1937, Mister Caldwell was arrested for not paying taxes under the new 1937 Marihuana Taxation Act. Convicted, he served four years at hard-labor, and died within weeks of his release.
1969, the 1937 law was ruled unconstitutional (Leary vs United States) because it required sellers to self-incriminate.
*****
More Fun Facts:
The 1937 Marihuana Taxation Act was written by lawyers from Du Pont Chemicals and Hearst Newspapers. Du Pont because sustainable hemp threatened their petroleum-based nylon factories. Hearst because sustainable hemp farmers threatened his extensive forestry ownership for wood-pulp for his newspapers.
*****
Now, it sure seems like registration of anything with government agents -- vehicles and firearms and draft-age males come to mind -- is also unconstitutional for identical reasons.
To be clear, Mister Caldwell not was arrested/convicted for selling cannabis.
He was arrested/convicted for not paying taxes under a law later found to be unconstitutional.
Prior to that period, the medicine prescribed by by physicians, dispensed by pharmacists, and used by health-care practitioners world-wide was known by the name 'cannabis'. As you probably suspected, the misnomer 'marihuana' was concocted by industry lawyers to conceal the intentions of Hearst, Du Pont et al as a way to protect their fortunes.
*****
I don't use the stuff. I have zero-zero-zero interest in anybody in the cannabis industry.
I am merely a humble historian and a truth-seeker.
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Just a farmer trying to feed his family, right?
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll bet he's either still in prison or died there.
ReplyDeleteFun Fact:
ReplyDelete1937, Mister Caldwell was arrested for not paying taxes under the new 1937 Marihuana Taxation Act.
Convicted, he served four years at hard-labor, and died within weeks of his release.
1969, the 1937 law was ruled unconstitutional (Leary vs United States) because it required sellers to self-incriminate.
*****
More Fun Facts:
The 1937 Marihuana Taxation Act was written by lawyers from Du Pont Chemicals and Hearst Newspapers.
Du Pont because sustainable hemp threatened their petroleum-based nylon factories.
Hearst because sustainable hemp farmers threatened his extensive forestry ownership for wood-pulp for his newspapers.
*****
Now, it sure seems like registration of anything with government agents -- vehicles and firearms and draft-age males come to mind -- is also unconstitutional for identical reasons.
To be clear, Mister Caldwell not was arrested/convicted for selling cannabis.
ReplyDeleteHe was arrested/convicted for not paying taxes under a law later found to be unconstitutional.
Prior to that period, the medicine prescribed by by physicians, dispensed by pharmacists, and used by health-care practitioners world-wide was known by the name 'cannabis'.
As you probably suspected, the misnomer 'marihuana' was concocted by industry lawyers to conceal the intentions of Hearst, Du Pont et al as a way to protect their fortunes.
*****
I don't use the stuff.
I have zero-zero-zero interest in anybody in the cannabis industry.
I am merely a humble historian and a truth-seeker.