Here is a major part of the twist that destroyed the emerging U.S. hemp industry of the 1930s, placing such a burdensome tax on hemp that investors and farmers lost interest in hemp, and farmers lost the opportunity to grow an incredible crop.
Who was the banker for the Du Pont Chemical Company? Andrew Mellon. He was also head of Mellon Financial Corporation, a major shareholder in both the Gulf Oil (petroleum) company, a major shareholder in a Pennsylvania coal mining company, and a shareholder in utility companies that used coal to create electricity. Along with John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, and Henry Ford, Mellon was considered to be among the richest people in the U.S. He helped Du Pont purchase General Motors (their competitor, Ford Motor Company, was working to develop fuels and synthetic materials from hemp and other crops).
What position did Andrew Mellon hold in the U.S. Government? He was the Secretary of the U.S. Treasury.
What did Mellon do to help the oil industry? He worked to create laws giving tax breaks to the petroleum industry. He also put events into play that set the petroleum industry in a position to become the number one source of fuel used in the world.
Who was the boss of Harry J. Anslinger, America’s first unofficial drug czar when Anslinger was appointed to Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics? Andrew Mellon. (The term “Drug Czar” was first used for William Bennett, director of the White House Office of National Drug Policy decades later. Some say it was used earlier under Carter’s administration when Peter Bourne was placed in the newly created position of Director of the National Drug Control Policy.)
What was Anslinger’s familial relationship to his boss, Andrew Mellon, who appointed Anslinger to what turned into a 32-year job? Mellon was the uncle of Anslinger’s fiancée and future wife, Martha Denniston, whose family gained wealth through the steel industry.
Who went before Congress using fake news articles published in Hearst-owned newspapers to get Congress to outlaw hemp? Harry J. Anslinger.
Who wrote some of the sensationalistic news articles that appeared in the Hearst papers? Anslinger and Hearst.
What did Anslinger do to make sure members of Congress read the Hearst news articles about marijuana? Anslinger and his assistants handed out free copies of Hearst newspapers in the halls of Congress.
Who had major investments in the tree pulp paper industry? Hearst and J.P. Morgan. What company developed chemicals for both tree pulp paper and manufacturing and the petroleum industry? Du Pont. Who would make more money if Du Pont made more money? Mellon.