Did You Know Cannabis Lobbying Isn’t New? Early 1900s Pharmacies Pushed To Sell ‘Marijuana Cigarettes’ For Fifty Cents
In their book “From Criminalizing to Decriminalizing Marijuana,” Nikolay Anguelov and Michael P. MacCarthy explain that the cannabis lobby in Congress serves to advocate for legalization, medical research and financial regulations. However, did you know that cannabis lobbying is not a new phenomenon?
In the late 19th century, laboratories and companies faced the looming threat of prohibition. The outcome, as we know, led to widespread criminalization, but who were the early champions of the cannabis lobby?
The Economic And Medical Landscape In The Early 1900s
Based on research from Anguelov and MacCarthy, in the early 1900s, cannabis was sold in pharmacies, typically in one-ounce packages, dried for smoking.
By the 1910s, the average marijuana cigarette was available at two for a dollar. As a medicinal product, it was used to treat ailments such as asthma, gonorrhea and childbirth-related pain.
American doctors and pharmacists prescribed marijuana for its pain-relieving properties, highlighting its medicinal value.
Political opposition to cannabis criminalization was vested with the economic interests of medical and pharmaceutical groups.
Progressive Northeastern reformers, for example, advocated for marijuana to be classified as a narcotic, which would enforce a “prescription for sale” requirement.
This meant marijuana would remain available in local pharmacies, albeit under stricter regulations. The goal was to balance public health concerns with economic interests.
Racism, Nativists And Progressives
By the early 20th century a fierce debate was underway between two significant ideological groups: nativists and progressives, which shaped drug policy. Nativists aimed to preserve …