116: The Origins of the War on Cannabis

Before the war on drugs picked up much steam in the United States, the war on Cannabis had to be built from scratch. In this episode, I trace the war on drugs back to pre-1900s roots, including the interests of John Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Andrew Mellon, Lammot Dupont II, Harry Anslinger, Henry Ford and hemp farmers nation wide. 

I cover the outlawing of hemp farming, the industrial conspiracy to monopolize the use of petroleum-based products, the capitalistic roots of the war on drugs, and the use of racism by early war-engineers to garner support from the public. And in the process, we review some important US history. 

Support the show