Cannabis Timeline
1850 Marijuana Added to US Pharmacopeia
1911 Massachusetts Becomes First State to Outlaw Cannabis
1915-1927 10 States Pass Marijuana Prohibition Laws
1930s American Pharmaceutical Firms Sell Extracts of Marijuana as Medicines
1933 William Randolph Hearst Plays Role in Denouncing Marijuana
1937 American Medical Association Opposes the Proposed Marihuana Tax Act and Supports Research on Medical Cannabis and Marihuana Tax Act Leads to Decline in Marijuana Prescriptions
1942 Marijuana Removed from US Pharmacopeia
1951 Boggs Act Establishes Minimum Prison Sentences for Simple Possession
1970 Controlled Substances Act Classifies Marijuana as a Drug with“ No Accepted Medical Use”
1972 National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse(“ Shafer Commission”) Recommends Decriminalizing Marijuana
1893-1894 Indian Hemp Commission of 1893-1894 Mentions Several Medical Uses of Cannabis
1915 President Wilson Signs Harrison Act, the Model for Future Drug Regulation Legislation
1925 League of Nations Sign Multilateral Treaty Restricting Cannabis Use to Scientific and Medical Only
1930 Harry J. Anslinger Appointed Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics
1936 Bureau of Narcotics Urges Federal Action to Control Marijuana and Reefer Madness Film Cautions Against Marijuana
1937 First Marijuana Seller Convicted under US Federal Law Is Arrested
1938-1944 LaGuardia Report Concludes Marijuana Less Dangerous Than Commonly Thought
1956 Inclusion of Marijuana in Narcotics Control Act Leads to Stricter Penalties for Marijuana Possession
1971 President Nixon Declares War on Drugs
1973 Drug Enforcement Agency( DEA) Created