Legalizing Hemp

Getting uniform drug laws passed in all States and the Federal legislature was one of Anslinger's biggest concerns as head of the FBNDD. Anslinger also had a personal dislike of jazz music and the "black musicians" who made it. He hated them so much that he spent years tracking each of them and often dreamed of arresting them all in one huge, cross-country sweep. Anslinger frequented parent and teacher meetings, giving scary speeches about the dangers of marijuana. This period of time, (1938) became known as "Reefer Madness", the name comes from the title of a movie produced by a public health group.
             Today, it is indisputable that existing drug enforcement laws are vastly insufficient. Increased spending for the enforcement of narcotics laws have not produced any significant improvements. With drug related deaths increasing in the inner cities, and usage again on the rebound, we all can see that a change in our system is necessary. Below is a chart representing increased marijuana usage among people in the ages of 19-28. .
             Percentage of Persons reporting any Illicit Marijuana Use: Age 19-28 (2).
             1986 .
             1987 .
             1988 .
             1989 .
             1990 .
             1991 .
             1992 .
             1993.
             66.50% .
             66.00% .
             63.80% .
             62.80% .
             60.20% .
             58.60% .
             60.20% .
             62.20%.
             As stated before, propaganda was very well produced and distributed during "Reefer Madness". Sadly, much of the health related data included in the propaganda is untrue, or overstated. The falsehoods have been numerous. One of the first inaccuracies involves the supposed lowering of testosterone amounts in men who smoke marijuana. There has yet to be any strong evidence that would prove this point. Authorities manufactured this lie during the first "Reefer Madness", in order to scare men into thinking that they would lose their manly characteristics after using the drug.
             Another misinterpretation of a study involves propaganda stating that prolonged marijuana usage makes men sterile. In fact, "marijuana use shows no conclusive evidence of reducing the sperm counts in males age 18-39, where sperm production is usually a constant between individuals.