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outlawed the use of cannabis. It was six years later that federal law criminalized marijuana throughout the nation through the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. One day after the law passed, law enforcement made the first marijuana- related arrest. The 1936 film Reefer Madness depicted marijuana use as a gateway to violence, psychosis , and suicide. It was a propaganda film used to demonstrate the perils of marijuana addiction. It was financed by a church group and probably helped to influence passage of the Marijuana Tax Act. (The film had a resurgence in popularity decades later, when marijuana use was on the rise among young people, who found its depiction of marijuana-crazed people to be humorous.)

Scan here to watch a trailer for the 1936 film Reefer Madness.

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Introduction to Marijuana Legalization