Zeno Weed Laws

Words by Angelique Fenton

Morality is the recognition and distinction between good and bad or between right and wrong. Like cognition and emotion morality is a psychosocial property of humanity, the development of which is seen in stages. The youngest children are able to process the concept of good and bad, they understand the difference of right and wrong by the external consequences that follow an action. They obey rules to avoid punishment and believe what is right is what is in their best interest. Societal conventions are later internalized, and people begin to seek the approval of others. Authority is believed because it is seemingly necessary to maintain societal structure, and an obligation to uphold rules and laws develops. A majority of society maintains this conventional understanding of morality, with good and bad determined by external forces.

Cannabis use has been illegal in the United States since the 1920s. During the beginning of prohibition political figures and the media began to call it marijuana to link use with Mexican workers during a time of raging xenophobia. The logic of this propaganda was loosely based on the transitive property: if something is illegal it is bad, cannabis is illegal, Mexicans smoke cannabis, therefore Mexicans are bad people. The Jazz era of the 20s and 30s was heavily influenced by the Black American experience and cannabis use, both of which were looked down upon by legislation. Laws and propaganda such as Reefer Madness continued to determine public attitudes towards cannabis and people of color, with minimal first-handexperience with either. 

The middle of the twentieth century experienced great civil unrest pushing for increased racial equality. Black America protested for legal protections and recognition in a country resistant to integration, demanding legislation promoting the safety and advancement of their peoples. If being black continued to be illegal, public opinion would not shift within their favor and society would remain divided. Concurrently, the United States entered the Vietnam War and advocates for peace across America came together through art, dialogue, and music. They spoke of the people they had lost and the terror they have seen as a result of the twenty-year-long draft, echoing the cries of slaves after the civil war. The anti-establishment movement of the 60’s and 70’s showcased the beginning of postconventional moral reasoning. Despite their legal standing the use of cannabis and other psychedelics increased, in part because of their ability to alter perception that allowed for a holistic view of the law and supported subjective ethical determination. The media called those against the war and using psychedelics “hippies” and vilified their actions and beliefs as treason to perpetuate “illegal is bad” thought patterns, in effect denouncing their existence as people. 

Though no longer using it’s own citizens in war, the United States remained militarily active, fighting socialism in Nicaragua by supplying financial and military support to right-wing rebel groups that systematically resorted to terrorist tactics with little regard for human life. The 80’s saw an increase in cocaine trafficking and the introduction of its inexpensive form, crack, to urban gangs and communities that both funded the resistance overseas and fueled two decades of domestic anti-drug legislation. The Nixon and Reagan administrations used the visibility of substance use in the media as a basis for the “war on drugs”, capitalizing on the negative associations different substances had with different communities they wanted to disrupt. Although congress eventually banned US involvement in Nicaraguan politics, the Raegan administration continued support including using humanitarian funds to bail out drug traffickers to continue funding.

Society turned their backs on millions of people because their lifestyles were illegal, condemning them as bad people while the same institution determining legality used illegal substances to fund illegal military action. Prohibition is ineffective because of the ulterior motives behind the deciding authority. Legislation does not change as fast as public attitudes do because of the bidirectional influences each has on the other. While heroin and cocaine use remain detrimental to the individual and society, personal experience and science confirm the minimal negative impacts of cannabis use. Movement into an ethics-based morality is necessary for societal advancement and can be stimulated by legislative change.