There are many reasons why cannabis is illegal. However, the truthful reasons why cannabis is illegal, and why governments spend an absolute fortune fighting this "war on marijuana" are not the same reasons that you hear on the news. 

Cannabis has been illegal for recreational use in the UK since 1928, when the drug was included in the Dangerous Drugs Act of the same year. Its inclusion into the act was due to a handful of men who were responsible for the 1916 and 1923/4 and 1928 Geneva Opiates Conventions.

However, the true story as to why cannabis is illegal is a much bigger story, and you have to look towards the the United States of America to discover this story...

It is all about money and oil. 

The history of cannabis prohibition

Cannabis has been used and cultivated since 8000 B.C., and has been used medicinally since 2800 B.C.. It seems to have been used responsibly everywhere in the world until it was outlawed in the U.S. in 1937. In fact, during 1763 and 1767, farmers in Virginia were threatened with jail sentences for NOT growing hemp.

So why was it outlawed? Well, 1937 was the year Dupont patented plastic, nylon and a new form of paper making. Until this date, hemp was the #1 fiber and a direct competitor to these products. In 1937, hemp was a rapidly growing industry with virtually unlimited potential. In 1938, Popular Mechanics ran an article entitled "The New Billion Dollar Crop," predicting a bright future for the hemp plant. In the same year, Mechanical Engineering Magazine called hemp "The most profitable and desirable crop that can be grown."

Later, a commission found all negative effects claimed by Anslinger to be completely false, but Ainslinger used his weight with the press to have the findings buried.

In 1969, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Marijuana Tax Act, but in 1970 it was outlawed again, along with many other drugs in the federal "Controlled Substance Act ".  Some US states fought back, and iIn 1973, Oregon decriminalised cannabis and several other states followed. A study done 4 years after in Oregon showed no significant increase in cannabis use, and a substatial savings of tax dollars spent on law enforcement.

In 1980, U.S. President Reagan and the religious right - which has always viewed cannabis as evil, fought to vilify cannabis again. The "just say no " campaign was born. Carlton Turner, the White House Drug Czar under Ronald Reagan wrote the famous lines “Marijuana leads to homosexuality, the breakdown of the immune system, and therefore to AIDS.”. Thankfully, Carlton was forced to resign over these remarks, but some may find it surprising that from 1971 to 1980, Carlton was in charge of all U.S. government marijuana grown for drugs by reason of his position at the University of Mississippi!

The U.S. government continues to fight this "war on marijuana" although it has been completely ineffective. The U.S. has spent billions of dollars fighting this ineffective "war". $214.7 billion dollars was spent from 1980 to 1998 to fight marijuana alone.

Since cannabis was outlawed, more than 20 million Americans have been arrested, convicted and incarerated for marijuana related 'crimes'.

Why is cannabis illegal?

Even though the cannabis plant is still illegal today, it is successfully used in over 5000 products.

Industrial hemp  is a form of cannabis that contains less than 0.3% THC (the active ingredient in cannabis), and although it is impossible to obtain a high from smoking it, it is still illegal and needs special licences to grow.

Hemp is one of the best crops for the environment. It actually leaves the soil in better condition, due to its 2 metre deep root system drawing nutrients to the surface. For this reason, there is no need to use fertiliser to grow hemp.

Hemp can be used to make textiles: In fact, the earliest known fabric was made from Hemp in 8000 B.C. Hemp is a much better fiber than cotton - its 'natural' alternative. Many people do not realise that cotton is one of the most environmentally destructive crops on the planet - using over 275 million pounds of pesticides anually in the U.S. alone, and accounts for 50% of the agriculture chemicals used in the U.S.. Hemp on the other hand is naturally resistant to most insects, moulds and pests and requires zero chemicals to grow.

Hemp can also be used as a biofuel. Cars have been converted to run solely on hemp oil, which is not destructive to our planet like fossil fuels are. The same oil can be used in cooking, and is an effective lubricant. Many new cars made today have parts that are made out of "natural fiber". This natural fiber is in fact hemp (although the motor manufacturers refuse to openly admit this fact).

Hemp is also excellent for making construction materials, bioplastics and paper. An acre of hemp produces 4.3x more paper than an acre of trees, and can be produced without the need of chemicals. Hemp will also grow back much faster than trees. Hemp paper products can be recycled seven times, while white paper made from wood pulp can only be recycled three times.

Hemp is also one of the "complete foods", meaning that it has all the amino acids necessary to survive. Hemp oil is also the only food source on the planet that has the exact balance of omega-3 and omega-6 oils as a human body. Cannabis is also considered by some to be "mind food", and a shortcut to reaching a more enlightened state of mind. Some religions, including the Rastafarians, consider smoking the cannabis plant to be a sacrament to the church. Evidence of ritual cannabis use has been discovered from as early as 5000 B.C.

Cannabis has been used medicinally for thousands of years, and its unique medicinal qualities have been documented and accepted by the medical community. It can be used to effectively treat the symptoms of medical conditions including (but not limited to) cancer, multiple sclerosis, huntingdons, cancer, glaucoma, anxiety, autism, depression, arthritus, HIV and new evidence suggests that cannabis may help control diabetes.

Most patients who use cannabis report far greater relief from symptoms and far fewer side-effects than from prescription drugs. Medical science has proven the medicinal properties of cannabis, and most medical professionals would instantly advocate its use should it be made available for them to do so.

Cannabis has caused ZERO known deaths due to its direct use in the entire history of mankind. It is impossible to overdose on cannabis.

When you consider that eighty-two percent of the value of all stocks traded in the world's major exchanges are tied directly to energy supply companies, energy transportation, refineries and retail fuel sales, you then realise that there is no good reason for the cannabis plant to be illegal at all, except its for obvious financial impact on the petro-chemical, pharmaceutical, fossil-fuel and textile industries.

Sickening, isnt it?