DuPont acquitted of suppressing hemp

I have thoroughly enjoyed the series of letters concerning
the status of cannabis and hemp (May 30 and June 6, 10 and
16).

However, Robbie Anderman's claim of an industrial conspiracy
to outlaw cannabis, while making for interesting reading, is
nothing but an urban myth that was popularized several years
ago by the California writer Jack Herer.

The prohibition of cannabis started much earlier, at the
state level, in the southwestern United States, beginning
with Utah in 1914.

The first laws criminalizing cannabis were passed out of
race hatred and hostility towards migrant Mexican farm
labourers who smoked cannabis, much as the first laws
criminalizing opium were passed in order to harass
newly arrived migrant workers from China.

Kelly T. Conlon

Hamilton