Today, the now-biweekly Legalization Nation print column takes a first look at the big California National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Conference at Ft. Mason this weekend.
One thing we didn’t get to in the column is the origin of the conference’s title: “Cannabis in California: Ending the 100-Year War”. It turns out the gathering honors the centennial anniversary of California’s most disastrous public health policy.
Henry J. Finger Insanely racist 1910 political cartoon from San Francisco Examiner Credits: CA NORML
Pot was banned by bureaucrats in California in 1913 without any public debate. Even though weed was largely unknown to Californians in 1913, prohibition was seen as a preemptive, “progressive” idea.
Man, did that backfire.
