#harry anslinger

[seanhowe]

Original illustration for Harry Anslinger's infamous "Marijuana: Assassin of Youth" article, published in THE AMERICAN, July 1937

[hotsugarbyglassanimals]

it drives me nuts how much suffering we force people to go through to meet some arbitrary idealized standard vs something that'd actually help. they're making my 60 yr old mom with fibro take pain management classes because they're too scared to put her on the prescription pain meds that she was already on before. i just read about someone with adhd talking about how the only med that works really well for them without making them depressed when it wears off or causing anxiety is desoxyn but doctors are too afraid to prescribe it to them because it's technically methamphetamine. the drug war is a complete burden on society

[enjoytheglow]

Harry J Anslinger wrote 200 Gore Files detailing extreme acts of violence due to reefer obtained from police reports, the most famous of which was the story of Victor Licata, who supposedly killed his entire family with an axe after smoking pot (this is mentioned in the 1936 Reefer Madness). This was later found out to be more linked to severe mental health issues, and it wasn't even clear whether he was a reefer smoker. Of the 200 Gore Files published, 198 of them were proven to be false, and the other two couldn't be proved either way because no police report had been made. In the world of Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical, I headcanon that the two Gore Files with no police report belonged to Jimmy and Mae.

[atomicwinnerdreamland]

I was sleepy as hell but was on my phone binging Ben's videos when I came across this in "Supreme Let Down":

Florida: It's probably just a bunch of dudes that still think weed is smoked by jazz musicians right before they steal ya girl.

Gov: Excuse me?!?

Florida: What? You never re-read quotes from Harry Anslinger?

Gov: I try not to.

Florida: He absolutely lost a girlfriend to a jazz musician.

Louisiana: Let me tell you something. It wasn't the weed that made her leave. *winks*

First off, Flo can read? He re-reads quotes from Harry Anslinger from time to time apparently, so I guess he can 😅

Second, I googled Harry Anslinger quotes and all I can say is he definitely lost a gf to a jazz musician. Good thing Gov's trying not to read his quotes lmao

Third, my boy Loui with THE WINK AUGHHH!! He has experience effortless swooning people (both taken and single) with his charisma for sure, which is why he knows that the weed isn't the reason she left 😏

[artfilmfan]

my favorite moment in a film this year, the terrific Andra Day as Billie Holiday defying Harry J. Anslinger (Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics) Strange Fruit is about lynching/racism and the establishment did everything to stop her from performing it. The importance of the song and what Billie represented is immeasurable. 

[longliveblackness]

"Strange Fruit" was originally a poem written by Jewish-American writer, teacher and songwriter Abel Meeropol, under his pseudonym Lewis Allan, as a protest against lynchings and later set it to music.

First performed by Meeropol's wife and their friends in social contexts, his protest song gained a certain success in and around New York.

The song soon came to Billie Holiday's attention, and after so many frequent requests of that song, she closed out every performance with it. The waiters would stop serving ahead of time for complete silence, the room would darken, a spotlight would shine on Holiday's face, and there would be no encore radio stations in the South wouldn't play it, record labels wouldn't record it, and yet the song rose in the charts selling over one million copies.

Despite the success, a government agency was determined to shut her down. One night in 1939, Holiday received a warning from the Federal Bureau of Narcotics to never sing the song again. This order was led by FBN commissioner Harry Anslinger, also known as an "extreme racist in the 1920's".

He had a mission to eradicate all drugs everywhere, and believed jazz music was the problem. His attack on this genre of music was racially led.

Holiday's known struggles with alcohol, drugs, and vocal voice against white supremacy made her a target. He sent undercover agents after her, including arranging for her abusive husband to set her up.

She was put on trial (The United States of America vs. Billie Holiday) just wanting to recover, but was sent to prison and her cabaret license was revoked. That didn't keep her down. She continue to perform "Strange Fruit" even at a sold out show at Carnegie Hall.

In 1959, Holiday collapsed and was sent to the hospital with liver disease and goes into heroin withdrawal. Her friend managed to have the hospital give her methadone to help her recover.

Arslinger's team arrested her on her hospital bed cutting off her methadone medication after claiming to have found heroin in her bedroom. 10 days later, Holiday died.

•••

“Strange Fruit” (Fruto Extraño) originalmente fue un poema escrito por un escritor, profesor y compositor judío-estadounidense llamado Abel Meeropol, bajo su seudónimo Lewis Allan, como una protesta en contra de los linchamientos y luego se convirtió en musica.

Primero fue interpretada por la esposa y los amigos de Meeropol, más que nada en contextos sociales. Su canción de protesta ganó cierto éxito en los alrededores de Nueva York.

Pronto la canción le llamó la atención a Billie Holiday y después de recibir tantas solicitudes para esta canción, era con esta que cerraba cada una de sus presentaciones. Los meseros dejaban de atender las mesas antes de tiempo para que hubiera completo silencio, la habitación se oscurecía y una luz alumbraba la cara de Holiday. No había ni una sola estación de radio en el sur que no reprodujera la canción, las disqueras no querían grabarla pero aún así la canción subío de posición en las carteleras, vendiendo alrededor de un millón de copias.

A pesar del éxito, había una agencia gubernamental que estaba determinada a callarla . Una noche en 1939, Holiday recibió una advertencia por parte de la Oficina Federal de Narcóticos, le dijeron que jamás volviera a cantar esa canción. Esta orden estaba siendo dirigida por el Comisionado Harry Anslinger, también conocido como “un racista extremista de los 1920”.

Tenía la misión de erradicar todas las drogas en todos lados y creía que la música jazz era el problema. Su ataque a este género musical fue racialmente dirigido.

Las conocidas luchas que Holiday tenía con el alcohol y las drogas, y el uso de su voz contra la supremacía blanca la convirtieron en un objetivo. Envió agentes encubiertos tras ella, incluso haciendo arreglos para que su esposo abusivo le tendiera trampas.

Fue llevada a juicio (Los Estados Unidos de América vs. Billie Holiday) cuando lo único que que quería era recuperarse, pero fue enviada a prisión y le quitaron su licencia de cabaret, pero eso no la detuvo. Siguió cantando Strange Fruit (Fruto Extraño), agotando los boletos para su presentación en Carnegie Hall.

En 1959, Holiday colapsó y fue enviada al hospital con enfermedad hepática y entró en abstinencia por heroína. Una de sus amigas logró hacer que el hospital le diera metadona para ayudarle a recuperarse.

El equipo de Anslinger la arrestó en su cama de hospital, le cortaron su medicamento, metadona, afirmando que habían encontrado heroína en la habitación. 10 días después, Holiday falleció.

[brightlotusmoon]

A while back I dreamed that I went back in time and killed Harry Anslinger in 1937 before he launched his prohibition campaign against cannabis. Last night I dreamed my spouse was ninja fighting G Gordon Liddy in 1969 with Woodstock in the background. Never did get a chance to party with Timothy Leary before the dream ended.

[reddancer1]

Stopped dead in its tracks by Harry Anslinger.

"There are two main reasons that marijuana became illegal in America. The first is racism. The second is Harry Anslinger. Even today, we’re still dealing with the aftermath of these two forces combining in the first half of the 20th century. Before 1910, cannabis use wasn’t an issue in American society. It was a byproduct of hemp, a popular textile crop harvested in America since the 1700s for clothing, sails, rope, and paper. 

Extracts from the flower were a common ingredient in medicines like cough syrup prescribed by pharmacists. Hashish smoking was an uncommon but accepted habit, much less popular than tobacco. Few people, if any, considered it harmful or dangerous. So how did cannabis go from a common textile and remedy to a supposed scourge of society? Let’s take a look at just how it is that cannabis became illegal."

Read more here

[time4hemp]

AI-Generated Misinformation And Fake News

Is Rooted In Yellow Journalism.

Fake news started when Hemp was called Marijuana.

In today's digital era, governments worldwide are utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to influence public opinion and suppress opposing viewpoints online. A recent study by Freedom House highlights the concerning surge of AI-generated misinformation, it is reminiscent of Yellow Journalism, an infamous tactic pioneered by media tycoon William Randolph Hearst. Many people today are unaware that the first federal anti-marijuana laws in 1937 came about, in part, because of William Randolph Hearst’s lies and his invention of Yellow Journalism newspaper articles and editorials about how evil marijuana was, which from then on were cited in Congressional testimony by Harry Anslinger as facts.

The annual Freedom On The Net report evaluates global internet freedom, uncovering a troubling trend of diminishing freedom fueled in part by the proliferation of AI. What was once hailed as a tool for creativity has now been weaponized by governments to disseminate false information and silence dissenting voices.

In nations like Venezuela, government-controlled media channels leverage AI-generated content to spread biased narratives, mirroring Hearst's historical manipulation of public perception. This contemporary form of propaganda, coupled with traditional strategies such as human and bot campaigns, poses a significant threat to internet freedom and democratic dialogue.

Furthermore, the normalization of AI-generated content erodes trust in reliable information, leading to what experts term the ‘liar's dividend’. As AI technology becomes more accessible, political entities can undermine factual information, eroding public trust in verified data.

Authoritarian regimes, in particular, exploit AI to tighten censorship and shape online narratives. Governments worldwide have enacted laws requiring internet platforms to implement AI-driven moderation tools, stifling dissent and limiting access to crucial information.

As advocates for ending industrial hemp prohibition and legalizing medical cannabis, it's vital to recognize the parallels between historical propaganda and modern misinformation campaigns. By raising awareness of the link between AI manipulation and media censorship, we can empower ourselves to combat disinformation and uphold truth and transparency in our digital society.

FAKE NEWS ushered in The 1937 Marijuana Tax Act.

In the past century, the United States government has concealed crucial information about industrial hemp, substituting it with biased narratives shaped by vested interests, including the fossil fuel, pharmaceutical, and paper industries, along with various government officials.

One notable instance is the film Hemp for Victory, crafted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) during World War II. Released in 1942, this 14-minute monochrome short film extolled the diverse applications of hemp and urged farmers to maximize cultivation.

Surprisingly, until 1989, 'Hemp for Victory' remained largely obscure. The US government denied its existence, asserting that no such film was ever produced by the USDA or any government branch. Nonetheless, two VHS copies surfaced and were contributed to the Library of Congress on May 19, 1989, by Jack Herer, a pioneer of the Hemp Movement.

The lone known copy in 1976 was a 3/4" broadcast quality version initially acquired by William Conde from a Miami Herald reporter and the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church of Jamaica. In 1988, it was entrusted to Jack Herer with the intent to disseminate it widely.

The media landscape today is heavily influenced by a handful of conglomerates, as only six companies control global media outlets.

During the holiday season in 2016, President Obama ratified the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, concealing a significant infringement on our liberties. Nestled within this Act was the 'Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act,' an unprecedented collaboration among the Senate, Congress, and White House.

This legislation constitutes a direct assault on the First Amendment, granting the government authority to arbitrate truth and designate what constitutes fake news. Any content diverging from their standards risks being labeled as propaganda or disinformation, subjecting its creators to punitive measures.

Under this framework, media entities like CNN can assert themselves as official government news sources, conferring upon them privileges inaccessible to average citizens. While CNN can lawfully possess classified documents like WikiLeaks' disclosures, ordinary individuals in possession of such documents face arrest. Consequently, accessing authentic information necessitates reliance on government-approved sources.

In essence, the parallels between historical efforts to suppress hemp-related information and contemporary censorship underscore the importance of advocating for internet freedom and challenging misinformation campaigns. By understanding the link between past propaganda tactics, such as Yellow Journalism, and present-day misinformation facilitated by AI, we can empower ourselves to defend truth and transparency in our digital society. Let's unite in championing internet freedom and combating efforts to suppress dissent, ensuring equitable access to accurate information for all.

Below a FREE TO DOWNLOAD marijuana music MP3 by Sons Of The Beach.

Wake And Bake.

[defresh]

Your cage

What if addiction isn't about the chemical but it's about your cage

Harry fucking Anslinger.

1930s narcotics law maker.

[we-nothing-but-hemp]

What is thc Delta 8 - Nothing But Hemp

William Randolph Hearst, the most powerful media mogul of his time and the alleged inspiration for Orson Welles' masterpiece "Citizen Kane," made marijuana a top target for his publications during the 1920s and 1930s. With his incendiary words and the regulatory power of Harry J. Anslinger, the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, marijuana went from a relatively harmless and popular alternative to alcohol, especially among many in the African American community, to a dangerous and heinous narcotic almost overnight.

[gercir]

Incluso Harry Anslinger había observado la relación de ciertos acontecimientos con la drogadicción. Los adictos —decía— a menudo «crecen en hogares que no son tales, con padres que no ejercen de padres, y [por eso] buscan alguna vía de escape. Sea hombre o mujer, se trata de una pauta común».

Tras el grito (Contextos) (Spanish Edition) (Hari, Johann)

[xembongxyz]

When was marijuana made illegal?

Since the late twentieth 100 years, there has been a developing development in the US to sanction maryjane. In 1996 California made news as the main U.S. state to endorse the decriminalization of pot for clinical use, and clinical weed was subsequently permitted in different states. Then in 2012 Washington and Colorado passed voting form drives to legitimize sporting maryjane. By 2019 in excess of 30 U.S. states allowed some cannabis use — however it stayed unlawful at the government level. This brings up the issue, for what reason was pot ever unlawful?

The short response is bigotry. At the turn of the twentieth 100 years, pot — as it was then ordinarily known in the US — was a little-utilized drug among Americans. With the beginning of the Mexican Unrest in 1910, notwithstanding, numerous Mexicans started moving to the US, and they carried with them the custom of smoking marihuana. In the midst of a developing anxiety toward Mexican settlers, crazy cases about the medication started to flow, for example, charges that it caused a "desire for blood." furthermore, the term pot was to a great extent supplanted by the Anglicized pot, which some hypothesized was finished to advance the strangeness of the medication and in this way stir up xenophobia. Close to this time many states started elapsing regulations to boycott pot.

During the 1930s Harry J. Anslinger, top of the Government Agency of Opiates, transformed the fight against maryjane into a hard and fast conflict. Some accept that he was persuaded less by security concerns — by far most of researchers he studied guaranteed that the medication was not perilous — and more by a craving to advance his recently made division. Anything that the driving force, Anslinger looked for a government prohibition on the medication, and to this end he started a high-profile crusade that depended vigorously on prejudice. Anslinger guaranteed that most of pot smokers were minorities, including African Americans, and that pot adversely affected these "degenerate races," like prompting viciousness or causing madness. Besides, he noted, "Dope makes darkies believe they're comparable to white men." Maybe significantly more troubling to Anslinger was pot's alleged danger to white ladies' ethicalness. He accepted that smoking pot would bring about their having intercourse with individuals of color.

The US's relationship with pot traces all the way back to the Pioneer Time. American creation of hemp (the weed plant) was energized by the public authority in the seventeenth Hundred years for the development of rope, sails, and attire. Homegrown creation of hemp thrived until after the nationwide conflict, when imports supplanted hemp. In the late nineteenth 100 years, pot turned into a well known fixing in numerous restorative items and was sold straightforwardly in drug stores.

After the Mexican Upheaval of 1910, Mexican settlers overflowed into the US, carrying with them the sporting utilization of maryjane. The medication became related with the migrants and the trepidation and, thus, bias about the newbie’s became related with maryjane. Hostile to medicate campaigners cautioned against the infringing "Weed Hazard". During the Economic crisis of the early 20s, gigantic joblessness and expanded public hatred and anxiety toward Mexican foreigners heightened public and legislative worry about the possible issue of weed. By 1931, 29 states had prohibited cannabis.

In 1937, Congress passed the Pot Assessment Act, successfully condemning pot. In the interim the New York Foundation of Medication gave a broad report pronouncing weed didn't actuate brutality, or madness, or lead to dependence or other medication use. During The Second Great War, the U.S. Division of Farming went to hemp to create marine cordage, parachutes and other military stuff. It sent off a "Hemp for Triumph" program and enrolled 375,000 sections of land of hemp in the US.

During the 1950s, government regulations which set obligatory sentences for drug-related offenses were authorized. However during the 1960s a social environment shift lead to additional merciful mentalities towards cannabis. Once more, reports appointed by Presidents Kennedy and Johnson found that weed use didn't incite viciousness or lead to utilization of heavier medications.

By 1970, Congress canceled a large portion of the compulsory punishments for drug-related offenses. In 1972, the bipartisan Shafer Commission, named by President Nixon at the heading of Congress, considered regulations in regards to cannabis and discovered that individual utilization of weed ought to be decriminalized. Nixon dismissed the suggestion, however throughout the span of the 1970s, eleven states decriminalized maryjane and most others decreased their punishments.

In any case, in 1976 a parent's development against weed started and was instrumental in influencing pubic mentalities which lead to the 1980s Battle on Medications. Compulsory sentences were re-established by President Reagan. The "three strikes you're out" strategy, required life sentences for rehash drug wrongdoers. The Conflict on Medications went on under President George Shrubbery in 1989.

However a significant change in open impression of pot was in progress. In 1996 California passed Suggestion 215 considering the deal and clinical utilization of maryjane for patients with Helps, malignant growth, and other serious agonizing illnesses. Hence the pressure between government regulations condemning pot and state regulations allowing pot in specific conditions started which go on today.

To comprehend how we wound up here, it is essential to return to what was occurring in the US in the mid 1900's soon after the Mexican Unrest. As of now we saw a convergence of migration from Mexico into states like Texas and Louisiana. To be expected, these new Americans carried with them their local language, culture and customs. One of these traditions was the utilization of marijuana as a medication and relaxant.

Mexican settlers alluded to this plant as "marihuana". While Americans were exceptionally acquainted with "marijuana" since it was available in practically all colors and drugs accessible at that point, "marihuana" was an unfamiliar term. Thus, when the media started to play on the feelings of dread that general society had about these new residents by erroneously spreading claims about the "problematic Mexicans" with their hazardous local ways of behaving including marihuana use, the remainder of the country didn't have the foggiest idea about that this "marihuana" was a plant they previously had in their medication cupboards.

The disparagement of the marijuana plant was an augmentation of the derision of the Mexican foreigners. With an end goal to control and watch these new residents, El Paso, TX acquired a play from San Francisco's playbook, which had prohibited opium many years sooner with an end goal to control Chinese settlers. The thought was to have a reason to look, confine and expel Mexican migrants.

[amst248carcerality]

Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday is a song that select people within the government did not want Holiday to sing. Despite this, Holiday continued to perform it, and was consequently and continuously met with unthinkable violence, often by men. Jerry Anslinger, a commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, made it his personal mission to destroy Billie Holiday and her career. When Holiday denied Anslinger’s request to stop singing Strange Fruit, he had Holiday framed by having two agents sell her heroine. Additionally, Anslinger prevented Holiday from receiving medical care while she was in the hospital for the last time, which lead to her death. Despite Billie Holiday’s altercations with Harry Anslinger, Holiday continued to spread her message about segregation, lynching, and racism. To see a black women protesting about the treatment of POC during this time period, left people in the government outraged at her behavior. Strange Fruit was Holiday’s form of protest, but it was also what led to her death. However, Billie Holiday did not die because of protest, she died at the hands of men and misogyny. Throughout history and even today, women have been treated as objects intended to serve the male gaze. During this time period, women were not supposed to be protesting, rather they could only exist by a man’s side or under the supervision of a man. Billie Holiday’s story and demise highlights the pervasiveness and realities of misogyny. Despite this, Billie Holiday will be remembered as an icon that did not stop fighting for what she believed in, even if that meant death.

-Shawn