Is marijuana a gateway to harder drugs?
“Casting doubt on a basic principle of U.S. anti-drug policies, an independent [RAND] study concluded that marijuana use may not lead teenagers to [harder] drugs.” Reuters 12/03/02 For our purposes, this story begins in 1937. It happened at the kangaroo hearings of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. It was at these hearings that Harry Anslinger, the commissioner of the then Federal Bureau of Narcotics, told Congress that marijuana is, “An addictive drug which produces in its users, insanity, criminality, and death.” Congress overwhelmingly agreed. What happened next was sheer comedy. Anslinger’s contention that marijuana causes “insanity” opened the door to a new legal argument for accused criminals. It was called the Marijuana Insanity Defense, and it worked. Oh boy, what a mess.
