence they were not gaining any profit from it so ..... make it illegal and gain more from the underground markets.
2006-07-10 06:53:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because marijuana is clearly a bad bad thing.
You smoke it, you start robbing pensioners, beating priests and shooting guns in shopping centres.
Stay away from it kids. You'll regret it.
2006-07-10 07:02:26 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'll bet you a pint they made money out of selling extra booze. Good job we can still enjoy those natural God given pleasures of gambling and getting drunk.
2006-07-11 03:25:14 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Amsterdam is legal
not in the united states
go to www.grasscity.com
2006-07-10 06:50:26 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
its not illegal where i live.
2006-07-10 06:59:18 · answer #7 · answered by The Thpeech Pathologitht™ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It wasn't.
(Depending on where you are.)
2006-07-10 06:47:10 · answer #8 · answered by Away With The Fairies 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dunno, but it hasn't changed a damn thing has it?
2006-07-10 06:48:00 · answer #9 · answered by super_star 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋